What a massive night of footy down at Allianz Stadium for Finals Week 1! Punters locking in their pre-match multis had the South Sydney Rabbitohs heavily fancied at 1.38 in the head-to-head market, while the Newcastle Knights rolled in as the 2.98 outsiders looking to cause an upset.
When the dust settled on Friday, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm AEST, it was the away side that stole the show. The Newcastle Knights put on a gritty display to silence the red and green faithful, securing a 20–10 victory over the Bunnies and marching on in style.
How the match played out
The Rabbitohs entered this clash coming off a strong win after defeating the Sydney Roosters 50–20, but they simply couldn't replicate that attacking fluency against a determined Newcastle defensive wall. Souths managed just 10 points for the evening as the Knights' defensive structures held firm.
For the visitors, this finals triumph was the perfect response after their last start ended in a 46–32 loss against the New Zealand Warriors. Punters who backed the Knights to bounce back were duly rewarded as they out-muscled their opponents through the middle and took their chances when they mattered most.
How the tips went
It was a tough outing for our published selections as the finals pressure brought some unexpected results on the turf. Here is how our featured punts fared:
Head to Head: South Sydney Rabbitohs — Loss. The Bunnies fell short as under-fire favourites, dropping a 20–10 result against the resilient Knights.
Line: South Sydney Rabbitohs -8.5 — Loss. With the Knights claiming a 10-point victory overall, the -8.5 line for Souths was well out of reach by the final siren.