Accor Stadium will play host to Saturday's Round 8 NRL game between Canterbury Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canterbury Bulldogs vs. Cronulla Sharks game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday April 22, 2023 at 5:30 pm

Where: Accor Stadium

Bet: Bet On This Match HERE

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks Odds

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks Preview

Cronulla Sharks are warm favourites on the road to account for a depleted Canterbury Bulldogs outfit coming off two big losses. Cameron Ciraldo’s side – with Josh Addo-Carr and Viliame Kikau facing lengthy stints on the sidelines – were swamped 50-16 by Souths and 30-4 by Parramatta.

The Bulldogs’ forwards have been putting up a fight but they’re getting torched on the edges and are struggling for variety on attack. Only the Tigers are scoring less than Canterbury’s 15.3 points per game.

The Bulldogs’ injury crisis worsened with Jacob Kiraz suffering a knee injury, though mercifully Jake Averillo and Andrew Davey have been named despite picking up injuries against the Eels.

Declan Casey comes onto one wing and Braidon Burns the other, with Jayden Okunbor reverting to the bench and Jackson Topine out.

The Sharks came off the bye – and a shocking Round 5 collapse against the Warriors – with their best win of 2023, erasing a halftime deficit to subdue the Roosters 22-12. Nicho Hynes was mesmerising in a physical encounter as the Sharks gradually got on top and came home with a wet sail.

It was a performance reminiscent of their 2022 renaissance and could prove the catalyst for a mid-season tear.

Cronulla has won nine of the last 11 encounters between the clubs. Last season the Sharks ground down the Bulldogs 18-6 at CommBank in Round 16 and 16-0 at home in Round 24. Remarkably, just three of their last 18 clashes have produced more than 38 points.

The 3-3 Sharks will view this as two points they simply must bank to keep up with the NRL’s pace-setters. Hynes’ form and the Sharks’ pace and punch out wide do not bode well for a Bulldogs side haemorrhaging points and struggling to post their own.

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