The Roar's NRL expert tips and predictions: NRL Finals Week 3

It is the penultimate weekend of the National Rugby League finalsand the four teams remaining are so close to ANZ Stadium they can taste it.

For two however, it will be so close, yet so far.

On Friday night at Suncorp Stadium, a sea of frothing, worshipping Queenslanders will be demanding victory from their Brisbane Broncos as they take on the evil invaders from south of the Tweed.

The Sydney Roosters, with three straight minor premierships to their name, will enter as favourites. But you can forget underdogs and favourites when the whistle blows for this is a preliminary final and the only thing that matters is the scoreboard and your will to drag yourself from the turf when you’ve been knocked down for the 20th time.

24 hours later North Queensland will face the Storm of Melbourne.

The purple wave of 13 purple warriors and a packed AAMI Park will make the friendly confines of 1300Smiles Stadium and the thrashing they gave Cronulla week earlier feel like a lifetime ago.

We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Mary Konstantopoulos
Tips: Roosters (Powerplay), Cowboys.

“The Roosters to beat the Broncos so that I have one Sydney team left to cheer for.

“Cowboys to beat the Storm in their most uncontroversial September showing in years.”

Dane Eldridge
Tips: Broncos, Storm (Powerplay).

“Having the competition grow in to a national product is heartwarming, except when it produces an all-interstate grand final.

“Despite both teams playing intense ball at the right time of the year and being highly deserving of a berth, a Melbourne v Brisbane decider would be a catastrophic disaster for the most important section of league society – the fickle, non-committal fans of Sydney and surrounding districts.

“Don’t get me wrong; a week of sniping between Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett would be the sweetest juice, but what about the day itself? Without any personal interest or the novelty of undermining a local mate’s team all day, there’s a very high chance that my league Christmas will be overrun by hydration and I’ll be in bed before Jimmy Barnes busts a node.

“Unfortunately, there will be no Santa this year, kids.”

Tim Gore
Tips: Broncos, Cowboys (Powerplay).

“Two matches that could genuinely go either way.

“I’m backing the Broncos at home. The Roosters were good last week but the game was blown apart by the Evans try and the RTS one directly after. I didn’t think either should have been awarded. Broncs defence is a mile better than the Dogs. Home crowd of seething Queenslanders will also help. Wayne Bennett is a better coach. I’m guessing, off course, Roosters could blow them away but I’m going Broncs in a tight one.

“It’s really, really hard to go against the Storm at home. But I’m going to. They controlled the game against the Roosters and scored opportunistic tries. I don’t think they’ve got the strike power to win this match, let alone the comp. The Cows do.

“However, write off Cam Smith and Cooper Cronk at your peril. Cows by a little.”

Ryan O’Connell
Tips: Broncos (Powerplay), Cowboys.

“I have no ideas who is going to win either game. Fact.”

Curtis Woodward
Tips: Roosters, Cowboys (Powerplay).

“Anyone who thinks they can look you in the eye and tell you they’re confident of tipping either of these games is telling pork pies. We say it a lot and it’s easy to say a game can go either way (which they can) but these two are too tight to really say.

“Going with the Sydney Roosters against Brisbane in a gargantuan showdown in Brisbane, can you say golden point?

“I think attack will beat out defence in the other match with the Cowboys beating the Storm in Melbourne by a bit more than a little.

“Good luck to all four teams and may be the best two win.”

Editor’s note: Catch Curtis as part of the Steele Sports team this Sunday as part of their NSWRL grand final coverage bringing you VB NSW Cup, Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield live on radiohub.com.au.