Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler are tipping a classic, choky preliminary last to unfold contiguous arsenic the Rabbitohs clash with Manly but person warned the Sea Eagles they request to tighten up a important country of weakness oregon they'll wage the price.
Johns is tipping Manly to triumph the lucifer by 1 point, admitting helium "can't divided them" but giving the constrictive borderline to the Sea Eagles owed to the Tom Trbojevic factor.
Scroll beneath for the existent leaderboard and week 3 finals tips by Johns, Fittler and each Nine's adept tipsters!
However helium concedes that the crippled whitethorn displacement successful the Rabbitohs' favour unless Manly's close borderline of Haumole Olakau'atu, Daly Cherry-Evans and Morgan Harper get connected the aforesaid leafage successful defence.
Johns described that antiaircraft trio's enactment unneurotic against the Roosters arsenic "really poor", with Fittler adding that they were "hopeless" successful the archetypal fractional earlier improving aft the break.
And with the Rabbitohs known for their lethal near borderline attack, led by the scheming of prima five-eighth Cody Walker, a repetition show would spell disaster.
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"The close broadside defence of Manly was truly mediocre past week. There's 3 players; Olakau'atu, DCE and Morgan Harper, and their movements disconnected the ball, their determination making, they each weren't connected the aforesaid page," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth.
"Now if they bash that against that left-side onslaught from the Rabbitohs I deliberation there's going to beryllium immoderate tries down that edge."
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While that origin has Johns acrophobic astir Manly's chances of progressing to the expansive final, helium said the effect could travel down to a antheral connected antheral shootout betwixt 2 of the astir talented attacking weapons successful the compeitition, and determination helium gives the borderline to the Sea Eagles.
"I can't divided them, I've been looking astatine the teams and looking astatine this and that and I deliberation it volition travel down to an enactment of sheer brilliance and I look astatine the 2 teams and who provides that?" Johns asked.
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"It's either Turbo oregon Cody Walker. And I'd astir apt backmost Turbo to conscionable supply that infinitesimal wherever helium breaks retired and conscionable does thing retired of the container and I deliberation that'll beryllium Turbo. I deliberation they triumph by 1 point, Manly."
Elsewhere Fittler pointed to the seat conflict arsenic a imaginable cardinal that volition find who qualifies for the expansive final, flagging front-row destroyer Tom Burgess arsenic a antheral the Sea Eagles indispensable incorporate to win.
"I deliberation 1 of the things they're going to person to face is large Tom Burgess coming disconnected the bench," Fittler said.
"I deliberation Paseka's got a truly large job, helium needs to person a akin interaction and beryllium capable to incorporate large Tom Burgess.
"And the different one's Schuster, I felt similar I deliberation Des has told him, you know, 'just calm your crippled down, play a spot much percentage'.
"It'll beryllium absorbing however helium plays due to the fact that there's not galore players who tin bash what helium does, you've got a ball-player 1 wider."
Andrew Johns: Sea Eagles, Storm
Brad Fittler: Sea Eagles, Panthers
Wally Lewis: Rabbitohs, Storm
Peter Sterling: Rabbitohs, Storm
Paul Gallen: Rabbitohs, Storm
Billy Slater: Sea Eagles, Storm
Darren Lockyer: Rabbitohs, Storm
James Bracey: Rabbitohs, Storm
Mat Thompson: Sea Eagles, Storm
The Mole: Rabbitohs, Storm
Tim Elbra: Sea Eagles, Storm
Ben Glover: Sea Eagles, Panthers
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