Following Palmerbet’s NRL Same Game Multi’s barnstorming debut in recent weeks – and as the NRL Finals march on – we’re winding back the clock. How would an SGM placed on the 2013 Grand Final have panned out?
Fierce rivals Manly Sea Eagles and Sydney Roosters are gearing up for a massive sudden-death semi-final on Friday night. It’s the clubs’ first post-season showdown since the epic, twisting and turning 2013 Grand Final.
Rookie coach Trent Robinson – with the help of blue-chip buys James Maloney, Sonny Bill Williams and Michael Jennings, plus value pick-up Sam Moa – led Sydney Roosters to the 2013 minor premiership with an 18-6 record, edging South Sydney on for-and-against. Though attacking firepower was seeping out of the team’s pores, it was a ruthless defensive mindset underpinning their success: The Roosters conceded just 13.54 points per game.
Rallying from a mid-season slump, Manly surged to fourth with some sizzling form in July and August. Daly Cherry-Evans finished second in the Dally M Medal count and the club still boasted 10 members of the 2011 Grand Final-winning line-up.
The Roosters and Sea Eagles played out a modern classic in Week 1 of the finals. The Tricolours ultimately prevailed 4-0 in a dramatic, exhilarating arm-wrestle. The Sea Eagles regrouped to eliminate Cronulla in Week 2 before upsetting the Rabbitohs in a wonderful preliminary final. The Roosters spanked surprise preliminary finalists Newcastle to book a rematch with the northern beaches outfit.
Both were $12 premiership chances heading into the season. The Roosters opened as $1.70 Grand Final favourites and came in slightly before kick-off to $1.64.
Line (Sydney Roosters -3 @ $1.90)
Sydney Roosters clinched their first premiership since 2002 with a 26-18 triumph over a gallant Manly Sea Eagles side. The Roosters overturned a 10-point deficit to salute, scoring the last three tries of the match to cover a slender points start.
It was arguably the most competitive NRL Grand Final since the 2006 tussle between Brisbane and Melbourne.
Sea Eagles linchpin Cherry-Evans’ controversial capture of the Clive Churchill Medal as best on ground would have spoiled plenty of Roosters-focused Same Game Multis. Just the third player in 28 years to claim the award from a losing Grand Final team, DCE was influential – but many felt SBW, Maloney or even bolter Sam Moa were more deserving after the Roosters’ victory.
Manly are red-hot $1.26 favourites to bounce back from last week’s heavy defeat to Melbourne and put the injury-ravaged Roosters out of commission for 2021 on Friday night. The Sea Eagles are giving away a hefty 12.5-point start. Cherry-Evans, meanwhile, is currently a tantalisingly $41 in the Churchill Medal market.
First Tryscorer (Jorge Taufua @ $12)
Powerhouse Sea Eagles winger Jorge Taufua enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign in 2013, scoring 18 tries in 22 regular-season games. The 21-year-old added another in the semi-final defeat of the Sharks and needed just nine minutes to register the first try of the Grand Final.
Prolific Manly back-three trio Jason Saab ($7.00), Reuben Garrick ($7.50) and Tom Trbojevic ($7.50) are the short-priced First Tryscorer favourites ahead of this week’s semi-final clash. Roosters wingers Matt Ikuvalu and Daniel Tupou (both $13) are on the next line of betting.
Halftime/Fulltime (Sydney Roosters/Sydney Roosters @ $2.40)
The Roosters fought back through Daniel Tupou, who soared to take a James Maloney bomb and score in the corner. Maloney buried the conversion and added a penalty goal for the Tricolours to take a narrow 8-6 lead into halftime.
The Sea Eagles flew out of the blocks early in the second half. Jamie Lyon was awarded a wildly contentious penalty try in the 43rd minute, before centre partner Steve Matai ran in a try six minutes later for a shock 18-8 lead.
But the Roosters steadied to dominate the last 25 minutes of the match, first chewing into the deficit when Mitchell Pearce sent Aiden Guerra through a gaping hole.
A Manly/Manly result on Friday offers punters just $1.57. A Roosters/Manly result shapes as a value play at $7.00.
Anytime Tryscorer (Shaun Kenny-Dowall @ $2.00)
The Roosters reclaimed the lead through one of the great Grand Final tries – an 80-metre special with 20 minutes remaining.
A deft Moa pass sent Williams poking through the Sea Eagles’ tiring defence, and the crosscode megastar offloaded for Maloney to scorch into open space. The five-eighth linked with captain Anthony Minichiello, who looped a pass for centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall – who courageously played most of the decider with a broken jaw – to race over out wide.
Saab and Trbojevic are both a skinny $1.45 to get over the stripe in the semi-final. Consider Haumole Olakau’atu ($3.40) and Josh Morris ($3.60) as value Anytime Tryscorer options.
Margin (Sydney Roosters 1-12 @ $2.90)
The Roosters sealed the 2013 NRL premiership with a miraculous 73rd-minute try to Michael Jennings, who latched onto a Maloney grubber.
A spectacular converted try by Michael Jennings in the 73rd minute of the 2013 Grand Final seals the Roosters 13th premiership. #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/PMMRMMv99r
— That's Rugby League (@RugbyLeagueGold) September 30, 2016
The eight-point margin made it just the second time in seven years (and the first time since 2009) the Grand Final have been decided by less than double digits.
Manly are just $1.91 to power away to a 13+ win over Sydney Roosters on Friday night. But the $3.40 on offer for a 1-12 Sea Eagles victory will surely tempt plenty of punters.
Same Game Multi rewind: 2013 NRL Grand Final – Sydney Roosters v Manly Sea Eagles
- Line (Sydney Roosters -3 @ $1.90)
- First Tryscorer (Jorge Taufua @ $12)
- Halftime/Fulltime (Sydney Roosters/Sydney Roosters @ $2.40)
- Anytime Tryscorer (Shaun Kenny-Dowall @ $2.00)
- Margin (Sydney Roosters 1-12 @ $2.90)
=$326
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