The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 12

Ah, to be an NRL tipster. Just when you thought you had an easy round, it turns out to be anything but. The Roar’s NRL expert tipping panel have all made it back though and we are ready to go again as the competition is gripped by Origin.

We went into Round 11 all feeling pretty confident about ourselves and where things were going to end up.

Seven games were unanimously tipped, with only the Dragons and Sharks on Sunday afternoon being disputed by the panel, while The Crowd agreed for the most part, with their only difference being Brisbane to get the Warriors in Auckland.

While arguments could be made for a couple of games, the entire panel found themselves zero and five after that Broncos game, while The Crowd had a paltry one.

And judging by comments around the site, I reckon most were in a pretty similar boat. That is, facing the wrong way, against the current and without a paddle.

Anyway, we all ended up on either two or three, so the less said about that, the better.

The worst bit about all of that is we now move into the Origin window, where games generally get harder to pick and surprises become more prevalent whether through players being out or fatigue from that state vs state competition which destroys the NRL for six weeks.

Said Origin window means it’ll be a shortened round of just four games this week, so, on the positive side, no one can be zero from five this time around.

Round 12 will get underway with the struggling, almost rabble-like Panthers taking on the Sea Eagles, who were brought crashing back to Earth in one of the aforementioned upsets last week.

Parramatta then look to turn things around against the Rabbitohs, who are without plenty of players.

Saturday brings us a game at Homebush, which is sure to draw a crowd of approximately five people as the Bulldogs face the Raiders, before the round caps off on Sunday with a Queensland derby between the Cowboys and Titans.

Don’t forget to join in with your tips at the bottom of the article to try and beat the experts in 2019 as The Crowd and try your luck in our Roar NRL tipping comp. Crowd tips will close at approximately 5:30pm (AEST) on Thursday afternoon.

AJ Mithen

Sea Eagles, Eels, Raiders, Cowboys

Did we tip last week? I blacked out for a while and can’t remember a thing. Let’s have a crack at this week.

Penrith and Manly are putting out basically unrecognisable sides. I don’t know who seven or eight of then are. Manly to win because of Des Hasler.

Rabbitohs are eminently gettable with Cook, Walker, Murray and Gagai out, but Parra are Parra… I say the Eels with zero confidence.

My beautiful Raiders are missing their entire right side, the game’s best hooker, their five-eighth and their gun winger. That means they’ll only put on 38 as they dominate the Bulldogs.

Titans v Cowboys? I’m never tipping the Gold Coast again. Ever. Cowboys by a length or two

Stuart McLennan

Tips: Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Raiders, Titans

It’s healthy for a competition to produce so many upsets, but my tipping is definitely on the sick side.

This week looks just as difficult with Origin selections adding to the uncertainty.

Penrith and Manly both have unfamiliar faces in their top sides this week. Manly have done better this season. Manly even though they are making the trip west.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Parramatta have made a number of changes after their loss to Penrith last week. Souths are without Cody with Origin but their forward pack still looks strong. Rabbitohs on previous form.

The Raiders have dropped off somewhat since they lost Bateman and Leilua to injury. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are languishing at the bottom of the table. I’m tipping Canberra.

Both the Titans and the Cowboys were last start winners. The Cowboys have lost a few quality players to Origin and the Titans are at home so I will go with the men from the Gold Coast.

The Barry

Tips: Sea Eagles, Eels, Bulldogs, Titans

If every instinct you have is wrong, the opposite must be right… My name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.

After last week, I’m seriously considering doing a Costanza and tipping everything the opposite way to normal.

The only thing approaching good from last week is that zero from five, turned into three from eight.

I thought things were supposed to go weird from this week with split rounds and rep players out. You know, that time of year when the Warriors are suddenly unbeatable and everyone tags them as ‘smokies’ for the premiership.

Thursday’s game sees the underachieving Panthers, coming off an unexpected away win up against the high flying Sea Eagles who suffered a shock loss at home. Try making sense of that! I’m tipping Manly to bounce back.

The Rabbitohs are so strapped for numbers they haven’t been able to name 21 players. Maybe they can give James Segeyaro a run. Looking forward to watching Billy Brittain play first grade.

Brad Arthur has strategically avoided Origin representation by playing Ferguson in the centres and Gutherson at hooker in the past few weeks… And we thought he didn’t know what he was doing. Eels based on less disruptions.

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Ricky Stuart has the job of forming a squad with Leilua, Rapana, Hodgson, Bateman, Bateman and Abbey injured as well as Cotric, Papalii and Wighton on Origin duty. On the flip side the Dogs have their own concerns with Klemmer, Mbye and Morris selected for… Oh, that’s right.

It may be wishful thinking but I’m backing Canterbury to beat half a reserve grade side. Although, now I think about it, I’m not sure that gives the Dogs any advantage.

In the last game of the abbreviated round, the big question is can the Titans string two winning performances together? I’m going to Costanza this one up and say yes they can!

Scott Pryde

Tips: Sea Eagles, Eels, Raiders, Cowboys

Well, the good news is that it can’t possibly get worse than last week. The only way from here must be up. Surely.

I mean, sure, I could get zero, but let’s not entertain that as a possibility. I’ve already got to entertain the possibility of watching some pretty dour rugby league this weekend without a host of stars.

And speaking of teams being without a host of stars, the Rabbitohs are the ones at the top of that list.

Aside from their injured list, they also lose Damien Cook, Cody Walker and Cameron Murray to the Origin arena. So strapped are the Bunnies, they haven’t even been able to name 21 players.

They have a makeshift spine, a makeshift side, and Parramatta are due for a win with few disruptions.

Sure, the wheels look to be in the process of falling off the blue and gold bandwagon after their shock loss to the Panthers last week, but I can’t see them losing this one.

Manly get a Thursday night game against the Panthers to open the round, and while Penrith are coming off a win, the problems at the foot of the mountains off the field just continue to bubble away.

The Sea Eagles should hit back in this one.

I’m going to take the Raiders in the Saturday game, which, given the amount of players they have out, and the fact Canterbury are due for a win, is a huge gamble.

I just can’t see the Bulldogs having enough in them to stop the Raiders forward pack, even away from full strength. Playing against almost anyone else though, it would be nigh-on impossible to tip Ricky’s Green Machine.

Sunday takes us to the Gold Coast. The Titans were a much-improved outfit last week, playing what was probably their best game of the season, but it’s hard to see them backing it up against a desperate, fast-improving Cowboys side.

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Be sure to get your tips in on the form below by 5:30pm (AEST) on Thursday, and we will have the results in the table and comments section below.

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