Craig Bellamy's decision to end the exile of Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona has swung Andrew Johns' tip in Thursday night's big clash between the Roosters and Melbourne.
Asofa-Solomona has been called up the first grade side for the first time this season after his pre-season was disrupted by a calf injury and he was forced to work his way back via a stint with NSW Cup side the North Sydney Bears.
There have been whispers that Asofa-Solomona was on the nose in Melbourne due to his attitude to training and his physique, although that talk has been consistently batted away by the Storm, who re-signed the towering front-rower last year on a monster deal to keep him out of the clutches of the All Blacks among a bevy of suitors.
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The Kiwis representative's return sets up a mouthwatering contest with fellow firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, with the pair sharing a history of fiery clashes.
And the Roosters will need their spiritual leader to fire if they are to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, with the club's formline belying its reputation for having the best roster in the competition.
Writing his column for The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday, Johns admitted that the Roosters were the hardest team in the competition to get a read on, claiming that they could yet be a top four side, just scrape into the eight or miss finals completely.
The Storm, on the other hand, are sitting pretty on the top of the ladder, without yet seeming to have hit top gear. For that reason Thursday night's match looms as an intriguing prospect, with Johns and Brad Fittler splitting their tips on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth's Tips.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and Round 7 tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Andrew Johns: Roosters, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Sharks
Brad Fittler: Roosters, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Broncos, Sharks
Billy Slater: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Cowboys
Darren Lockyer: Roosters, Dragons, Eels, Panthers, Titans, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
Paul Gallen: Roosters, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Titans, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
Allana Ferguson: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Sharks
David Middleton: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
Mat Thompson: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Raiders, Bulldogs, Sharks
Danika Mason: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Sharks
Michael Chammas: Roosters, Dragons, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
Peter Psaltis: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
The Mole: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights, Sharks
Ben Glover: Storm, Warriors, Eels, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Bulldogs, Sharks
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