The following is a preview with betting tips for the 2017 Grand Final between the Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys.
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Storm v CowboysSun Oct 1, 6:15pm, ANZ Stadium |
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The NRL premiers of 2017 will be decided this Sunday night in an unlikely match-up that no one predicted at the start of the year. Having only dropped four games all season, the premiership trophy has been consistently referred to as the Storm’s to lose, and their finals series has not disappointed.
Melbourne are coming off a big win over the Broncos last week, while the Cowboys produced a wonderful upset over the Roosters. The Queensland club has done a tremendous job to reach the grand-final in a testament to the culture cultivated by coach Paul Green.
Both teams have named an unchanged side for the clash with Cowboys’ mentor Paul Green stating Matt Scott is only providing injury cover after the Queensland and Australian forward was named in the reserves.
The Storm are a side with very few weak points but coach Paul Green will no-doubt have a well-thought-out game-plan for his troops. Expect the Cowboys to play an aggressive defensive game in an attempt to emulate Cronulla in the 2016 grand-final, while the Storm should focus on the fundamentals of rugby league in an attempt to grind their opposition down.
It would be a herculean effort from the Cowboys to win this match with the Storm’s discipline likely to prove the difference. The Cowboys will not flinch away from the tough physical contest, but they will struggle to match the Storm’s execution while playing the up-tempo football required to trouble the Victorian defence. Expect the Storm to take out yet another grand-final win.
Betting Tip: Storm -10.0 @ $1.95 (Ladbrokes)
Best Bet
Storm -10.0 @ $1.95 (Ladbrokes)