The “dead cat bounce theory” can be applied effectively by punters to any sport and can be defined as an unexpected short term recovery by a sporting side, whereby a loss is followed by a sharp improvement the following week resulting in a win.
Typically in sport, a heightened sense of motivation can manifest in teams that have suffered a recent high profile defeat, allowing them to draw on this for a significant extra effort in the near term (the following week).
This week we have identified a team that has proven throughout the season that this theory applies and now face a task which is fitting of a dead cat bounce profile.
Dragons vs Warriors
The Dragons will be baying for blood following the embarrassing loss to a rampant Roosters outfit last week.
They profile well coming off a loss and with the added motivation and no doubt a “coaches bake” during the week, expect them to put plenty of points on a very inconsistent New Zealand Warriors side this week.
St George have only lost consecutive games this season on one occasion, where in round 17 they followed the Storm 52-30 loss with defeat at the hands of the Tigers, going down 20-16 the following round.
This record is a good indicator that they have the ability to react well following a negative result and draw on that motivation for the upcoming week.
Granted the Warriors also profile in a similar fashion here as they are coming off the back of two consecutive losses, however they are far more inconsistent and historically the theory has not been kind to them this season.
Adding to their woes is a brutal away schedule, where this match against the Dragons will be their second on the road away from NZ.
Look for St George to pile on plenty of points here, erasing the painful loss to the Roosters last week and confirming their place as a leading premiership contender.
NRL Betting Tip: Dragons to cover the line (-7.50) @ 1.95