NRL footy tips Round 21: Freddy, Joey and all of Nine's stars give their winners
NSW coach Brad Fittler says Penrith must find a way to target Josh Dugan at fullback for the Panthers to end a two-game slump and upset the Sharks on Friday night.
Cronulla have roared back to form over the past fortnight, with Dugan playing some of his best football of the season in the centres but he has been forced back into the fullback position by the absence of Matt Moylan due to a nasty concussion.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports for Freddy & Joey's Tips, Fittler predicted the Sharks would continue rolling towards a top eight berth but saw a crack of light for the Panthers if they can come up with the right game plan.
"Josh Dugan goes back to fullback, I think the chance for the Panthers, they've got to get to Josh Dugan who's actually in really good form," Fittler said.
"The last couple of weeks he's been very safe, very few errors; if they can find a way to get to Duges and get a few errors out of him then I think that's their best chance."
That potential weakness has caused anger at Cronulla following Tuesday night's incredible judiciary escape for Sam Burgess.
Moylan was injured in a high tackle from the Rabbitohs star that was given a Grade Two by the match review committee but subsequently downgraded by the judiciary, giving Burgess an escape from suspension and polarising opinion across the game.
While Burgess will take his place in the Rabbitohs' blockbuster Sunday afternoon clash against the Storm, the Sharks feel are feeling victimised by their forced reshuffle.
"We're not happy that we have one of our big, marquee players off the field because of that incident," Cronulla group chief executive Richard Munro told the Sydney Morning\u00a0Herald.
"We're not happy about the incident and we're not happy that we've got our player off. We are the ones that are penalised.
"There's no punishment so to speak [for the Rabbitohs], just a small monetary fine.
"The judiciary has processes and they review these sort of things but, at the end of the day, we're the ones being penalised by having one of our best players off the park.
"The process found he is not guilty and he has paid a small fine. We're the club that has been penalised because our main player is off the park.
"It doesn't seem right, does it?"
Check out the tipping leaderboard and the full set of Round 21 tips from Freddy, Joey and our Channel Nine experts below!
NRL tipping leaderboard Nine
Andrew Johns
Broncos
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Raiders
Rabbitohs
Brad Fittler
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Roosters
Storm
Darren Lockyer
Broncos
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Bulldogs
Roosters
Storm
James Bracey
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Billy Slater
Broncos
Manly
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Roosters
Storm
The Mole
Broncos
Manly
Sharks
Dragons
Knights
Tigers
Roosters
Storm
Wally Lewis
Broncos
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Roosters
Storm
Cam Williams
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Panthers
Dragons
Eels
Wests Tigers
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Ruan Sims
Broncos
Manly
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Tigers
Roosters
Storm
Ben Glover
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Knights
Tigers
Raiders
Rabbitohs
Tim Elbra
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Sharks
Dragons
Eels
Wests Tigers
Raiders
Rabbitohs
