NRL Round 25 Tipping: The Roar’s expert tips and predictions

Just three 23 left in the regular season and teams are battered and bruised.

Three-time premiers Penrith are under the pump to make it four on the trot with coach Ivan Cleary now having to make do without Nathan Cleary once more after the league’s top halfback re-injured his troublesome shoulder.

Brad Schneider has been named alongside Jarome Luai in the halves for the Canberra clash, with Jack Cole another option while named on the bench.

Raiders centre Jordan Rapana has recovered from a concussion lay-off, allowing coach Ricky Stuart to rejig his backline.

It’s a danger game for the Panthers because they could lose their hold on second spot if the Green Machine get the better of them.

Most matches look fairly straightforward this week but that has been said a few times this year just before there have been upsets galore.

The match of the round is the final one when St George Illawarra host Cronulla in Wollongong in what will be yet another intense local derby between the bitter rivals. The Dragons need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Sharks have to do likewise as they try to keep fourth spot from the fast-finishing Bulldogs.

Here’s how the experts see Round 25 unfolding.

Stuart Thomas

Sea Eagles, Warriors, Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Knights, Roosters, Sharks

NIcely done Tigers in Round 24, I tipped you and the business was done. Sadly for you, there is too much at stake for the Sea Eagles on Thursday night. The Warriors can beat the Dogs, there is enough power up front to demolish the smaller Canterbury pack. Yet my blue and whites continue to play above themselves. A tight one. New Zealand in
Golden Point.

Could the Broncos sneak into the finals at the eleventh hour? If they are to do so, a win against the Eels is paramount. They should get it. The Panthers will beat the Raiders and kill off their season.

The Dolphins are in danger of missing the finals and another loss to the Storm at home will have them on the brink entering the final two rounds. Rabbitohs and Knights? Jeepers, I have no clue. Newcastle with more to play for and potentially that makes the difference.

The team I wrote about a few months back continues to look like the smokey. The Roosters are polished and ready to cause an upset in the finals. There will not be one when they take on the Titans on the Gold Coast. An awesome clash to end the round when the Dragons host the Sharks at WIN. Sharks in a brutal contest.

Nick Wasiliev

Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Knights, Roosters, Sharks

Of course, NOW is the time the Tigers choose to pull out a win. Nup, I’ve fallen for this before! Sea Eagles are clearly the stronger side.

As much as the Warriors are a different beast at home, I’ve got a good feeling about the Doggies – especially in the last few weeks. Some strong back-to-back wins and minimal injuries is also undercut by the fact that whenever they’ve played, they look like they’re really enjoying their footy. 

Broncos should trample the Eels pretty convincingly, as will the Storm on the Dolphins at home. The Panthers will be pissed after last week’s loss, and with Brad Schneider coming in to make space for Nathan Cleary, he’ll be hungry to carve up. The Raiders will offer more resistance in Canberra, but this is a Penrith legacy team at the moment. 

Both the Bunnies and Knights only have 2025 to think about now, but I think Newcastle looks the better of the two. To get back to winning ways they need to target games like this, especially on the road – so this could be a bigger opportunity than they might realise. 

The Roosters should have more than enough to dispatch the Titans on the Gold Coast, especially with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves returning. The last match of the round though is a beauty, one of the biggest improvers of the year up against a Sharks side that has rediscovered its groove in the last three weeks.

It would be nice to see the Dragons get up for the Wollongong faithful, but I think the men from Cronulla will have enough. Sharks to win in a thriller.

Mary Konstantopoulos

Sea Eagles, Warriors, Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Knights, Roosters, Sharks

The Sea Eagles have been steadily building over the last couple of weeks. It’s been great to see their forward pack slowly dominating and the injection of Tom Trbojevic always helps. The Tigers had a win last week, but I don’t think it will be enough to beat a Sea Eagles team pushing for the finals.

I’m going to go against all my good judgement and tip the Warriors this weekend, only because of the significance of Shaun Johnson playing his last game at Shaun Johnson Stadium. It is a big ask for the Warriors to beat the Bulldogs (who are one of the in form teams in the competition), but I am really hoping they can lift for one of the best players I have ever had the opportunity to watch.

The Broncos will beat the Eels, who are desperately trying to get to the end of the season and the Panthers will beat a Raiders team who has a coach who somehow evades criticism no matter what he does. Then the Storm will beat the Phins who seem to be running out of puff; no surprises given they have an aging forward pack and it really shows in the 60^th – 80^th minute of games.

I’m tipping the Knights in the next one, but the reality is it will come down to who wants it more. The season is over for both these teams but both have proven over the year that at times they can play really exciting footy.

