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Just four teams remain in the NRL, and in a few days time it’ll be two. Here to tell you who they will be are The Roar‘s NRL expert tipping panel.
The preliminary finals will see the intensity of the competition ramped up another notch if that’s even possible after what has been a sensational first two weeks of finals action.
All six games played so far have been of a high quality and it would be difficult to complain about what has happened on the field, even if crowds and incidents off it have taken some of the gloss off.
Onto the tipping though.
With a perfect semi-final round, AJ and The Crowd maintain their spots at the head of the pecking order. AJ’s four-point lead over Tim means he has claimed the crown of the experts for 2018 though and is now fighting the good fight to ensure at least one of us finishes ahead of the rest.
He has a one-point lead with three games to play, so it might not take much for it to flip around.
Scott Drinkwater of the Storm (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
The less said about Tom and myself the better. Let’s just say it’s been a lot of fun, but I’m going to be collecting a wooden spoon for my troubles.
Regardless, we are in for two sensational games this weekend, with the Storm hosting the Sharks and the Roosters hosting the Rabbitohs for the spots in the grand final.
Don’t forget to submit your tips on the form below by 5pm (AEST) on Friday to be part of The Crowd as you take on the experts.
Tips: Storm, Rabbitohs
Beating the Storm in Melbourne is something that the Sharks have done – twice – in recent times. And the two preliminary finals the Storm have lost of the ten they’ve played have both been at this venue (2011 Warriors and 2015 Cowboys).
However, the Sharks are going to be missing Gallen. Already without Wade Graham, the loss of their 37-year-old captain just weakens them too much. The Storm will revel in the Sharks leadership vacuum.
Latrell Mitchell is a superstar. And he has been so crucial to the Roosters success this year. He won’t be there and neither will Dylan Napa.
While the Rabbitohs are dealing with some off-field issues, on the Paddock they will be at full strength. And their pack is just so much better than the Roosters pack.
I can see a red and green blow out here.
Tips: Storm, Rabbitohs
If there’s a happier bloke than Todd Greenberg right now, I’d like to meet him. After one of the closest NRL seasons in recent memory, we are left with two grand final qualifiers that look better on paper than a Pro Hart sketch.
First up, the Sharks take on the Storm down in Melbourne in a contest between two sides that just don’t like each other. These teams have given us some epic encounters over the past few years, but sadly, I don’t think this will be one of them.
Cronulla are busted. Graham is done for the year, Gallen’s struggling with a bum shoulder, Luke Lewis finished last week’s game on the sideline, and Josh Dugan has been named on an extended bench. This is a team held together by Elastoplast and sheer determination.
How far can Cameron Smith carry the Melbourne Storm? (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
And while the Sharks are struggling to field a team, the Storm have named what looks to be a full strength squad, with Will Chambers and Nelson Asofa-Solomona back after missing Week 1 of the Finals.
I think Melbourne will be too strong and too fresh in this one. Cronulla will come out all guns blazing, with Fifita niggling and harassing a Storm front determined to limit his impact, but the Sharks will run out of puff. Cam Smith will get his side to hang in there early, before taking over the contest in the last 20 minutes and guiding his side to yet another GF. Storm by 13.
And then we have a historic clash straight from the Book of Feuds. It’s the Rabbitohs vs the Roosters, the Gladiator vs the Godfather. I’m salivating just thinking about it, which is kind of weird. But such is Rugby League.
This is a hard game to tip. I’ve got a bit of Head vs Heart going on, which is annoying because it makes me think of that TAB commercial. My head is saying Roosters. They have enjoyed the week off to freshen up while Souths endured another very physical encounter against the Dragons.
The Roosters also boast the best defensive record in the competition, which is a fairly good indicator of premiership success. And they have two men with very big points to prove. Cooper Cronk wants to show he is more than a product of the Melbourne machine, while coach Trent Robinson wants to silence critics that suggest he has underachieved with such a star-studded squad.
Cooper Cronk of the Roosters. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
My heart is saying South Sydney. Apart from the fact that my heart deeply loathes the Sydney Roosters, the Rabbioths are just a better story. Written off at the start of the season, they emerged as competition heavyweights thanks to the arrival of Damien Cook, the painful rebirth of the Burgess twins, and the cerebral coaching of Anthony Seibold.
But Souths are more than just a feel-good story. They fielded the most potent and aesthetically pleasing attack in the competition, with a right edge more damaging than a Chuck Norris roundhouse. The size, speed and mobility of their forward pack is something that the Roosters simply can’t match.
I’m going with my heart on this one. Souths by 3.
Tips: Storm, Roosters
I’m really looking forward to these games. But I should warn anyone prepping for expansive, free-flowing, glorious rugby league that you’ll be disappointed this weekend.
Not that the games won’t be barnburners, mind you. Two hated enemies with over a century’s animosity, and a more modern rivals who really don’t like each other. We’re in for a treat.
I know a couple of weeks ago I said Cronulla can win it all, but they’re pretty busted at the minute with Luke Lewis and Paul Gallen both dinged up pretty badly and no guarantee of Josh Dugan’s fitness.
The Sharkies need players like Kurt Capewell, Aaron Woods and Matt Prior to really lift themselves this week. It’s a formidable ask against the Storm in Melbourne who are fresh and bringing Nelson Asofa-Solomona back to wreak some havoc. I can’t tip against the Storm, but I want the Sharks to win. Does that make sense?
Valentine Holmes of the Sharks. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Sure, the Roosters are in a preliminary final, but they’re not really showing great form, they’re just winning.
Cronulla had them on toast in week one and couldn’t finish the job. That’s what champion teams do – win when they’re not at their best, and win by more when they are at their best.
The Bunnies will throw everything at them early and the Roosters need to hold firm, because once Souths have a tail up anything could happen. Having said all that – the Roosters should be able to control the game how they’d prefer and they should get the win. This game is the one ripe for the ‘upset’ though.
Tips: Storm, Roosters
There’s very little point risk-taking this weekend, because I see both games going more or less to script – a script which will see Billy Slater play his final game against Cooper Cronk in a grand final between the Storm and Roosters.
It was only a matter of weeks ago I was happy to pin the Sharks as the underdog, but the Storm will give their places racing the clock a more thorough workout than any medical officer.
With Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen and Josh Dugan all in doubt to join Wade Graham on the sideline, the chance they pull this off looks remote.
Cronulla rely on their back row somewhat, and while Matt Moylan rose to the fore getting them over the line alongside Chad Townsend against the Panthers last week, he doesn’t have the motivation of playing his old team this time around and so, this will be the end of the road for Shane Flanagan’s side.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
The other game is the one I see going right down to the wire.
The Sydney derby is always a big one. Two of the biggest rivals in the competition going head-to-head for a spot in the grand final.
No Lattell Mitchell is going to hurt the tri-colours big time, but I tend to think they will be able to get over it so long as Mitchell Aubusson isn’t trying to mark up on Greg Inglis.
It’ll be that Rabbitohs left edge which needs to be strong, but they were involved in a physical game last week and the Dragons found weaknesses at times.
Expect the Roosters to be well drilled in trying to pick those apart as they qualify for the big dance on the final Sunday in September.
| Finals Week 3 | Tim | Tom | AJ | Scott | The Crowd |
| STO v SHA | STO | STO | STO | STO | STO |
| ROO v RAB | RAB | RAB | ROO | ROO | RAB |
| Last week | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 112 | 107 | 116 | 105 | 115 |
Crowd tipping will close at 5pm (AEST) on Friday 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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