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The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 16

26th August, 2020
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26th August, 2020
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There are only 40 regular-season games left until the finals begin, but the next eight in Round 16 don’t look like they will throw up too many surprises. Here are The Roar’s NRL expert tips for the week ahead.

When I said there would probably be no surprises this weekend, I mean the expert panel are unanimous in their verdict. It’s the first time in all the years I have been writing this that it’s happened, which is quite amazing.

What is clear to see is the eight favourites this weekend are favourites for a reason.

One game which seemingly isn’t as clear-cut as the rest is the opener, with Parramatta to play South Sydney. Friday brings us the Dragons against an improving Titans before the Broncos, without Anthony Seibold at the helm for the first time, head to Sydney to play the Roosters.

Saturday sees the Warriors play the Knights, the Sharks host the Cowboys at Kogarah – seriously, I still can’t get my head around that as a Dragons fan – and the Panthers, without their gun hooker Apisai Koroisau, taking on the Tigers in a banana skin game.

Another two games that look clear cut on Sunday will round out proceedings for the weekend, with Manly travelling to the Sunshine Coast for a clash with the slowly recovering Storm and the Raiders set to host the Bulldogs as the Sunday evening timeslot returns.

On the tipping front, AJ slipped up by taking Manly last week. With The Crowd on Souths, it’s now a deadlock once again at the top of the table. Mary also grabbed seven, moving to within five of AJ while David holds pace a further two back.

Remember to get your tips into the form below by 6pm (AEST) on Thursday to join The Roar’s NRL tipping competition for 2020 and be featured as part of The Crowd’s tips for Round 15.

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Mitchell Moses scores a try

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

AJ Mithen

Tips: Eels, Dragons, Roosters, Knights, Sharks, Panthers, Storm, Raiders

Ugh, tied again with the great unwashed, The Crowd. I thought we were past this. I’m certainly better than this. To paraphrase the great Seymour Skinner, am I losing my tipping touch? No. It’s the people who are wrong. Never mind, I’ll just pull away over these last few weeks.

Round 16 is going to be at least half a dozen mega blowouts. It’s a big weekend for teams to top up the old ‘for and against’ margins!

Eels over Bunnies, who delight in bashing up bad teams but are themselves bashed up when they play good teams.

Dragons over Titans with little confidence.

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Roosters by 10,000 over Brisbane.

Knights over Warriors, but I’m thinking the New Zealand side might be in with a sniff.

Sharks over Cowboys. Panthers by a million over Wests Tigers. Storm by a million over Manly, who I am never tipping again after last week’s debacle.

Finally, the glorious Canberra Raiders will put at least 67 on the hapless Canterbury Bulldogs.

Mary Konstantopoulos

Tips: Eels, Dragons, Roosters, Knights, Sharks, Panthers, Storm, Raiders

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As a Parramatta fan, I’m never confident, but what has been truly bizarre has been the confidence of some rugby league fans in the Bunnies. Their performances in recent weeks have been good, but the reality is this is a team that still hasn’t beaten anyone in the top six. The Eels attack has been slightly off the last couple of weeks, but I’m predicting a win.

The next game is a tough one to tip. The Dragons should be much higher on the ladder than they are given how many games they’ve bottled at the death. The Titans have also improved but still haven’t won a game in Sydney since Round 11, 2019. This trend will continue.

The Broncos have a new interim coach! But even with Anthony Seibold gone the drama at Red Hill persists. I can’t see the Broncos beating the Roosters, who were clinical against the Sharks last week. It frightens me how good the Roosters were, even with so many key players missing. But in good news for Chookies fans, two of those key players return this week for them in Boyd Cordner and Daniel Tupou.

Another hard tip is the game between the Warriors and the Knights, particularly because the Warriors have shown plenty of resolve this year, but you are never quite sure which Warriors team will turn up. I’m tipping the Knights here because it really is all on the line. A win would see the Knights almost guaranteed to play finals football – I’m confident that will be enough of a carrot to see them get the two points.

