Tips: Fittler roasts Eels' 'strange' decision

2 years ago 141

Rugby league fable Brad Fittler has raised alarm bells astir the Eels' quality to woody with the scorching Townsville vigor aft recalling a mediocre show successful Darwin earlier this season.

Speaking to Andrew Johns for Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips, Fittler blasted Parramatta's "strange" determination to big the Cowboys successful Darwin backmost successful circular eight.

The Eels were thumped by the Cowboys 35-4 astatine TIO Stadium successful scorching late-April temperatures, with Fittler questioning wherefore they would big a squad accustomed to blistery upwind successful their yearly fixture successful the apical end.

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With the instrumentality lucifer betwixt the 2 sides to beryllium played successful what's forecast to beryllium 24 degrees and 67 per cent humidity at kick-off clip successful Townsville, with a spot successful the expansive last astatine stake, Fittler said Todd Payten's men would commencement the crippled with a 12-point borderline owed to the vigor alone.

"The bully happening is Parramatta got flogged by North Queensland, large determination to instrumentality the crippled to Darwin and inquire North Queensland to articulation you," Fittler said.

"I recovered that strange, but that's wherever the commercialized section gets progressive successful the rugby league broadside of things...

"Why would you instrumentality North Queensland there? Why wouldn't you instrumentality Melbourne oregon Canberra?

"I deliberation the Cowboys (will win). I deliberation they get astir a twelve points vantage from playing up there."

Johns was amazed Fittler thought the vigor was worthy arsenic galore arsenic a twelve points to the Cowboys, but agreed that it was a important edge. Both rugby league legends tipped the location broadside to win, though Johns was cautious astir North Queensland's formline.

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"I'm going to extremity the Cowboys, just. I deliberation a Valentine Holmes field-goal volition triumph it, there'll beryllium thing successful it," Johns said.

"The worrying happening for the Cowboys for maine is that Cronulla, successful that archetypal semi, 30-all, they fto successful 30 points. And past if you person a look astatine the formline, Souths, what Souths did to Cronulla. So the formline there, whether their signifier stacks up against the existent elite... but we'll spot Friday night."

Fittler agreed that the crippled would spell down to the wire, saying he'd been impressed with Parramatta's form.

"I inactive deliberation they're going to beryllium nether pressure, I don't deliberation it's going to beryllium easy," Fittler said.

"Parramatta are going beauteous good, they've got a batch of assurance retired of past week, but I'm going to spell the Cows arsenic well."

Scroll beneath for the existent leaderboard and week 3 finals tips by Andrew Johns and each Nine's adept tipsters!

Andrew Johns: Cowboys, Panthers

Brad Fittler: Cowboys, Panthers

Wally Lewis: Cowboys, Panthers

Ruan Sims: Cowboys, Panthers

Paul Gallen: Eels, Panthers

Billy Slater: Cowboys, Panthers

Darren Lockyer: Cowboys, Panthers

Mat Thompson: Cowboys, Panthers

David Middleton: Eels, Panthers

Michael Chammas: Eels, Panthers

The Mole: Cowboys, Panthers

Ben Glover: Eels, Panthers

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