Rugby League

2025-07-06 - Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers

A Sports Betting Pick by Stu

Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers
Rugby League : Australia : NRL Season 2025
Sunday 6th July 2025 - KO 1400 AEST

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters come into this match missing several of their Origin stars, including Nat Butcher, Lindsay Collins, and Connor Watson, which could test their depth and disrupt their rhythm. Sydney have raced up the table to sit nicely in 6th 7-7 record and they have now had all 3 byes for the season meaning they will play every week until the end of their season.

Few teams in the NRL have built a squad as deep and versatile as Trent Robinson’s Roosters. The club has shown time and time again that it can absorb representative absences due to Origin with minimal impact, largely due to a great squad depth that produces reliable replacements and backs them to get the job done.

In short, even without a handful of key names, the Roosters remain an imposing outfit — especially against a team they’ve beaten in 18 of their last 19 encounters.

Sydney Roosters Team news – there are many changes this week mostly due to Origin. Robert Toia, Angus Crichton, Connor Watson, Lindsay Collins and Spencer Leniu are all out on Origin duty. Makahesi Makatoa, Benaiah Ioelu and Blake Steep, Egan Buthcher all start with Max McCathie, Zach Dockar-Clay, Taylor Losaulu and De La Salle Va'a on the bench.

Wests Tigers

This season has been yet another exercise in soul-searching for Wests, under coach Benji Marshall the club has struggled to find consistency, sitting near the bottom of the ladder in 14th with only 5 wins to their name.

Injuries to spine players like Apisai Koroisau and Jarome Luai have robbed them of direction in attack, and while the effort has been there, their execution has often failed to match it. They have also lost excellent young potential stars Galvin and this week Da Silva to rival clubs showing there must be a back office issue making it difficult to keep their local talent.

However, there are some positive signs. Outside backs Starford To’a and Sunia Turuva have shown flashes of brilliance, and forward leader Terrell May facing his former team, the Roosters, is one of the NRL’s most effective offloaders this season and incredibly unlucky in my opinion not to be selected in the Origin decider.

The issue for the Tigers isn’t necessarily talent, but cohesion and confidence — two things in short supply during a shocking six-game losing run.

Wests Tigers Team news – Sunia Turuva moves to fullback, Charlie Staines Adam Doueihi moves to five-eighth to cover Api Koroisau this week. Luke Laulilii and Tristan Hope start with Charlie Murray on the bench.

Odds

Roosters are heavily favoured $1.26 to $3.90, the line is -12.5 points and combined points 49.5

The Betting Verdict

This Sunday afternoon first match at Allianz Stadium will host a classic David vs Goliath matchup as the high-flying inform Sydney Roosters take on the struggling Wests Tigers. On paper, it’s a lopsided affair, the Roosters are surging towards the finals with momentum and depth needed to cover the many absences, while the Tigers limp into the contest nursing a six-game losing streak and a growing sense of crisis.

Historically, this fixture has been a nightmare for Wests. Not only have the Roosters won eight straight against them, but many of those victories have come by massive, sometimes ridiculous margins, regularly clearing a 20-point line.

The likes of Daniel Tupou and Billy Smith have routinely tormented the Tigers’ edge defence, and if Nawaqanitawase maintains his try scoring run, he adds further firepower to an already potent backline. Still, with the Roosters coming off a heavy Origin workload and fielding several new combinations, there is a possibility they start slowish or take the Tigers a little lightly.

The Roosters enter as heavy favourites, with most markets pricing them around $1.23 H2H. The line sits at -12.5, reflecting their dominance in recent years and the Tigers current form. While the Roosters covering that line seems likely, it’s not without risk — particularly if the Tigers can keep things tight in the first half and exploit any Roosters errors from Origin disruptions.

For punters looking for value, Wests +13.5 may offer a tempting alternative, especially if you believe Benji Marshall’s side can summon a spirited, simplified game plan.

The total points line is set around 49.5 While both sides have scoring potential, the under looks to be a great option here due to the numerous changes which often results in an error ridden affair.

The Tigers have struggled to post points against top-eight sides all season, and the Roosters — even understrength — tend to control tempo and grind through matches when necessary. Unless the Roosters put on a clinic, this game may not explode on the scoreboard.

It’s difficult to go past the Roosters, winning well in this match. They’re better across the park, have a dominant head-to-head record, and possess game-breaking talent that can turn even a scrappy match into a rout. Although the Tigers to may show some early grit, ultimately it appears Wests will fall short with a scoreline margin of around 18-20 points to the Roosters seems realistic.