The Roosters will continue their schtick of beating up on bottom eight teams and I think the Sharks will have enough to beat a Dragons team desperately holding onto eighth spot.

Paul Suttor

Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Knights, Roosters, Sharks

We kick off the round with the Fibros vs Silvertails, Wests vs Manly clash – not confirmed yet whether the NRL “brains trust” have decided whether the teams will play for the Les Boyd Cup to acknowledge his Hall of Fame induction. Silvertails by 10

The Warriors haven’t given up the ghost but their hearts aren’t quite in it. Dogs by 14

Brisbane are busted but have too much on the line to lose to Parra, surely. Broncos by 8

Penrith have a few star players out, Canberra wish they had that calibre of player on their roster. Panthers by 6

Melbourne will rest players but their machine will be too much for the Dolphins. Storm by 14

Watching this South Sydney vs Newcastle game could be considered a punishment for shoplifting. Knights by 2

Gold Coast have turned up their toes. The Roosters will win by at least 20.

Blockbuster in the Gong – derby rivalry, sell-out crowd, what more can you want. Sharks by 4

AJ Mithen

Tigers, Warriors, Eels, Raiders, Dolphins, Rabbitohs, Titans, Dragons

My fearless pursuit of you tipping frauds continues with more courageous late season energy.

Wests Tigers will continue their run of form against the too comfortable manly. New Zealand with one big home effort at Shaun Johnson stadium to unsettle the Bulldogs. Parramatta have been upping their effort for little result but this week it’ll pay off against Brisbane. 

Your presumptive champions, the people’s team the Canberra Raiders will awaken from this late season slumber and dominate the meek and hapless Penrith to the tune of 56 points as their finals charge begins. 

The Dolphins are going to be the one the ‘get’ the ‘gettable’ Melbourne. Bunnies to plough into Newcastle and end their faint finals dreams, Titans to uncork one of their unpredictable specials by putting 42 on the chooks and we’ll wrap this perfect tipping round when the Dragons bomb the Sharks by 12 in Wollongong.   

Mike Meehall Wood

Manly, Bulldogs, Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Knights, Roosters, Sharks

Big week on the tips as Wood puts two clear points into Wasiliev the week before his Tigers take on my Sea Eagles. I’ll say it again: tip em this week, Nick.

Much as I take personal credit for Manly’s strong season on the back of my reverse psychology tipping policy (more on which later), I don’t need to mess around this week. My Beaches Boys will put a score on the Tigers.

Our first manifestation tip is in Auckland, where a Bulldogs defeat would go a long way to sending the Sea Eagles to the top four. I actually think the Wahs will win too, which helps, but to ensure it happens, I’ll tip the Dogs. Also: never tip the Warriors.

No such issues in the Friday late game. Parra are rubbish, the Broncos are too but to nowhere near the same extent. Brisbane take it.

Penrith good, Raiders bad, next.

The Storm are racing to the finish so they can rest players, the Phins are falling apart. Melbourne and it might get ugly.
Classic NRL scheduling has two busted flushes in a prime TV slot. I’ll take the Knights because they actually need to win whereas Souths are playing for pride, though with zero confidence and more fool you if you watch this. Me, I’ll be tuning in as England wrap it up early in the fourth day v Sri Lanka.

The Roosters have won 10 straight against the Gold Coast. Make it 11.

Manifestation time again: Manly need the Sharks to lose to drop out the top four, so I’ll tip them. Again, it’s an easy reverse psychology to pull as I actually think the Dragons will win – with Redcliffe losing on Saturday, they’ll know 2 points here all but locks up a finals berth. Up, up, with no confidence.

Round 25	Stuart Thomas	Nick Wasiliev	Mary K	Paul Suttor	AJ Mithen	Mike Meehall Wood	The Crowd
WST v MSE	Manly	Manly	Manly	Manly	Manly	Manly	?
NZW v CBY	Warriors	Bulldogs	Bulldogs	Bulldogs	Bulldogs	Bulldogs	?
BRS v PAR	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Eels	Broncos	?
CBA v PEN	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Raiders	Panthers	?
MEL v DOL	Storm	Storm	Storm	Storm	Raiders	Storm	?
SSR v NEW	Knights	Rabbitohs	Rabbitohs	Rabbitohs	Knights	Knights	?
GCT v SYD	Roosters	Titans	Roosters	Roosters	Titans	Roosters	?
SGI v CSS	Sharks	Dragons	Sharks	Sharks	Dragons	Sharks	?
Last Round	7	5	6	6	2	7	6
2024 tally	114	119	102	112	96	121	118