NRL Round 10 expert tipping guide

Round 10 of the NRL season will be intriguing, with many teams desperate to grab wins before the Origin period. I managed to tip 7/8 last week and keep my spot in first place on my office tipping chart with 47 correct from 72 games.

Here are my expert tips for Round 10.

Rabbitohs versus Storm
A big match for the Storm here and another must win clash before the Origin period. Souths thrashed a good Titans team last week and their form is on the way up.

Melbourne just edged out Manly in a thriller. I’m tempted to go for the upset here and tip Melbourne, but the Rabbitohs team on paper is too good to ignore.

My opinion may change later in the week and the game will go down to the wire. Rabbitohs by 4.

Broncos versus Titans
Brisbane have been unlucky in 2014 although at times they have been poor. This was clear against the Cowboys last week. The Titans struggle to beat the best of the best, although are a tough side to defeat when they defend well.

The Titans defence leaked points last week, and against a good Broncos attack, I see the Titans struggling. Greg Bird is a big loss. Broncos by 12.

Eels versus Dragons
The Eels got back on track with a high scoring win against the Sharks, while the Dragons were completely outplayed against the competition leaders the Bulldogs.

Both sides have a knack of leaking points and if the Dragons can sort out their attacking issues, we could see a high scoring affair.

The Eels record at Pirtek is brilliant and I expect them to win this match.

They are going pretty well at the moment. Benji Marshall could make his comeback this week and if he does, I don’t think he’ll make a massive difference. Eels by 16.

Sharks versus Tigers
Robbie Farah is back for the Tigers, and he will add a whole new dimension to their attack and he will help tighten up their defence. The Sharks are in 16th place, but deserve to be higher than that.

The Sharks really turn up at home and they don’t mind a thriller. They must sort out their defence though. The Sharks are still without Todd Carney and so their creativity will be lacking.

The Tigers will be motivated to sneak back into the top four with a win here, but the Sharks should get across the line. Sharks by 2.

Cowboys versus Roosters
The Cowboys are hitting some form and are a team to watch over the coming months. The Roosters are not far away from finding their best, but I’m still not fully convinced if they are a threat for the title again this year.

The Roosters will be missing halfback Mitchell Pearce, who is a massive loss. Big pressure will be on James Maloney who has been average this year. The Cowboys, with form, and at home will win this one. Cowboys by 10.

Raiders versus Panthers
Penrith can’t win back-to-back matches and they have a good chance to break this stat come the weekend. The Raiders have been demolished by Manly and New Zealand respectively over the past two rounds and will look forward to be playing at home again this week.

The Raiders have made a host of changes. The Panthers are due for a loss based on stats. Canberra at home, will be fired up to bounce back. Tipping an upset. Raiders by 6.

Bulldogs versus Warriors
The Bulldogs are the form team of 2014 so far and have a good record over the Warriors. They met five weeks ago these two sides and the Bulldogs got home by one courtesy of a great field goal by halfback Trent Hodkinson.

The Warriors will keep the Bulldogs honest again, and the form of Shaun Johnson can’t be ignored. This match is a Bulldogs home match in Christchurch. Bulldogs by 7.

Sea Eagles versus Knights
Newcastle have been poor and really disappointed me at home last week. Manly got pinched at the death last week against the Storm but expect a special performance this week from Manly.

Big ask for the Knights. Sea Eagles have injuries but they love adversity. Sea Eagles by 8.

Good luck to everyone this week in your tipping competitions.