The Roar's NRL expert tips and predictions: Grand final

You know when you find money and you have no idea where it came from, but you’re glad you have it? Well, that’s where the North Queensland Cowboys find themselves as they face the Melbourne Storm in the grand final. But, do The Roar‘s expert tipping panel rate them a chance of being crowned premiers?

Okay, so maybe that’s a bit harsh on our friends from Townsville – and yep, let’s call them friends because this is shaping up as the Storm versus the world. The Cowboys bandwagon is rolling and it’s the size of a jumbo jet.

But seriously, it’s hard to not get on. They are the story of the NRL season, but we have to be careful to not make it sound like they have played poorly and got lucky. It’s been anything but for Paul Green’s side.

They might have fallen into the finals with last round results going their way, but they have been brilliant ever since. They had no right to beat the Sharks, but took the lead for the first time in the 85th minute – during extra time – and didn’t relinquish it.

The Cowboys then cooked the Eels during the second half of the semi-final, before coming back from the dead twice against the Roosters to run away with a 13-point victory.

While North Queensland have a good news story to finish off, the Storm are still in the process of writing one of their own.

After finishing the 2016 season as runner-up, going down in the grand final to the Cronulla Sharks who won their first premiership, they have been utterly dominant in 2017. Finishing the regular season on 44 competition points with a for and

The Cowboys’ form will have them concerned though – as will their own. They have hit the skids in the finals, almost dropping to the Eels before being very slow out of the blocks against Brisbane.

Given they are now faced with their first road trip in six months as well, you can understand why there are elements of concern over a game they are expected to win.

Before I finish up my spiel, I need to give a massive shoutout to Roarers for voting each week, and my fellow panellists who have made these articles happen. We have had hundreds of votes each week – and hasn’t it worked?

Don’t forget that on the form below, you can put your own tips in on behalf of The Crowd. We will have the results at 5pm (AEST), so be sure to have them in before then. Who knows, The Crowd might prove themselves to be better than the experts.

Tim Gore

Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys
Tip and margin:Cowboys by 8
Cowboys. Momentum is a hell of a thing. The Cowboys – having lost five of their last six home and away games – are now on a three-game winning streak none of us saw coming. The Storm have now won nine on the trot so that’s a fair bit of momentum.

North Queensland have played a great strategy well. Low errors, great field position, high possession – and they have gotten better and better at it.

However, they are going to have to nail it because the Storm can score. They can score pretty too. Slater, Munster, Addo-Carr and Vunivalu score pretty.

On paper the Storm should win and no side has ever won from eighth.

So why am I tipping the Cows then? Because I believe in fairy tales. That’s why. The stats don’t really support it but I don’t care.

First try-scorer: Suliasi Vunivalu
Clive Churchill: Jason Taumalolo

Mary Konstantopoulos

Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys
Tip and margin: Cowboys by 6
Cowboys. Everyone loves a fairytale so I’m tipping one more this weekend with the Cowboys to beat the Storm.

It may be unlikely, but the Cowboys have proved that they deserve to be there and I imagine most of the Stadium will be behind them. They are used to the travel, having been back and forth to Sydney for the last 3 weeks and Michael Morgan is in the form of his career.

In the last few weeks we have seen that the Storm are not as perfect as we think. I’m dreaming about and tipping an upset, particularly if it’s close when Jason Taumololo comes on in the second half to do his late stint.

First try-scorer: Billy Slater
Clive Churchill: Jason Taumalolo

Greg Prichard

Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys
Tip and margin: Storm by 16
Storm. What we have had here in the NRL this season is a competition where there was a clear benchmark in the Storm and the rest were fighting over second place.

The Cowboys have won that fight and good luck to them, but this is as far as they can go. The Storm are a great team, better than both last year’s version of themselves and the team that beat them in the grand final, the Sharks. They won’t beat themselves.

They’ve got more than enough champion players and finals experience to guard against that. So if the Cowboys are going to cause a massive upset they’re going to have to somehow out-play them.

I just don’t see how that can happen. The Cowboys will have a red-hot go, but at some stage of the 80 minutes the Storm will pull away and win comfortably.

First try-scorer: Suliasi Vunivalu
Clive Churchill: Billy Slater

Scott Pryde

Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys
Tip and margin: Storm by 10.
Storm. There’s no question the Storm are the best side in the competition, but questions have to be asked given what they have dished up at times during the finals.

They have been slow out of the gates in both games, and if they are again the Cowboys will find a way to take full advantage of that – as they have against the Sharks, Eels and Roosters. North Queensland have got this far because they play 80 minutes, work hard and wait for their opponents to go off the boil thanks to the constant pressure being applied from their end.

Despite that, I just can’t see the Storm having a third-straight poor start, and if they hit the front, it’ll be game over. They are way too good playing with a lead, no matter what the Cowboys have been able to do in the last couple of weeks.

I’m going Curtis Scott as first try-scorer as well. Despite the fact the wingers are the dangerous players for Melbourne, Scott has 12 tries from 12 games and he will go over first, while Billy Slater will take out the Clive Churchill.

Anyway, Melbourne are going to win the premiership.

First try-scorer: Curtis Scott
Clive Churchill: Billy Slater

Now it’s your turn to try and beat the experts. Using the form below, select your tips for the weekend ahead and we will have the results at 5pm (AEST) this afternoon.