Punners, what an absolute heavyweight clash we had on our hands as Finals Week 1 kicked off at Go Media Stadium on Saturday, 12 Sept. The New Zealand Warriors rolled into this encounter coming off a tight W 31-30 v Manly Sea Eagles (H), while the Dolphins arrived on the quick back-up after securing a W 24-20 v Gold Coast Titans (A) the previous Friday. With both sides boasting strong 5-0 streaks coming into the finals fixture, the stage was set for a classic battle.
The market told an interesting yarn in the lead-up. In the head-to-head market, the New Zealand Warriors moved from 1.58→1.62 (drifted), while the Dolphins saw support with 2.36→2.24 (firmed). On the line market, the New Zealand Warriors -3.5 shifted from 1.9→1.85 (firmed), and the Dolphins moved from 1.9→1.95 (drifted). When all was said and done on the turf, it was the Dolphins who seized the moment, punching their ticket with a convincing 26-16 victory over the hosts.
How the tips went
Let's look at how our published selections fared in this Finals Week 1 showdown. Honesty is everything in this game, so let's check the ledger.
In the head-to-head market, we tipped the New Zealand Warriors at 1.58. That selection resulted in a loss as the Dolphins got the job done 26-16.
On the line market, we backed the New Zealand Warriors -4.5 at 1.9. That selection also resulted in a loss as the visitors covered the margin with room to spare.