Roar Guru
A Saturday night blockbuster awaits, as the Sydney Roosters take on the St George-Illawarra Dragons in a game that is sure to shape the top eight. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm (AEST).
The Roosters have been in very patchy form coming into this game, including a shock loss to the Knights in their last start.
They sit in fifth on the ladder, and a loss in this match would almost certainly see their top four hopes finish.
The Dragons have been in good form over the last few weeks, winning four of their last five matches. The only loss in that stretch was to the juggernaut that is the Manly Sea Eagles.
They are currently on the outside looking in to the top eight, but a win in this one would see their chances increase ten-fold.
The Roosters have made a some key changes heading into this match, as Michael Jennings makes his return from injury.
That move pushes Aidan Guerra back to the second row, bolstering a unit that lost Sonny Bill Williams and Mitchell Aubusson to injury.
Shaun Kenny-Dowall moves back into the centres, and Nene Macdonald is scheduled to start on the wing. Vincent Leuluai has been named to an extended bench.
The Dragons have no changes in their 1-17, with Shane Pumipi named to a five-man bench.
The Roosters are a completely different side without Sonny Bill Williams, so don’t be surprised if they come out very flat in this game.
The Dragons will need to be good enough to take advantage of that.
Prediction
I’m going with the upset here, as I think the Dragons have been in good enough form to topple an SBW-less Roosters outfit. It’ll be close, but I think the Dragons’ halves pairing has enough class to get them over the line.
Dragons by 4.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEST). If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.