​NRL Finals: Every Team's Ins And Outs As We Brace For Two Blockbuster Prelims

PRELIMINARY FINAL: SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS vs MANLY SEA EAGLES (odds correct as of 21/09/21)

H2H: Rabbitohs ($1.74) vs Sea Eagles ($2.10)

Line: Rabbitohs (-1.5 @ $1.85) vs Sea Eagles (+1.5 @ $1.95)

Date: Friday, 24 September

Time: 7.50pm

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

For all your latest TAB odds on the Rabbitohs vs Sea Eagles, CLICK HERE.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS:

Ins: Braidon Burns, Jed Cartwright, Taane Milne

Outs: N/A

1. Blake Taaffe
2. Alex Johnston
3. Dane Gagai
4. Campbell Graham
5. Jaxson Paulo
6. Cody Walker
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Mark Nicholls
9. Damien Cook
10. Tevita Tatola
11. Keaon Koloamatangi
12. Jaydn Su'A
13. Cameron Murray
14. Benji Marshall
15. Jacob Host
16. Thomas Burgess
17. Jai Arrow

MANLY SEA EAGLES:

Ins: Curtis Sironen, Tevita Funa, Toafofoa Sipley

Outs: N/A

1. Tom Trbojevic
2. Jason Saab
3. Brad Parker
4. Morgan Harper
5. Reuben Garrick
6. Kieran Foran
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Josh Aloiai
9. Lachlan Croker
10. Martin Taupau
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Josh Schuster
13. Jake Trbojevic
14. Dylan Walker
15. Karl Lawton
16. Sean Keppie
17. Taniela Paseka

KEY MATCH-UPS

Adam Reynolds vs Daly Cherry-Evans

In last weekend's demolition job on the Sydney Roosters, Daly Cherry-Evans played like a man possessed. The Manly Sea Eagles skipper has often found himself in the firing line from critics for not stepping up when it matters most in big games, but against the Roosters he produced a classy showing where his experience shone through. His creativity with the ball-in-hand gave Manly another dimension in attack and ultimately brought Tom Trbojevic - who had been nullified by the Melbourne Storm a week prior - into the game more. Cherry-Evans' persistence paid off too when he caught the Chooks defence napping with a devastating left-foot step to score a try of his own. But above all else, his kicking game was immaculate, as usual. This weekend, though, he comes up against arguably the best kicker in the competition. It's no secret that Souths fans were left crying themselves to sleep when news broke that Adam Reynolds would be joining the Brisbane Broncos next season. But in terms of Reynolds' Finals campaign this year, he'll almost certainly want to go out on a high. In the Bunnies' qualifying final victory over Penrith a few weeks back, the captain lead by example and dictated the tempo of the game with his carries. Having Reynolds take on the line at any given opportunity meant he remained a constant threat, but perhaps his best contribution to the game came from his right boot. When the final whistle was blown, the halfback had 602 total metres from 17 kicks. This Friday evening, if the going gets tough and either side needs to grind out a result, kicking to the corners could prove to be a match-winner.

Cameron Murray vs Jake Trbojevic

As far as elite lock forwards go, look no further than Cameron Murray and Jake Trbojevic. Granted, Manly star Trbojevic had a quiet regular season by his lofty standards, but he has managed to recapture some form at just the right time. In the 42-6 thrashing of the Roosters in their semi-final showdown, Trbojevic ended the game with two tacklebusts, one linebreak, a linebreak assist and 119 run metres. He has emerged as one of the best ball-playing forwards in the NRL in recent years, but it was his strong running game against the Chooks that made the difference. Oh, and he produced 28 tackles with zero missed ones - not bad, not bad at all. As for his opposite number, Cameron Murray continues to be perhaps the most important cog in the Bunnies' star-studded pack. When it comes to holding the middle of the park together defensively, there's none better than Murray - his 33 tackles against the Panthers in Week One of the NRL Finals is testament to his work rate. And in attack, he's just as productive. Even at 23 years of age, he plays with the maturity of a seasoned veteran. While the likes of Cody Walker, Adam Reynolds, Latrell Mitchell and the lightning-quick backs get a lot of praise for finishing plays, it's often Murray who starts them off as the first receiver. There's plenty of firepower in other areas of the pitch for both teams, but if either Trbojevic or Murray can get the game by the scruff of the neck then they could very easily sway the tide in their side's favour.

