The Roar's NRL Expert tips: Round 4

Round 3 of the NRL saw plenty of brilliant action on the field and some horrendously poor form off the field, with a few bad men taking their frustrations into the streets of Sydney.

The remedy for the idiot minority is for us to get on with the game we love, enter Round 4 and our Expert tipsters.

Mary roared back into contention tipping seven out of eight last weekend, and with the powerplay scored a whopping eight points, while Dane and Ryan both posted seven points.

Round 4 will showcase rivalry games, including the two on Friday night when Canterbury host Wests and Parramatta battle the mighty South Sydney Rabbitohs.

On Saturday we’ve got a classic 3pm afternoon match between the Newcastle Knights and Penrith from Hunter Stadium.

Here are your expert tips for Round 4 of NRL 2015.

Tim Gore
Tips: Rabbitohs (powerplay), Tigers, Panthers, Sharks, Dragons, Warriors, Roosters, Cowboys.

“Why? Well, judging by my tips so far, whatever logic I’m applying is poor.

“Souths and the Roosters are clearly the form teams. Dragons, Raiders, Sharks and Titans are pretty bad. The others I haven’t worked out yet.”

Ryan O’Connell
Tips: Rabbitohs (powerplay), Bulldogs, Panthers, Titans, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Roosters, Storm.

“First, the easy picks: Bunnies will belt Parramatta, Manly will demolish the Dragons, Roosters to destroy Canberra, Storm to inflict further pain on the disappointing Cowboys. Thankfully, I’ve now run out of different words to say ‘beat heavily’.

“Tricky ones: Doggies will (hopefully) have too much for the Tigers. Knights will give Penrith all they can handle, but just fall short. Titans, despite their record, have actually been OK and might beat the hapless Sharks. Warriors at home should take care of Brisbane.”

Dane Eldridge
Tips: Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Panthers, Sharks, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Roosters (powerplay), Storm.

“Round 4 is a bevy of curly ones. Will the Cowboys’ season find a pulse? Can you even begin to imagine what will transpire at Shark Park? And after receiving an apology, will Canberra slump back in to the arms of Blake Ferguson, weeping like an emotionally exhausted former friend who’s finally come to terms with their tumultuous divide? Or will they just hammer him?

“Frankly, I’m just randy for another weekend of talking about refereeing. In among another 72 hours of this captivating discourse, the Rabbits and Dogs will strike down Friday, the Panthers, Sharks and Sea Eagles will bless your Saturday, while the Warriors, Roosters and Storm will prevail on the Sabbath and beyond.

“With the power invested in the Chooks, these unreliable guesses I give you now and forever, amen.”

Mary Konstantopoulos
Tips: Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Panthers, Sharks, Dragons, Warriors, Roosters (powerplay), Cowboys.

“A near perfect round in Round 3, apart from my nemesis the Cowboys, has me climbing up the leader board. The Eels will be fired up at home but I cannot go past the Rabbitohs. The Tigers likewise will stand up but the Bulldogs will be too disciplined and land the win.

“The Knights and the Panthers will be a great game to start the Saturday triple header and I am picking the Panthers to bounce back after their strong showing against the Roosters.

“The Sharks and the Titans is a flip of a coin but at home I am picking the Sharks. The Dragons and the Eagles will be another nail biter and I am tipping an upset with the Dragons to win.

“The Warriors at home to beat the Broncos and for the sake of my SuperCoach team I hope Shaun Johnson has a blinder. The Roosters will absolutely thump the Raiders, and I cannot believe it but I am picking the Cowboys for the fourth week in a row, to beat the Storm.”

Curtis Woodward
Tips: Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Knights, Titans, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Roosters (Powerplay), Storm.

I was so very close to tipping an upset in one or both the Friday night matches but I’m going to stick solid with the gutsy premiers and Canterbury, who might have a little too much juice for Wests. And if Aaron Woods doesn’t play, the Tigers lose their best player, simple as that.

Some might see it as an ‘upset’ as I’m the only one tipping Newcastle but I really like how gritty they are, they’re scratching out wins. I love Penrith and the way they play, but the Knights want this win more than the Panthers.

The toughest one of the weekend will probably be the poorest quality when Cronulla face Gold Coast at Remondis. At the end of the day, Gold Coast are bad but they’re not as bad as the Sharks. I also expect North Queensland to improve out of sight in a dogged clash with Melbourne but the Storm might sneak home.

The Summary