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The Roar's NRL expert tips: Round 1

4th March, 2015
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Greg Inglis in the last NRL all-Sydney grand final. (AAP Image)
Expert
4th March, 2015
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11223 Reads

Roll up, roll up, it is rugby league season, the greatest game of all.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages.

Welcome to the greatest show on earth!

The National rugby league is about to begin so delve inside if you dare, through this door and into the world of big hits, big heads, blood, sweat and tears.

Join The Roar‘s tipping competition here

A world of Tigers, Panthers and Sharks.

Hear the undisputedly, positively legendary voice of the timeless Mr. Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren or be mesmerised by the one they call GI, half-man, half-goanna.

If you’re lucky you just might meet the demonic Viking from England’s dark north, ‘Captain Bulldog’ James Graham, a man who crushes human bones with his bare hands, the South Sydney monsters, identical twins Tom and George Burgess, ‘The Beast’, ‘Dogzilla’ or the laughing assassin they call JT.

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And then there are us, The Roar‘s expert tipsters for 2015. Okay, so we can’t crush bones like James Graham or roar like a tiger but we can have a crack at the hardest job in rugby league.

Tipping NRL games is a mug’s game because it’s quite simply that damn hard, but we’re going to have a go anyway.

So here they are, our Round 1 expert tips.

Ryan O’Connell
Tips: Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Titans, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Sharks (Powerplay), Storm.

“Some tough games to start The Roar tipping comp, but I’m picking the defending premiers to kick-off the 2015 season by accounting for an unsettled Brisbane. I also get the feeling that Manly and the Gold Coast will respond to off-field issues by treating their games as a welcome break from all the dramas surrounding the respective clubs.

Who really knows what Warriors team will turn up, by I’m hoping it’s the ‘good’ one. Meanwhile, premiership favourites the Dogs, Cowboys and Storm should all get up in tight affairs. Lastly, my powerplay sees me pick last year’s wooden spooners, the Sharks, to beat fellow cellar-dwellers, the Raiders.”

Dane Eldridge
Tips: Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Knights, Tigers, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Sharks (Powerplay), Dragons.

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“Going public with the hazardous uncertainty of my Round 1 tips? Well excuse me while I just stand in the middle of George Street in nothing but a polka dot g-string. I’m feeling really exposed.

What can I cling to? Souths already look like their new Daddy- ruthlessly business, Manly will shove a sock in Choc’s gob and the Warriors and Storm will stall on the starting line because that’s where my darts landed on the board. Locks of the week: the Sharks to unveil a new dawn, and the Titans to field a team.

Mary Konstantopoulos
Tips: Rabbitohs, Eels, Knights, Tigers, Cowboys (Powerplay), Bulldogs, Sharks, Storm.

“First up is Thursday night footy and the Rabbitohs who have shown impressive pre-season form should beat the Broncos (but as the season progresses, I am expecting great things from Anthony Milford).

The Storm and Bulldogs with their professionalism and get over the line approach should edge out their opponents. The Eels without Jarryd Hayne have a much tougher look about them and I tip them to beat Manly who have early season injuries to overcome.

The Warriors are full of talent but away form is not their strong point so I am tipping the Knights who are always hard to beat in Newcastle.

The Cowboys are going to be very hard at home and will beat the Roosters who will miss Jake Friend. I am looking forward to Aidan Guerra and Boyd Cordner’s strong running at the fringe of the rucks.

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The Raiders will begin what I predict will be a woeful season with a loss against the Tigers. Finally what can I say about the Titans. Although they will come out firing I predict a Tigers team full of young unpredictable talent to come up trumps.”

Tim Gore
Tips: Broncos, Eels, Warriors, Tigers (Powerplay), Roosters, Panthers, Sharks, Storm.

“Broncos will still be smarting from their defeat at the hands of the Rabbits last year – including that Inglis try. Missing Te’o and Sam Burgess will remove a lot of grunt from the Rabbits pack. Though the knights looked good in trials, I’m tipping the Warriors to have a good season this year and challenge for the title.”

Curtis Woodward
Tips: Rabbitohs (Powerplay), Eels, Knights, Titans, Cowboys, Panthers, Sharks, Storm.

“I definitely think the Rabbitohs are going to have some down periods throughout the season but it won’t be Round 1 against Brisbane, I’m putting my powerplay on Souths to keep their amazing pre-season form going.

I also think the Titans are going to shock everyone with a gutsy performance against Wests while the Cowboys might get the points in Townsville against the Roosters, this will end up being the match of the round.

The Raiders would be confident of snatching a win at Shark Park but Cronulla now have their focus back and one too many quality players for Canberra on Sunday night.

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Round 1 Mary Tim Ryan Dane Curtis
BRO v RAB Rabbitohs Broncos Rabbitohs Rabbitohs Rabbitohs
EEL v EAG Eels Eels Sea Eagles Sea Eagles Eels
KNI v WAR Knights Warriors Warriors Knights Knights
TIT v TIG Tigers Tigers Titans Tigers Titans
COW v ROO Cowboys Roosters Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys
PAN v BUL Bulldogs Panthers Bulldogs Bulldogs Panthers
SHA v RAI Sharks Sharks Sharks Sharks Sharks
DRA v STO Storm Storm Storm Dragons Storm
POWERPLAY Cowboys Tigers Sharks Sharks Rabbitohs
LAST ROUND 0 0 0 0 0
OVERALL 0 0 0 0 0
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