NRL GRAND FINAL
MUCH like they do to their often vanquished on-field opponents, the Sydney Roosters have struck fear into the hearts of bookmakers for the past two seasons.
And on Sunday night, those fears could well be realised. Since markets opened for the 2019 NRL premiership last October, the boys from Bondi have been backed and backed and backed again.
Taken through multis with the AFL (the Richmond/Roosters double was a favourite with punters from the outset) as well as racing, cricket and many, many more.
Seen by many as a way to inject value into any other bet, the result is Ladbrokes standing the Roosters for, as quoted by a company source, “an absolute truckload”.
In terms of the head-to-head and line betting on the match itself, the Raiders are attracting a good amount of early interest. While the really big punters, like the one who successfully had $500,000 on Richmond giving up 17.5 points last Saturday, will step in closer to kick-off, the early money on match betting has the Raiders as a worse result with Ladbrokes. Money in both the head-tohead and line markets was split almost straight down the middle as of yesterday afternoon, meaning the Raiders are the more costly way home for bookies.
But that money though pales compared to how much sits on the Roosters in the Ladbrokes premiership market.
In terms of who will take home the Clive Churchill Medal, the four shortest players in the market are from the Chooks. Clever Canberra hooker Josh Hodgson, who sits alongside Boyd Cordner on the fourth line of betting at $11, is the shortest of the Raiders players.
Of those punters who have shopped early, many are backing one of two fairytale stories – James Tedesco or Cooper Cronk.
Tedesco won the Wally Lewis Medal for the player of the State of Origin series and was also crowned the Dally M medallist earlier this week. Cronk is looking to finish to his stellar career with a bang. With Cronk in his ninth grand final, he sits second in the Ladbrokes market at $6, behind Tedesco at $5.