Round 25 delivered one of the most remarkable upsets of the NRL season at Allianz Stadium, with the Wests Tigers securing a thrilling 25–24 victory against the Sydney Roosters. Pre-match expectations heavily favoured the Roosters, who sat near the top of the ladder with 16 wins and saw their head to head price heavily backed into 1.03 (firmed from 1.07), while the Tigers drifted out to 10.2 (from 8). The line market had Sydney heavily conceded at -24.5 points, with the Roosters side seeing a movement from 1.9 to 1.95 (drifted).
Despite coming into the contest on the back of a solid 12–6 win over the Penrith Panthers and boasting an 8–3 record at Allianz Stadium, the Roosters were unable to put away a determined Tigers outfit. Wests entered the match following a narrow 24–22 loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons, but turned the form guide on its head to snatch a memorable one-point win and claim the two competition points.
How the tips went
Our published tips for this fixture faced a tough afternoon as the market leaders were shocked on home turf. Here is how our selections fared against the final scoreline:
Sydney Roosters (Head to Head) — Result: Loss. The Roosters started as unassailable favourites at 1.06, but the upset unfolded on Sunday afternoon.
Sydney Roosters -24.5 (Line) — Result: Loss. With the Tigers pushing right to the final siren and claiming a 25–24 victory, the large handicap margin was never under threat.