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Andrew Johns remains optimistic about the Raiders’ prospects, albeit with some caution, as he confessed he was “seriously considering” picking the Wests Tigers for a major upset against them in Campbelltown on Friday night.
Fresh off a surprising defeat to the Maroons on Wednesday, Origin stars Jarome Luai and Hudson Young are both likely to be available for what promises to be an exhilarating match, despite the challenges of returning to Sydney from Perth in such a short timeframe.
On Thursday, Tigers coach Benji Marshall shared that his star playmaker had sent a message saying, ‘I’m fit to play, coach, put me in,’ while Young will have the advantage of having only logged 46 minutes during the Perth match.
Luai, in particular, will be itching to build on his impressive return to the Origin arena, having assisted in two tries and played a part in two more, while powerful front-rower Terrell May is in contention for a debut in the Origin decider if he keeps delivering strong performances over the next fortnight.
Jarome Luai of the Tigers watches on during their round 13 defeat to the Cowboys. Getty
Former NSW hooker Apisai Koroisau is also in contention for a spot in the Blues line-up following a disappointing second game from incumbent Reece Robson.
Marshall is hopeful that the prospect of an Origin selection will elevate his senior players’ performances against a highly-favoured Raiders team, currently sitting on 24 points, just one victory behind the table-topping Bulldogs.
The Tigers are on a four-match losing streak, with two byes in between, but they did show glimpses of improvement after resolving the Lachie Galvin saga with his exit, narrowly losing 18-14 to a Panthers team filled with Origin representatives a fortnight ago. The Tigers had a bye in Round 15.
The recent game against the Panthers, coupled with the absence of Canberra’s standout winger Savelio Tamale, whose injury has paved the way for the NRL debut of Raiders coach Ricky Stuart’s son, Jed, nearly swayed Johns to select one of the biggest shocks of the season, but ultimately he opted for the Raiders to continue their winning streak to four.
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“It’s going to be freezing out there in Campbelltown, so don’t forget to wear something warm,” Johns advised on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth’s Tips.
“I’ve chosen the Raiders, but I was tempted to back the Wests Tigers. I reckon this match will be much closer than people anticipate.
“It’s going to be an all-out attacking game. I absolutely love how the Raiders play; they offload and shift the ball brilliantly. I’m backing the Raiders.”
Scroll down for the current leaderboard and Round 16 predictions from all of Nine’s expert tipsters!
Nine’s NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Andrew Johns: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Titans
Brad Fittler: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Eels
Danika Mason: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Sharks, Roosters, Titans
Paul Gallen: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Sharks, Roosters, Eels
Darren Lockyer: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Eels
David Middleton: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Eels
Mat Thompson: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Sharks, Cowboys, Eels
Peter Psaltis: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Eels
The Mole: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Eels
Ben Glover: Raiders, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Broncos, Roosters, Titans
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