2020 NRL – Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons taking place? Saturday 25th July, 2020 – 08:30 (UK)
Where is Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons taking place? Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
What is the expected weather for Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons? 16c, mostly cloudy
What channel is Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons on? Sky Sports Arena will be televising selected NRL games in the UK and you can find their schedule here. For Australian broadcasters, you can find a list here
Where can I stream Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons? If televised on Sky Sports, then subscribers will be able to stream the match live via Sky Go. Alternatively, the match will be available to subscribers of Watch NRL
Where can I get tickets for Cronulla Sharks vs St. George Illawarra Dragons? Click here for ticket information on 2020 NRL matches
THE TEAM NEWS
CRONULLA SHARKS
Starting 13: Kennedy, Katoa, Dugan, Ramien, Mulitalo, Johnson, Townsend, Hamlin-Uele, Brailey, Woods, Talakai, Graham, Rudolf – Interchanges: Tracey, Williams, Wilton, Hunt – Reserves: Magoulias, Goodwin, Vasquez, Trindall
Unavailable: Cameron King (Injured), Bronson Xerri (Disciplinary), Matt Moylan (Injured), Andrew Fifita (Injured), Briton Nikora (Suspended), Scott Sorensen (Injured)
- Cronulla Sharks put their poor display against Penrith Panthers behind them as they ran in eight tries to defeat New Zealand Warriors last week and they will hope to build on that as they aim to solidify their spot in the top eight.
- The Sharks saw less of the ball than the Warriors and despite completing at just 68%, they were clinical as they made the most of their chances with the Sharks now averaging 25.6 points per game so far this season and only Sydney Roosters are outperforming them in attack.
- In their quest to make it back-to-back wins, the Sharks will have to cope with the loss of forward pair Scott Sorensen and Briton Nikora due to injury and suspension respectively with Jack Williams coming into the side along with debutant Teig Wilton.
ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Starting 13: Dufty, Saab, Aitken, Lomax, Ravalawa, Norman, Clune, Lawrie, Hunt, Vaughan, Frizell, Fuimaono, McInnes – Interchanges: Merrin, Kerr, Host, Ford – Reserves: Blacker, Sailor, Brittain, K. Sims
Unavailable: Jack de Belin (Disciplinary), Brayden Wiliame (Injured), Jordan Pereira (Suspended), Tariq Sims (Suspended)
- St. George Illawarra Dragons went into their game with Canterbury Bulldogs on the back of a couple of solid performances but they failed to build on a strong start against the Bulldogs and needed a late try to snatch the victory.
- The Dragons raced into a 10-0 lead but they trailed by 12 points at one point and needed three tries in the final 15 minutes to complete their comeback with their superiority through the middle proving vital.
- They ran for almost 400 metres more than the Bulldogs with their average of 1,842m per game standing as the fifth-best in the NRL ahead of this clash but they are forced into one change in the pack with Tariq Sims copping a ban so Jacob Host comes into the 17.
THE PREDICTION
Cronulla Sharks and St. George Illawarra Dragons will both believe that they can challenge for the spot in the finals this season but they will need to come out on top in games like these if they are to do so. The Sharks were big winners last week while the Dragons needed a late try to overcome Canterbury Bulldogs. Both teams still need to improve and find greater consistency in their game but the Sharks’ superior scoring ability should see them come out on top in this one.