BEST BETS (odds correct as of 21/08/21):

First try scorer:

Alex Johnston (SOU) - $8

Jaxon Paulo (SOU) - $8.50

Dane Gagai (SOU) - $14

Tom Trbojevic (MAN) - $9

Jason Saab (MAN) - $9

Reuben Garrick (MAN) - $10

Anytime try scorer:

Alex Johnston (SOU) - $1.85

Jaxon Paulo (SOU) - $1.90

Dane Gagai (SOU) - $2.70

Tom Trbojevic (MAN) - $2

Jason Saab (MAN) - $2

Reuben Garrick (MAN) - $2.15

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PRELIMINARY FINAL: MELBOURNE STORM vs PENRITH PANTHERS (odds correct as of 21/09/21)

H2H: Storm ($1.30) vs Panthers ($3.50)

Line: Storm (-9.5 @ $1.85) vs Panthers (+9.5 @ $1.95)

Date: Saturday, 18 September

Time: 4pm

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

For all your latest TAB odds on the Storm vs Panthers, CLICK HERE.

MELBOURNE STORM:

Ins: Aaron Pene, Chris Lewis, Josh Addo-Carr

Outs: N/A

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen

2. George Jennings

3. Reimis Smith

4. Justin Olam

5. Josh Addo-Carr

6. Cameron Munster

7. Jahrome Hughes

8. Jesse Bromwich

9. Brandon Smith

10. Christian Welch

11. Felise Kaufusi

12. Kenneath Bromwich

13. Dale Finucane

14. Harry Grant

15. Tui Kamikamica

16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

17. Nicho Hynes

PENRITH PANTHERS:

Ins: Brian To'o, J'maine Hopgood, Spencer Leniu, Tyrone May

Outs: Mitch Kenny

1. Dylan Edwards
2. Stephen Crichton
3. Paul Momirovski
4. Matt Burton
5. Brent Naden
6. Jarome Luai
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Tyrone May
15. Scott Sorensen
16. Tevita Pangai Junior
17. Liam Martin

KEY MATCH-UPS:

Justin Olam vs Matt Burton

Yes, we're well aware that these two stars play on opposite sides of the field. But if truth be told, they're both so devastatingly brilliant on their given day that it's virtually impossible not to mention either name as a potential game-winner for their respective side. Put it this way, if Olam and Josh Addo-Carr have their way with Stephen Crichton and Paul Momirovski then this could very well be a blow-out. But on the other wing, if Burton can exploit George Jennings and Reimis Smith by linking up with Brent Naden again, then the Panthers might just cause an upset in Brisbane. In the gritty, hard-fought win over the Eels, five-eighth-in-disguise Burton was kept relatively quiet as he partnered up alongside a new winger in Naden. That said, he still ran for over 100 metres. As for Olam, he has been a not-so-quiet achiever for the Storm this season. While other Melbourne stars take a lot of the credit for their free-flowing style of play, Olam's consistency on the left with his bulldozing runs and resolute defence has seen him become recognised as one of the best centres in the comp. Olam always has a linebreak up his sleeve and when you've got a supporting winger as quick as The Foxx on your outside, that makes for a deadly combination. While every footy pundit under the sun will undoubtedly dissect the halves battle in the centre of the park, it's perhaps the match-ups on both wings that will prove to be the most fascinating to watch come crunch time.

Christian Welch vs James Fisher-Harris

There's no denying how valuable Christian Welch is to this Melbourne side. If you're looking for a bloke who will go to war with the opposition's big boys by running hard and tackling even harder, then Welch is your man for the job. The often-unsung hero has been instrumental for Craig Bellamy's side this season, racking up an impressive amount of run metres in offence, while his defensive stats speak for themself. Oh, and he even bags the odd cheeky meat pie every now and then. Although this Saturday evening, Welch has a tough task on his hands in dealing with Penrith prop James Fisher-Harris - and the entire Panthers forward pack for that matter. When the Parramatta Eels continued to mount pressure last weekend in their semi-final, Fisher-Harris was often the first line of defence alongside Api Koroisau, finishing the hard-fought victory with a whopping 49 tackles under his belt. In a forward pack consisting of Moses Leota, Viliame Kikau, Kurt Capewell, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo, it's Fisher-Harris who's often on hand to supply the bone-crushing tackles which can change the momentum of a game. So if Welch was hoping to bully his way past Penrith's forwards this weekend, he'll have to be on his A-game.

BEST BETS (odds correct as of 14/08/21):

First try scorer:

George Jennings (MEL) - $7.50

Josh Addo-Carr (MEL) - $7.50

Ryan Papenhuyzen (MEL) - $10

Brent Naden (PEN) - $12

Stephen Crichton (PEN) - $12

Matt Burton (PEN) - $19

Anytime try scorer:

George Jennings (MEL) - $1.85

Josh Addo-Carr (MEL) - $1.85

Ryan Papenhuyzen (MEL) - $2.25

Brent Naden (PEN) - $2.50

Stephen Crichton (PEN) - $2.50

Matt Burton (PEN) - $3.30

Topics: Penrith Panthers, Injury news, Team News, Melbourne Storm, Rugby League, nrl, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry