The Roar's NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 9

It is not quite the business end of the season just yet but if you listen hard enough, you can hear the sixteen NRL clubs rustling through their wardrobes searching for their suit, ties and shiny big boy boots.

Not business end, but it’s certainly near on crunch time for some of the teams going around in Round 9.

The Sydney Roosters are 3-5 and come up against a dogged Wests outfit on Friday night. Sitting with the Roosters on six competition points are New Zealand Warriors, Cronulla Sharks and Parramatta. On Saturday night, the Sharks host the Warriors in perhaps the toughest game to pick this weekend. We do know though that one of these sides will wake up Sunday morning with a 4-5 record which is just a little easier to take than 3-6.

If Penrith can somehow cause an upset in their travels to Brisbane, St George Illawarra will have a chance on Monday night to go to the outright competition lead. They will have to go through the premiers to do so with Souths smarting from a horrendous month of footy.

It’s all on the line in Round 9 of the 2015 NRL premiership.

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

“Apparently I need to provide a rationale for my tips. Here’s my rationale: I’ve sucked at tipping this year, so I’m trying some reverse jinxing, and I’ve literally tipped against every team I think will win this weekend!

“Except for Melbourne over Parra, this will be my powerplay. So, of course, the Storm will lose.”

Mary Konstantopoulos
Tips: Broncos (Poweplay), Roosters, Raiders, Warriors, Cowboys, Knights, Eels, Rabbitohs.

“After a disastrous tipping result in Round 8 I am looking for my mojo back and reclaim my crown. The Broncos at home on Friday night look specials and the Roosters are certainties against the Tigers.

“I have to hand it to the Raiders and especially Blake Austin who I am tipping will lead them to victory over the Titans. The Warriors away from home are always a risk but with SJ regaining his scintillating form and with Hurrell having a point to prove I think they will be too strong for the Sharks. The Cowboys and the Bulldogs looks like a cracker of a game. The Thurston led Cowboys will just get over the line.

“Sunday sees the Eagles play the Knights. I know it is at Brookvale but I cannot warm to the Manly forwards so I am tipping an upset with a Knights win.

“The enigmatic and exasperating Eels are at home versus the Storm Machine. This is a heart rather than my brain tip, with the Eels to win.

“Finally the match of the round with the Rabbits against the Dragons. Attack versus defence. Attack will win this one with the Bunnies to get the carrots.”

Tim Gore
Tips: Broncos, Roosters, Raiders (Powerplay), Warriors, Cowboys, Knights, Storm, Dragons.

“What an incredibly hard round!

“Friday night I see the Broncos beating the still undermanned Panthers and Aidan Guerra to give the Roosters the starch they’ve been missing so they can beat the Wests Tigers.

“Raiders to break their duck at home in 2015 in a scrappy encounter against the Titans, Warriors to get their act into gear against the Sharkies and the Cowboys to grind out a win against the Bulldogs.

“On Sunday I’m tipping the Knights to ruin Manly’s return to Brookvale because their pack is better and Storm to outlast a plucky Eels side.

“The Dragons to heap more misery on the Rabbitohs with a grinding win at ANZ.”

Dane Eldridge
Tips: Broncos (PP), Roosters, Raiders, Warriors, Cowboys, Sea Eagles, Storm, Dragons.

“What’s happened to Newcastle? Once 2015’s Premiers-in-waiting, they are now perilously close to being the next taxpayer-funded pisstake on SBS. Even blokes like Kurt Gidley don’t want a bar of them anymore, and I’m tipping things to further decay this Sunday with a demoralising loss against the anchored Sea Eagles.

“Post Novocastrian-apocalypse, Monday night’s Rabbitohs versus Dragons showdown should be a bottler. After a block of brilliance, the Dragons have earned my uneasy approval in a 50/50 affair, meaning I fully assume them to epically crater.

“As for the rest, the Roosters are fast hurtling towards weekly ‘crunch game’ status and need this more than the Tigers, just because they are greedy like that. Such selfishness is enough to convince me for this week, but they are fast running out of my tipping patience. Include that spur in your pre-match address, Trent Robinson, and watch the boys respond.

“Then Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane will canter while New Zealand and North Queensland will edge thrillers, thus painting the competition with the nationalistic impression it craves. Give yourself a raise, David Smith.”

Curtis Woodward
Tips: Broncos, Roosters, Raiders, Sharks, Cowboys (Powerplay), Sea Eagles, Eels, Dragons.

“You don’t need me to tell you this is another tough round to pick and it all starts Friday night.

“I was seriously tempted to back Wests but the Sydney Roosters at home on a Friday night with plenty to play for is tough to go against. The same can be said for Parramatta at home to the Melbourne Storm. The Eels at Pirtek Stadium, Sunday afternoon footy, return of Semi Radradra, enough for me.

“Cronulla against New Zealand and Manly-Warringah hosting the Newcastle Knights are flip of the coin. I’m going with the home side in both these matches but with little confidence.

“The Dragons look awesome and that week’s break will have done them the world of good. We’ll soon find out if the same can be said for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.”