The Sharks should have no problem dismantling the Cowboys, who have been my biggest disappointments for this year.

I fear for the Wests Tigers even with the return of Harry Grant against Penrith, although I may be foolish for writing them off too early. Last time these two teams played it ended with Ivan Cleary taunting Tigers fans, so perhaps the Tigers will exact revenge. From what I have seen in recent weeks, it would take a miracle for the Tigers to win this game, but stranger things have happened.

The Storm will beat Manly, who have demonstrated this year that they really are a one-man team, and the Raiders will beat the poor old Bulldogs, who seem to be destined to remain at the bottom of the ladder.

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Ben Hunt celebrates with Josh Kerr

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

David Holden

Tips: Eels, Dragons, Roosters, Knights, Sharks, Panthers, Storm, Raiders

If there is one thing we learnt during COVID, it’s that we have rules. If we break them, there’s a cost. I also have my tipping rules and to break them exposes me to rules karma. This brings me to my tipping last week.

All season I’ve followed the rule that, for the Tigers, only pick them against teams below them on the ladder. You know, generally below ninth. Last weekend, against an undermanned Roosters, I went against that rule and tipped them. Of course the karma bus hit, with the Tigers loss costing me a full round and a lot of gloating. To quote the poet Richard Marx, I should’ve known better.

To kick off this round we head to Bankwest for Parra and Souths. In a season full of injuries the Eels are the only team currently in the NRL with a full squad to pick from. They may need it against the Rabbits, who produced something close to their best last week. It was more a case of excitement at seeing Wayne Bennett back at the helm, though and Souths will return to full-blown mediocrity this weekend.

The Dragons almost suffered the embarrassment of losing to the Broncos last weekend but just managed to hold on. They have everything to play for while the Titans are dreaming of a brighter future. Dragons by a fair margin.

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The Broncos season is that far gone that even a change in coach won’t save them. This could get ugly. Roosters by plenty.

Next up, the Warriors take a home game to Tamworth. This season just gets weirder. Unbelievably, the Warriors are still a sneaky chance of making the eight. Surely that chance gets snuffed out this weekend. Knights in a tight one.

We have seen the birth of the anti-Shark this season. Whereas success over the last five years for Cronulla has been built on defence, this team doesn’t care if they concede 30 as long as they score 40. Against the good teams that theory doesn’t work, and that’s why I am over them this year. But I also swore I wouldn’t pick the Cowboys again this season after they dudded me a few weeks ago. Go the black, white and blue.

I’m now obviously done with the Tigers, as is Michael Maguire. Even the certainty that Joey Leilua will be do something stupid against his former coach’s team can’t save this. Panthers by 60. Next!

The Storm and Sea Eagles clashes over the years have been beauties. I don’t think this one will live up to the past. Camerons Smith and Munster are back, as is Jahrome Hughes. The Storm will just about end Manly’s season.

Finally, we’ve got the Raiders and Bulldogs. Corey Harawira-Naera has to sit this one out against his former club, but it won’t matter. The Bulldogs are looking over their shoulder and can see that wooden spoon getting close to smacking them on the backside. It will get a little closer after this round.

Cameron Munster and Cameron Smith celebrate a try

(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

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The Barry

Tips: Eels, Dragons, Roosters, Knights, Sharks, Panthers, Storm, Raiders

I’m really looking forward to the Rabbitohs-Eels clash on Thursday at Bankwest Stadium*. With Souths having won eight of their last 11 games, there are a few people starting to get vocal about their chances. All eight of those wins, however, have come against teams below them on the ladder and all three losses against teams above them. Eels to win, but it’ll be interesting to see where Souths really are.

On the other end of the interest spectrum the Dragons host the Titans in the Who Cares Cup. To be fair, the Dragons have been looking good lately and the Titans have been more competitive than earlier in the season, but it’s hard to get too excited for this one. Dragons.

