Tips: Upset that will finish finals contender's season

The Cowboys are connected the borderline of elimination aft an atrocious period and some Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler are tipping the extremity to travel arsenic soon arsenic this Friday nighttime erstwhile they sojourn the 14th-placed Dolphins.

Since defeating the Eels connected July 22, Todd Payten's men person been connected an alarming slide, losing to Queensland rivals the Titans and Broncos earlier being thumped by Cronulla astatine home. Only a bye successful that play has stemmed the bleeding.

Yet still, North Queensland has their destiny successful their ain hands, needing to bushed the Dolphins astatine Suncorp Stadium to acceptable up a last circular do-or-die clash distant to the Panthers, who are apt to remainder galore of their regulars, possibly adjacent including Nathan Cleary.

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If the Panthers rotation retired a B side, the Cowboys would person a immense accidental to prehend seventh oregon eighth spot astatine the death.

Scott Drinkwater of the Cowboys looks dejected aft a Broncos effort during the circular 23 NRL lucifer betwixt North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos astatine Qld Country Bank Stadium connected August 05, 2023 successful Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images) (Getty)

But truthful poorly did they execute against the Sharks past week, adjacent their hopeless concern hasn't convinced Johns oregon Fittler to extremity them connected Friday, with some expecting a Wayne Bennett-inspired boilover.

"My specials of the week, Dolphins, with the start," Johns told Fittler connected Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips.

"I'm tipping the Dolphins, I deliberation they'll win."

"I'm going the Dolphins too," Fittler replied. "They've been unlucky."

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Johns said the Dolphins could pull a assemblage arsenic large arsenic 40,000 to Suncorp Stadium for a Friday nighttime game, coming on a play erstwhile the Broncos are retired of town.

"They've been unlucky," added Fittler. "The past 2 games they've mislaid 2 by 1 constituent and 1 by 2 points, truthful they're going good."

Fittler and Johns' extremity would astir surely condemn the Cowboys to a dormant rubber circular 27 lucifer up, with the Rabbitohs to leap up of them by 2 points with a for and against buffer northbound of 60 points. South Sydney person a bye this round.

Scroll beneath for the existent leaderboard and Round 26 tips by each Nine's adept tipsters!

Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. (Nine)

Andrew Johns: Panthers, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Brad Fittler: Panthers, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Wally Lewis: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Danika Mason: Panthers Warriors Cowboys Storm Roosters Broncos Sea Eagles Sharks

Dave Middleton: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Billy Slater: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Sharks

Paul Gallen: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Raiders, Bulldogs, Sharks

James Bracey: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Bulldogs, Knights

Darren Lockyer: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Peter Psaltis: Panthers, Warriors, Dolphins, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

The Mole: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights

Ben Glover: Panthers, Warriors, Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Knights