Round 24 delivered plenty of theatre down at Ocean Protect Stadium as the Canberra Raiders caused a major upset, knocking off the Cronulla Sharks 24–20 on Saturday afternoon. Punters who expected a routine afternoon for the home side were left reeling as the Raiders dug deep to steal the two competition points.
Heading into the clash, the market had the Cronulla Sharks heavily backed at 1.32 in the head-to-head market, while the Canberra Raiders saw some slight movement, drifting out from 3.36 to 3.42 (drifted) in the lead-up. Despite the odds and their respective ladder positions, the Raiders threw out the form book when it mattered most.
How the match unfolded
The Cronulla Sharks rolled into this fixture looking to bounce back following their recent loss against the St George Illawarra Dragons, but they simply couldn't shake a determined visiting outfit. Meanwhile, the Canberra Raiders arrived on the quick back-up after dropping their previous match to the Newcastle Knights.
Both teams traded blows throughout a fiery afternoon in the Shire, but it was the Raiders who found the crucial answers to secure the 24–20 victory. The result marks a significant bump in the road for Cronulla's top-tier aspirations while giving Canberra a much-needed morale boost on the road.
How the tips went
It was a tough afternoon for the punters across our published selections, with all three main tips failing to land as the upset unfolded at Ocean Protect Stadium.
Our head-to-head tip on the Cronulla Sharks at 1.29 resulted in a loss after the home side fell short 24–20. The line selection of Cronulla Sharks -10.5 also resulted in a loss, as did our total points tip of Over 52.5 points in a match that finished with 44 total points scored.