NRL Round 18/AFL Round 16/Super Rugby Final Megatips
Time for… MEGATIPS. The fallout from Origin Game III means this weekend’s NRL action will be chaotic- who will drop out? How will this affect who wins? The AFL has its own multi-bye round, with just the seven matches being played. And finally, Super Rugby reaches its peak, with the final being contested between the Reds and Crusaders. Who do the WPW experts think will take this one out? Read on to see who is being backed across all three codes!
Standings
Match of the Round Previews
NRL
Knights v Cowboys
Matt says…”Monday night again proves to be the best contest of the weekend, with the underrated Knights taking on one of the competition front runners, North Queensland. Unfortunately the match has been soured somewhat by the loss of Johnathan Thurston to a knee injury from Origin, although the Cowboys strength (Thurston aside) this year has been their forwards, with Glenn Hall, Tariq Sims, Dallas Johnson and Matt Scott dominating opposition packs. The Knights are genuinely flying under the radar, picking up vital points with workmen-like performances. Half Ryan Stig, who has been dropped back to the bench to accommodate the return of Kurt Gidley and Jarrod Mullen, has been in magnificent form after just a handful of first grade games, but with Wes Naiqama equally in form, Stig is the victim of the Knights injury returns. I’ve gone with the home side here, with both the travel, and the lack of Thurston to heavily hamper the Cowboys, and only David seems to disagree…”
AFL
West Coast Eagles v Geelong Cats
The Phantom says…“At the start of the season, who would have thought this would be a 50/50 clash! West Coast are on a bit of a roll, with their four-match winning streak only interrupted by the Bye. Geelong are coming off their first loss of the season at the hands of Essendon… The Cats are travelling to WA, while the Eagles are facing the dreaded Bye-Curse. I think that Geelong will bounce back in a big way, and everyone except Adrian agrees with me. “
Super Rugby
Reds vs Crusaders
David Shipton says… “This final could be one of the epics, with tantalizing match ups all over the park. There is no doubt that these are the two best sides in the competition. Both forward packs have been good this year, with the Crusaders scrum dominating at the right time of the season. Both sides have backlines that can destroy opposition teams, with Quade Cooper igniting the Reds backs last week. Both can defend really well. However, this match will be decided by the team who takes their opportunities the best, and this is where I believe the Crusaders have the edge. Over the years they have perfected a game plan on being clinical and heaping pressure on the opposition sides. They have the edge in finals experience, whilst they probably have the edge in the forward pack as well. The Reds lack a reliable goal kicker, with Quade Cooper proving this season that he is erratic when taking place kicks. Compare this to Dan Carter, a man renowned for his accuracy, and it may be hard for the Reds. I hope this final lives up to the hype. For me, I’m picking the Crusaders to win by 1 – 12.”
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Matt
NRL
Eels v Tigers
Warriors v Titans
Sharks v Raiders
Bulldogs v Storm
Roosters v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Knights v Cowboys
AFL
West Coast v Geelong
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Gold Coast v Sydney
Essendon v Richmond
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs v Carlton
Super Rugby
Reds v Crusaders
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Adrian
NRL
Eels v Tigers
Warriors v Titans
Sharks v Raiders
Bulldogs v Storm
Roosters v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Knights v Cowboys
AFL
West Coast v Geelong
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Gold Coast v Sydney
Essendon v Richmond
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs v Carlton
Super Rugby
Reds v Crusaders
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The Phantom
NRL
Eels v Tigers
Warriors v Titans
Sharks v Raiders
Bulldogs v Storm
Roosters v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Knights v Cowboys
AFL
West Coast v Geelong
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Gold Coast v Sydney
Essendon v Richmond
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs v Carlton
Super Rugby
Reds v Crusaders
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Tomo
NRL
Eels v Tigers
Warriors v Titans
Sharks v Raiders
Bulldogs v Storm
Roosters v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Knights v Cowboys
AFL
West Coast v Geelong
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Gold Coast v Sydney
Essendon v Richmond
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs v Carlton
Super Rugby
Reds v Crusaders
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David
NRL
Eels v Tigers
Warriors v Titans
Sharks v Raiders
Bulldogs v Storm
Roosters v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Knights v Cowboys
AFL
West Coast v Geelong
Hawthorn v Brisbane
Gold Coast v Sydney
Essendon v Richmond
Collingwood v North Melbourne
Port Adelaide v St Kilda
Western Bulldogs v Carlton
Super Rugby
Reds v Crusaders
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