Tips: Weather twist a huge boost for Eels

An updated upwind forecast indicating that Friday's rainfall successful Sydney volition walk good earlier kick-off volition springiness the Eels a immense boost successful their bid to sound implicit the insignificant premiers, according to Andrew Johns.

Johns filmed Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips connected Wednesday erstwhile dense rainfall was forecast for Friday nighttime and the Newcastle large expected it to play a important origin successful the match, tipping the scales successful Penrith's favour.

"It helps Penrith nary end," Johns said.

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"Cause the mode the Eels play, they occupation them with shot question and offloads. So [the rain] makes the guardant crippled adjacent much important but it makes the kicking crippled truly important."

Johns was past asked by Brad Fittler if he thought Nathan Clear would beryllium astatine each rusty successful his instrumentality crippled aft sitting connected the sidelines for 5 weeks owed to suspension.

Penrith Panthers prima Nathan Cleary was sent disconnected from the tract for a unsafe tackle (Getty)

Fittler questioned whether the tar halfback's timing mightiness beryllium a fraction off.

"It won't impact anything," Johns replied.

Even successful the dry, Cleary's surgical kicking crippled is apt to play a important role, yet bot times the Eels person played the Panthers this play they've dealt with that by putting him nether utmost unit precocious successful the tackle count.

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That quality to get up successful his look has swung some games for Parramatta, resulting successful a 22-20 triumph successful circular 9 and a 34-10 thrashing successful circular 20.

It was successful that crippled that Cleary was sent disconnected for an disfigured tipping tackle and helium has not played since.

While Johns was assured successful Cleary's quality to deed the crushed running, Fittler predicted a challenging nighttime for him aft specified a agelong stint out.

Mitchell Moses of the Eels gathers the shot aft a spot footwear during their circular 20 clash with the Panthers. (Getty)

"I retrieve his archetypal crippled erstwhile helium came backmost from the enarthrosis (injury past season), helium kicked 2 dead," Fittler said.

Should a akin script play retired successful adust upwind connected Friday night, the planets whitethorn yet align for the Eels for a 3rd clip successful a enactment against a squad that is an astir unbackable favourite to triumph back-to-back titles.

Regardless, Johns sees the Eels arsenic important players successful the result of this year's playoffs.

"I deliberation this is the expansive final," Johns said. "This is the expansive last we're going to spot I reckon."

Scroll beneath for the existent leaderboard and week 1 finals tips by Andrew Johns and each Nine's adept tipsters!

Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. (Nine)

Andrew Johns: Panthers, Raiders, Sharks, Roosters

Brad Fittler: Panthers, Raiders, Sharks, Roosters

Paul Gallen: Panthers, Storm, Sharks, Roosters

Billy Slater: Panthers, Storm, Cowboys, Roosters

Ruan Sims: Panthers, Storm, Sharks, Roosters

Darren Lockyer: Panthers, Sharks, Storm, Roosters

Peter Psaltis: Panthers, Storm, Cowboys, Rabbitohs

The Mole: Panthers, Storm, Sharks, Roosters

Ben Glover: Panthers, Storm, Cowboys, Roosters

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