The Roar's A-League expert tips and predictions: Round 16

Round 15 saw a shock loss for the Victory that made the elusive five unachievable once more. The author and the masses performed well with three correct tips, however Alan Kearney was the star of the week with four.

The real experts are in the Crowd and the voice of the people take a two game lead into week 16, after what has been the busiest week I can ever recall in Australian football.

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Here is how the experts see things panning out this week and good luck in what will be a tricky week to tip, with fatigue and squad depth playing a role in many of the matches.

Don’t forget to throw your tips into the sheet below and take part in the voice of the crowd as the season nears two-thirds completion.

Mike Tuckerman
Newcastle, Draw, Victory, City, Sydney
I’m just about ready to chuck it all in on the tipping front, having rather unwisely decided to tip against Sydney FC on Monday night.

The Jets should overcome a struggling Brisbane Roar at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night, even if there should be a few doubts over the freshness of Ernie Merrick’s side.

Wellington Phoenix remain as enigmatic as ever – are they a decent team or not? I’m tipping a draw at Westpac Stadium on Saturday afternoon, while Melbourne Victory will hope to bounce back against an under-pressure Perth Glory. The hosts should take all three points, but Glory will be desperate to end a dismal run of recent form.

Melbourne City and local wunderkind Daniel Arzani should be strong enough to finish over the top of the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford on Sunday, while Sydney FC will look to continue their winning ways against Adelaide United in a blockbuster Sunday afternoon clash at Coopers Stadium. The Sky Blues always seem to be able to find an extra gear, and they may need to put it to good use against the Reds.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Stuart Thomas
Newcastle, Western Sydney, Victory, Central Coast, Sydney
The Jets are the flavour of the month and anyone who tips correctly against them in this clash with the Roar has a crystal ball with magical qualities. They did take a long time to get going last week in the F3 derby yet the Roar just can’t get going at all.

I called the Wanderers as back a few weeks ago and I didn’t see anything to change my mind after last week’s draw with Adelaide. Wellington will be buoyed after their second win of the year and another could start something for them, however the Wanderers will be too strong.

Perth seem to be losing their inconsistent tag and playing poorly more often than not. Kevin Muscat’s men will be furious with the dropped points against Wellington and should rebound against the Glory who have considerable travel this week.

The Mariners host City on Sunday afternoon and will look to get back into winning ways after a poor few weeks where scoring has proven an elusive feat. City played well for the win against Perth and if they can overcome the travel, should pick up a victory. However, I’m a gambler; Central Coast to win.

Sunday night in Adelaide sees the final game of the round as the Reds host Sydney in what could be the game of the week. Sydney are the logical tip and Adelaide will be disappointed with last week’s effort despite grabbing a late equaliser against the Wanderers. The Sky Blues’ tilt should continue and their good form, despite the busy workload, is proving good preparation for the upcoming Asian Champions League.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Daniel Jeffrey
Newcastle, draw, Victory, draw, Sydney
Another round, another game in which it’s hard to find many positives for Brisbane. Newcastle might not have been particularly dominant against the ten-man Mariners, but at home it’s hard to see them dropping any points to the Roar.

Wellington were hardly convincing against a ten-man Victory last round, but there was enough to suggest they’ll be competitive against the Wanderers. Nathan Burns made a positive impact for the Phoenix in his return to the club and will be a valuable addition for the side. At home, I’ll back Wellington to pick up a point here.

The Victory were unlucky against the Phoenix (although less so in going a man down early in the game), taking the lead before conceding two scrappy goals in the second half to let the game slip. With Perth in such dire form, Melbourne should get back in the winners’ circle this round.

Central Coast’s scoreline against the Jets was probably a touch unfair to them, while it’s hard to put too much stock in a victory over the Glory, even if City’s success last round did come on the road. I’ll sit on the fence for this one, although the Mariners will need to avoid giving away any free kicks around the box to help nullify the impact of Ross McCormack.

Adelaide’s season has stalled a little in recent weeks, with a late draw against the Wanderers and a loss to Brisbane punctuated by a win against the out-of-form Glory. Sydney, on the other hand, remain the team to beat, and, with two extra days’ rest up their sleeves compared to United, should be too strong.

Alan Kearney
TBC