- 1 Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks: two teams have already been through Allianz Stadium in the past week, and only one will still be standing
- 2 Sydney Roosters, a benchmark loss and a boost in the back row
- 3 Cronulla Sharks, peaking at the right time
- 4 NRL prediction Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling comes first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks: two teams have already been through Allianz Stadium in the past week, and only one will still be standing 
The Sharks played their elimination final at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, September 12. Seven days later, they are back there, this time away from home, to face the Roosters.
Kick-off for this semi-final is set for Saturday, September 19 at 11:50 CET. The winner goes through to the preliminary final; the loser is done for the season.
Penrith and the Dolphins have already booked their spots in the next round by winning their qualifying finals. That leaves just two places up for grabs, and this one is a straight shootout.
The Roosters come in with the feeling they were close, very close. Beaten 19-12 by Penrith at CommBank Stadium, they led 12-6 after 26 minutes thanks to a 45-metre interception finished by Mark Nawaqanitawase.
From there, the game tightened up. Just one point was scored in the second half before Brian To’o crossed in the 77th minute. Nathan Cleary’s drop goal on 70 minutes had already swung it.
Cronulla, meanwhile, put North Queensland away 26-16. Five tries, including a double from Sione Katoa, with his 100th NRL try among them and a 65-metre interception return.
That win snapped an ugly run for Craig Fitzgibbon’s side. The Sharks had lost four of their previous five heading into the finals.
Sydney Roosters, a benchmark loss and a boost in the back row 
Seven points adrift of the minor premiers, that Sunday defeat was no collapse. The Roosters were tied 12-12 at the break and only cracked three minutes from the end.
Their two tries came out wide, with Robert Toia scoring on 19 minutes and Nawaqanitawase on 24. Hugo Savala converted both.
Angus Crichton is back in the 17 after recovering from a foot injury. The back-rower was a late withdrawal last week, and this time he starts on the bench.
Salesi Foketi keeps his spot despite passing a concussion protocol in the final quarter at Penrith. He comes into the starting pack in place of Egan Butcher, who is ruled out through concussion.
The Roosters stay unchanged in the halves, with Hugo Savala at stand-off and Daly Cherry-Evans at scrum-half. James Tedesco stays at full-back, while Victor Radley remains at lock.
Toby Rodwell is in the extended squad after recovering from a head knock sustained in round 27 against South Sydney. His presence gives them another option in attack.
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Cronulla Sharks, peaking at the right time 
Four defeats in five before the finals, then a controlled 26-16 win over the Cowboys: Cronulla have turned it around just when they needed it most. The Sharks were 12-6 up at half-time and were never caught.
Sione Katoa struck on 31 minutes and again on 48, with his second coming from an interception on Scott Drinkwater. That double included his 100th NRL try.
The decisive blow came later. With Cronulla only leading 16-12, tries from William Kennedy on 60 minutes and Nicho Hynes on 65 minutes shut the door.
Hynes produced the full package, landing an early penalty, two conversions and a try of his own. He remains the centre of Cronulla’s attack.
Craig Fitzgibbon has made just one change for this semi-final. Jayden Berrell returns to the bench as hooker cover, making his fifth appearance of the season and his first since round 18.
Niwhai Puru drops back to reserve after being called in at the last minute last week to replace his sick brother Hohepa. Centres Mawene Hiroti and Sam Stonestreet complete the extended squad.
Probable Sydney Roosters team: Tedesco – Tupou, B. Smith, Toia, Nawaqanitawase – Savala, Cherry-Evans – Whyte, Robson, Collins, Foketi, Wong, Radley. Bench: Watson, Leniu, N. Butcher, Crichton.
Probable Cronulla Sharks team: Kennedy – Katoa, Jones, Iro, Mulitalo – Trindall, Hynes – Fonua-Blake, Brailey, Colquhoun, Nikora, Wilton, McInnes. Bench: Talakai, Burns, Kaufusi, Hazelton.
NRL prediction Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks
Our prediction: Sydney Roosters to win
The level the Roosters showed against Penrith on Sunday was better than what Cronulla produced against North Queensland. Taking the minor premiers to the 77th minute counts for more than beating a side that had just shipped 50 points in Canberra.
The Roosters also get Angus Crichton back and have home advantage at Allianz Stadium. Cronulla arrive with four defeats in their last six, and one finals win does little to wipe away that run.
The call is simple: back the Roosters to win.
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