All of a sudden the Roosters line-up is starting to look a bit more recognisable. Interesting to see if that translates immediately on the paddock. It ended 59-0 last time these two teams met. Roosters.

Warriors meet the Knights for a home game in Tamworth. Normally that would be a disadvantage, but given the Warriors haven’t had a home game all year*, it may not make as much difference as normal. The Knights should win but will be hoping for a massive improvement from last week’s stinker.

Like the Rabbitohs, the Sharks are looking great against the rear end of the table but battling against the teams above them. As such, they should be too good for the Cowboys. A 36-24 scoreline wouldn’t surprise.

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What an amazing season the Panthers are putting together. Top of the table. Only lost one game all year. Going for 11 wins in a row. Is that enough of a mock yet? Even my jinxability shouldn’t stop them on Saturday.

The Storm host* the Sea Eagles. What do Manly and Formula One have in common? They’re both rubbish without Turbo. The Storm also welcome troops back this week and will be too strong for the Sea Eagles. PS: did anyone google Joel Thompson’s tongue last week?

The Bulldogs have made another move for 2021, breaking out some of the war chest funds to sign… 33-year-old Blake Green, three days post-ACL blowout. Good grief! Raiders to win, and hopefully Nick Cotric doesn’t spontaneously combust at half-time.

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Scott Pryde

Tips: Eels, Dragons, Roosters, Knights, Sharks, Panthers, Storm, Raiders

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I’m ditching my strategy of trying to make up ground by tipping upsets. Firstly, it hasn’t been working, and secondly, there won’t be any this weekend. It’s about as clear-cut as you can get in this competition.

In saying that, gee I’d love the Cowboys to spring an upset on Cronulla. Gives them less chance of being up for a Red V visit next week and allows the Dragons to close the game on the top eight.

But coming back out of fantasy land, there are a couple of games which are worth talking about.

Parramatta-South Sydney is one of those. The Eels seem to be just starting to get somewhere back to their better selves, and if they continue that improvement this week, they will be too strong. The Rabbitohs form is good, but let’s see them beat a team above them on the ladder first. Blue and gold at home.

The other game worth talking about is Newcastle’s trip to Tamworth to play the Warriors. What a world we live in. The Knights were shocking despite their win last week. If they are going to do anything in the finals, they make a statement here and blow the doors off.

Elsewhere, the Dragons are at home and will beat the Titans heavily, with Matt Dufty and Zac Lomax continuing to lead the charge, before the Roosters beat the Broncos. Last time it was 59. This time it could well be more. It hasn’t been a great time at Red Hill.

As much as I’d like the Sharks to lose, it’s not going to happen. Tipping the Cowboys is foolish. Tipping them in Sydney is crazy. Tipping them in a game that isn’t played as a night-time fixture in Sydney is silly beyond belief.

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Knowing my luck, the week I get back on the Panthers will be the week the streak breaks, and with no Apisai Koroisau or Viliame Kikau, they have a few gaps to fill. But it won’t be the Tigers to bring them back to Earth.

Sunday. Good thing the late game is back to 6:30 pm. I’ll be ready for a snooze by the end of it. Melbourne to beat the Sea Eagles by about 60, and the Raiders to do similar to the Dogs in Canberra.

David Klemmer passes the ball

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Round 16 AJ Mary David The Barry Scott Crowd
PAR v SOU PAR PAR PAR PAR PAR PAR
STI v GCT STI STI STI STI STI STI
SYD v BRI SYD SYD SYD SYD SYD SYD
NZL v NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW
CRO v NQL CRO CRO CRO CRO CRO CRO
PEN v WST PEN PEN PEN PEN PEN PEN
MEL v MAN MEL MEL MEL MEL MEL MEL
CAN v CBY CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN
Last week 6 7 7 6 5 7
Total 87 82 80 79 77 87

Be sure to get your tips in on the form below by 6pm (AEST) this evening, and we will publish the results of The Crowd’s tips before the first game of the round kicks off.

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