St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL Round 23 Tips - Sharks To Punish Dragons Again
The expert prediction for NRL 2026 Round 23 sees the Cronulla Sharks heavily favored against the St George Illawarra Dragons. Cronulla has dominated the head-to-head record and boasts the second-best attack, while the Dragons continue to struggle both offensively and defensively. Key bets are Cronulla -15.5, Sharks Over 30.5 points, with William Kennedy and Teig Wilton as standout anytime tryscorer options. All indicators point to a comfortable Sharks victory at Jubilee Stadium.
- Sharks heavily favored: take Cronulla -15.5 and Over 30.5 points
- Kennedy & Wilton tipped as top anytime tryscorers
- Cronulla has won 13 of last 15 meetings and boasts superior stats
- Kick off is at 4:05 PM (AEST) on Sunday, 9th August at Jubilee Stadium
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks, Round 23 2026 - Expert Prediction
Cronulla -15.5 is the best bet at Jubilee Stadium, with the Sharks also backed to clear 30.5 points and William Kennedy and Teig Wilton the anytime tryscorer plays.
- St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks, Round 23 2026 - Expert Prediction
- Head to Head Stats
- St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis
- Cronulla Sharks Form Analysis
- St George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla Sharks Team News & Team Lists
- St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23 FAQ’s
Cronulla have dominated this rivalry for years, winning 13 of the last 15 meetings dating back to 2019 and beating the Dragons 34-12 earlier this season. This is another spot where the matchup points clearly in one direction.
The Sharks are the second-best attacking team in the competition, while St George Illawarra sit 17th for opponent points and 17th for run metres allowed. That is a brutal combination when Cronulla can win the middle, dominate field position and keep asking the Dragons to defend repeat sets on their own line.
The team-total play follows the same logic. Cronulla have averaged 38.8 points across their last five games and are 7-1 against bottom-nine opponents with an average winning margin of 24 pts. The Dragons have lost four of their last five at Jubilee, and this defence keeps finding new ways to leak points.
Kennedy scored in the previous meeting against the Dragons and has crossed in 3 of his last 5 games. Wilton is the other angle, with St George Illawarra giving up tries across both edges and the Sharks' shape creating plenty of second-row scoring looks close to the line.
Take Cronulla -15.5 and Sharks Over 30.5 points. William Kennedy and Teig Wilton are the top anytime tryscorer props.
- Cronulla have won 13 of the last 15 meetings against St George Illawarra and beat the Dragons 34-12 earlier this season.
- The Sharks rank second for points and first for completion rate, while the Dragons rank 17th for points allowed and run metres conceded.
- Cronulla have averaged 38.8 points across their last five and are 7-1 against bottom-nine teams with an average winning margin of 24 pts.
- William Kennedy scored in the previous meeting and has crossed in 3 of his last 5, while Teig Wilton attacks a Dragons edge defence giving up tries all over the park.
Head to Head Stats
Cronulla have owned this matchup, winning 13 of the last 15 dating back to 2019. The Sharks won the Round 14 meeting 34-12 and have won 4 of the last 5 overall, with St George Illawarra's only recent win coming by 8 pts last season.
The form gap is even wider now. Cronulla are rolling with five straight wins, while the Dragons sit near the bottom of the key attacking and defensive rankings.
| Dragons Atk Rank | Sharks Def Rank | Stat | Sharks Atk Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 4 | Points | 2 | 17 |
| 14 | 1 | Run Mts | 11 | 17 |
| 17 | 4 | Linebreaks | 7 | 13 |
| 10 | 3 | Compl % | 1 | 12 |
St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis
The Dragons lost 28-22 to the Dolphins last week, taking their season loss tally to 17. They did enough with the ball to hang around, completing 19 of 21 sets in the first half and finding tries through Setu Tu, Tyrell Sloan, Clint Gutherson and Ryan Couchman.
That still does not change the bigger problem. St George Illawarra rank 17th for points scored, 17th for linebreaks and 17th for points allowed. They have averaged 18.4 points scored and 24.0 conceded across their last five, which is not enough against a Cronulla team that can put points on in chunks.
Cronulla Sharks Form Analysis
Cronulla beat South Sydney 32-16 last week for their fifth straight win, and the attack was built through the halves and forwards. Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes were on song, Briton Nikora ran a strong line for the first try, Blayke Brailey scored from dummy half, and Addin Fonua-Blake crashed over for his first try of the year.
The Sharks have averaged 38.8 points scored and just 12.4 conceded across their last five, which is the exact profile needed to cover a big number. They are first for completion rate, second for points and fourth for points allowed, and their ball control should be enough to pin the Dragons in bad field position for long stretches.
St George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla Sharks Team News & Team Lists
Team News and Lists are in our dedicated Round 23 Team List Article.
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23 FAQ’s
- How to livestream St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23?
You can livestream the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.
- How to buy tickets to St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23?
To buy tickets to the St George Illawarra Dragons vs Cronulla Sharks NRL 2026 Round 23 game check the NRL website or the official St George Illawarra Dragons site.
Verdict
Take Cronulla -15.5 and Sharks Over 30.5 points. William Kennedy and Teig Wilton are the top anytime tryscorer props.
Cronulla -15.5
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Sharks Over 30.5
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Will Kennedy
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