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The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 20

25th July, 2018
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Cody Walker of the Rabbitohs. (AAP Image/Daniel Munoz)
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25th July, 2018
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The Roar‘s NRL expert tipping panel were about as consistent as the Warriors of old last week. Some of us went brilliantly, the rest of us terribly. It doesn’t stop us from turning up again though, with Round 20 getting underway tonight.

There mightn’t be a whole lot of intrigue around the top eight in the NRL, but there sure is around the order in which we will finish at the end of the season here.

After lining up a series of darts and missing the target every single time, I find myself back at the bottom of tipping, while Tim has dropped below AJ once more at the top of affairs.

Tim of course, is trying to win back the crown he lost last year. Trying and, based on last week, failing.

It means AJ has opened up a one-point buffer over The Crowd with five weeks (plus finals) to go, while Tim is one further back. Tom had a good week, but the less said about his and my overall scores, the better.

Round 20 starts off with the Broncos taking on the Sharks in Brisbane, before Friday brings the wooden spoon battle to light.

The Cowboys taking on the Knights could be crucial in the race to avoid finishing last for the men from Townsville, while the Bulldogs also need to force an upset over a desperate Tigers who are still a mathematical chance of making the finals.

Manly host Penrith in the first game on Saturday with the visitors needing to turn things around after having 50 ran up against them last week, before the Rabbitohs look to get back into the winner’s circle against the Eels.

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Viliame Kikau of the Panthers is tackled during match against Rabbitohs.

Viliame Kikau of the Panthers is tackled during a match against Rabbitohs (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images).

Saturday rounds out in Melbourne with the Storm facing bogey team the Raiders. The Titans and Warriors start Sunday’s matches up, before arguably the match of the round between the Roosters and Dragons finishes things off at Moore Park.

Don’t forget to submit your tips on the form below by 5pm (AEST) to be part of The Crowd as you take on the experts.

Our leader AJ gets us cracking this week.

AJ Mithen

Tips: Sharks, Cowboys, Tigers, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Raiders, Titans, Roosters

Time for the rubber to hit the road. Top four spots are up for grabs so it’s critical for the contenders to separate themselves from the pretenders. Here’s what’s coming…

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Cronulla will outgrind the Broncos in a squeaker, but Uncle Wayne seems to have given his squad the green light to attack however they want.

The Cowboys and the Knights should have a close battle but North Queensland will be in front at the bell.

Wests will have a hell of a fight against the bulldogs, but they’ll keep the finals hopes smouldering just a little.

It’s my last chance for Penrith – beat a down and out Manly team, or look forward to an elimination final in week one.

The Bunnies took a slap to the face from the Tigers last week and they won’t let the ‘spirited’ Eels get a similar jump on them.

With nothing to lose, Canberra are going to rout the Storm in Melbourne, who might be first on the table but still have plenty of work to do.

The Titans will come up for one of their now traditional home surprise wins against the Warriors.

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In the match of the round, the Roosters will send a strong message, pushing aside the Dragons as they start to tune up for a premiership tilt.

Dylan Napa

Dylan Napa of the Roosters (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Tom Rock

Tips: Sharks, Knights, Tigers, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Storm, Warriors, Roosters

Loving the battle of the forwards as Round 20 kicks off with the Broncos hosting the Cronulla Sharks. There’s been a lot of love thrown around for the Red Hill big uglies in recent weeks, and I reckon the boys from the Shire will take it personally. So I’m predicting this game descends into a wrestle-infested nigglefest, just the way Cronulla likes it. Sharks by 4.

Friday night football starts with a stinker as an underwhelming Cowboys squad squares off against a Newcastle team still another year away. I’ve given up tipping North Queensland this season, and with the Knights getting Kalyn Ponga back from injury, the mighty red and blue should have enough in this one.

In the other Friday game, I’m backing the plucky Tigers to continue their unlikely run towards a Top 8 birth with a narrow win against the Bulldogs. While I admire Canterbury’s competitiveness despite their inferior roster strength, I just can’t see them scoring enough points to beat even an offensively inept attack like the Tigers. There could be a Benji field goal in it.

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The Panthers will get their season back on track with a convincing win over the Sea Eagles, Souths will bully Parramatta back into wooden spoon contention, New Zealand will add further misery onto Garth Brennan’s debut season, and the Storm will make Canberra’s outrage over last weekend’s referee robbery seem rather irrelevant with a season destroying massacre in Melbourne.

