Round 24 NRL tips: Roosters gun's hot form turns Brad Fittler, Andrew Johns against Bulldogs
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The Roosters are building an irresistible case to snatch a spot in the finals and both Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler expect them to enhance their credentials with a win over the third placed Bulldogs on Friday night.
With four rounds remaining, the Roosters sit ninth, equal on points with the eighth-placed Dolphins who they thrashed last Saturday and just one win back from the Broncos and Sharks.
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With all three of the teams just above them starting to look shaky, the Roosters are poised to strike and their most important players have found blistering form.
Jacob Kiraz is tackled during the round 11 match between the Bulldogs and Roosters. Getty
Johns said he was tipping Trent Robinson's men to continue their march on Friday night, thanks to the influence of halfback Sam Walker, who is starting to match the hype from experts who believe he will soon be one of the premier playmakers in the NRL.
"I just think Sammy Walker, you can't defend him," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips.
"You don't know what he's going to do. It's so good to watch a halfback play like that. So good."
Fittler agreed, adding that superstar fullback James Tedesco had "caught the bug".
"He's playing very freely, just coming up with... just playing (ad-lib). They're very good at it, hard to stop."
Fittler said the centre match-up pitting Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton up against Billy Smith would be one to watch.
While both Johns and Fittler are tipping an upset in the Friday night blockbuster at Allianz Stadium, there are some worrying stats that back the bookmakers who installed the Bulldogs as favourites.
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The Chooks have matched up against top four sides five times this season and only once come away with victory.
Trent Robinson's men have also struggled to get an advantage out of their home ground, winning just six of their eight matches at Allianz Stadium this season.
The two powerhouse Sydney outfits last met in round 11, playing out a thriller at Accor Stadium, with the Bulldogs snatching the two points at the death through a 73rd minute Matt Burton try.
The Roosters v Bulldogs clash is one of many that have split Nine's tipsters this round, although the Panthers are favoured by a strong majority to win the grand final rematch on Thursday night.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and round 24 tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Andrew Johns: Panthers, Dragons, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Tigers, Cowboys
Brad Fittler: Panthers, Warriors, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Tigers, Cowboys
Paul Gallen: Panthers, Dragons, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
Ruan Sims: Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Manly, Knights
Darren Lockyer: Panthers, Dragons, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
Danika Mason: Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
Mat Thompson: Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Wests Tigers, Knights
Peter Psaltis: Storm, Dragons, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
David Middleton: Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
The Mole: Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Eels, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
Ben Glover: Storm, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Sea Eagles, Cowboys
