Brad Fittler has picked the absence of workhorse Manly hooker Lachlan Croker and impact forward Nathan Brown to tip Thursday night's round 10 opener against the Sea Eagles, as they visit the Dolphins on a road trip that is becoming a huge challenge in 2024.
Wayne Bennett's team is in the top four and flying, defying the expectations of most experts who expected them to still be a season or two from contending for finals positions.
Despite their strong form, there is still a sense in the general rugby league population that the bubble will eventually burst for the second-year club, who are the bookmakers' outsiders for their clash with Manly, discounting the recent formline.
READ MORE: Acid attack leaves football star in 'critical' condition
READ MORE: Leaked email shines new light on Thomas issues
READ MORE: Gould urges Blues to ignore 'grossly unfair' selection
Speaking on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth's Tips, Fittler was puzzled by the continued narrative that the Dolphins are due to tail off, while the Sea Eagles, just one point behind them in fifth, are considered by many to be a hot top four chance.
"When you look at Manly, they're losing their hooker, Croker, who's been integral to them," Fittler said.
"[Also] Brown, who has a lot of their impact and obviously [Haumole] Olakau'atu's out for another week.
"I think the Dolphins are one of those sides where you keep on saying, 'they can't keep winning, they're not going to win this' … what they are, they're fast."
Croker was concussed in Manly's capitulation against the Raiders last week, ruling him out of the Dolphins clash due to the NRL's concussion protocols, while Brown injured his hip flexor against Canberra.
Olakau'atu is serving the second week of a two week ban for his role in a dangerous tackle against the Eels in round eight.
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
On the flipside, the Dolphins are edging back towards full strength, with the Bromwich brothers both named in the 17 and gun centre Herbie Farnworth making his return from injury.
Fittler's argument didn't convince Queensland great Darryl Brohman, who made a case for the Sea Eagles as the fill-in on the couch for Andrew Johns.
"Manly should be too good for them, I think they're a better side than them," he said.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and Round 10 tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Andrew Johns: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Eels, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
Brad Fittler: Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos, Tigers, Dragons, Sharks, Roosters, Titans
Paul Gallen: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Sharks, Roosters, Cowboys
Ruan Sims: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Sharks, Roosters, Cowboys
Peter Psaltis: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
Darren Lockyer: Dolphins, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
Allana Ferguson: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Roosters, Titans
David Middleton: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
Michael Chammas: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Tigers, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
The Mole: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Cowboys
Ben Glover: Sea Eagles, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Dragons, Storm, Roosters, Titans
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.