Prelim finals tips: Brad Fittler 'surprised' by bench strategy trend in finals
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Roosters legend Brad Fittler has expressed 'surprise' at a team selection trend that has emerged in the finals, with coaches turning to their big men in an effort to grab a stranglehold on the middle of the field.
Fittler has picked his old team to upset the Storm in a clash that Andrew Johns says will deliver the premiership winner, and picked out an interesting quirk in the team lists.
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While the Roosters have for much of the season used Sandon Smith in a utility bench role, the absence of injured halfback Sam Walker has forced Trent Robinson into a rethink.
Sandon Smith of the Roosters. Getty
With utilities Smith (halfback) and Connor Watson (hooker) starting on the field, Robinson has opted to pick a beefed up interchange quartet of Spencer Leniu, Naufahu Whyte, Nat Butcher and Terrell May in a bid to wrestle control of the trenches as the match wears on.
The Storm, by comparison, have retained rising star Tyran Wishart on the bench, prioritising mobility and attacking strike power over grunt.
"I've been so surprised actually, that happens nearly every game now," Fittler told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighths Tips of the differing strategies.
"Some (teams) have a Tyran Wishart, someone who can cover a lot of positions, but a lot of teams at the back end of the year were going with four big people."
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Of the other two preliminary finals teams, Penrith have got half Brad Schneider on the bench, while the Sharks have got four forwards, including Siosifa Talakai, who is capable of playing in the centres.
While the two different bench strategies will no doubt have a bearing on the result when the Roosters visit the Storm on Friday night, both Fittler and Johns tipped James Tedesco to be the man to break it open if the Roosters spring an upset.
The pair of legends backed the star fullback to hold onto his Kangaroos jersey in the Pacific Championships, with Johns adding that Tedesco had played one of his "top five" games of his career in last week's comprehensive win over Manly.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and week three finals tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Andrew Johns: Storm, Panthers
Brad Fittler: Roosters, Panthers
Darren Lockyer: Storm, Panthers
Paul Gallen: Storm, Sharks
Wally Lewis: Storm, Panthers
Allana Ferguson: Storm, Panthers
Mat Thompson: Roosters, Panthers
Peter Psaltis: Storm, Panthers
David Midleton: Storm, Panthers
Michael Chammas: Roosters, Panthers
The Mole: Storm, Panthers
Ben Glover: Storm, Panthers
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