And in Tom’s ‘Rock Solid’ tip of the week, I’m going with head over heart and backing the Roosters to reignite the choking narrative shrouding the Dragons. We’ve been waiting all season for the Roosters to put on an attacking clinic like they did against Manly, and now that they’ve got that performance under their belt, I think they’ll kick on. Chooks by 14.

Tim Gore

Tips: Broncos, Cowboys, Tigers, Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Storm, Warriors, Dragons

I’m going the Broncos because they are at home. I think the Sharks are the better side but Brisbane sure showed some great form last week while the Sharks second half was average.

The Cowboys are so overdue a win and it’s gonna be this weekend. The Knights are playing much better footy since Pearce has returned but Thurston is due for a big one.

Wests Tigers are on the up, at full strength and on the charge. Look for Moses Mbye to tear it up against his old club. The Dogs pack is good but their attack is so weak.

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Sea Eagles must respond. So must the Panthers. But at Brooky I’m betting the Sea Eagles will get the points.

Souths had the loss they had to have last weekend. I can’t see how the Eels can stop them this weekend. Maybe outscore them? But the South’s pack is too good for them.

Why is a die hard Raiders fan tipping the Storm? Reverse psychology. The full strength Storm should have this game in the bag against a wounded Green Machine. But beware the wounded Raider!

Nick Cotric

Nick Cotric of the Raiders (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Gerard Sutton was “demoted” to be lead ref for this game in yet another insult to all NRL fans from Greenberg, Archer and Gerard’s little brother Bernard. Seriously. They said this match was a demotion. Warriors need to win. Titans have little to play for.

Dragons-Roosters is arguably the match of the round. At the SFS the Roosters should be favourites. But I reckon the Dragons pack will limit the room of the Roosters backs and the Red V will prevail.

Scott Pryde

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Tips: Broncos, Knights, Tigers, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Storm, Warriors, Dragons

Well, last week didn’t work all that well. Risky tipping ended in a score of… Actually, let’s not mention it again.

That said, I’m not going completely up the straight and narrow this week. Brisbane-Cronulla is a ridiculously tough game to tip for mine. The Broncos haven’t been able to string two games together at their best for most of the season, so beating the Sharks after running up 50 last week is a bit up in the air.

Cronulla have been pretty good as well, but away from home, it’s tough to tip them.

Of course, that argument falls away if I’m going to take the Knights in Townsville, but Kalyn Ponga is back at his old stomping ground and I expect the combination of he and Mitchell Pearce to get the job done in a high-scoring contest.

The Tigers beating the hapless Bulldogs at this point of the season seems like an absolute no-brainer, while I also can’t see the Sea Eagles getting over a Panther side who will be on the desperate end of the spectrum to turn things around after having their pants pulled down last week.

South Sydney have been red-hot, and while their nine-match winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Tigers last week, they should bounce back against an Eels side who simply don’t look like beating anyone not in the bottom portion of the ladder.

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Melbourne have struggled beating the Raiders at times over the years, but should be good enough to win at home as they try to build for the finals after a season of ups and downs.

The Titans might be at home, but it won’t be enough to stop them slumping to another loss with just a little bit of pressure on the Warriors to hold off the Tigers at the back-end of the top eight over the final weeks of the season.

The game of the round comes to us on Sunday afternoon, and while the Roosters are showing plenty, this is a key game for the Dragons to continue getting back onto the front foot. It’s not quite must-win, but they will win it.

Round 20 Tim Tom AJ Scott The Crowd
BRO v SHA BRO SHA SHA BRO BRO
COW v KNI COW KNI COW KNI COW
BUL v TIG TIG TIG TIG TIG TIG
SEA v PAN SEA PAN PAN PAN PAN
RAB v EEL RAB RAB RAB RAB RAB
STO v RAI STO STO RAI STO STO
TIT v WAR WAR WAR TIT WAR WAR
ROO v DRA DRA ROO ROO DRA ROO
Last week 3 6 5 2 6
Total 86 77 87 75 87

Crowd tipping will close at 5pm (AEST) on Thursday evening. Be sure to submit your tips on the form below before then to make your opinion count as part of The Crowd.

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