NRL tipping is hard enough at the best of times, but when you have 34 players backing up after a State of Origin match it goes to the next level.
The wait to see which players back up won't begin in earnest until Thursday, while some decisions may not be made until teams have to be finalised an hour before the kick-off of each match.
With no Thursday match this week, tipsters have an extra day before they need to start making picks.
Before you do that, see who the NRL experts and backing and read Brett Kimmorleys previews.
Round 13 tips and previews
Rabbitohs v Knights, Friday, 6pm, ANZ Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: Newcastle looked really good against the Roosters. They are absolutely flying. Now for another huge test. I can't wait for Mitchell Pearce against Adam Reynolds. Hopefully David Klemmer backs up against the Burgess brothers. Six weeks ago there were questions asked about the Knights coach, now we are wondering if they can win the comp. Rabbitohs by 2
Match: Rabbitohs v Knights
Round 13 -
home Team
Rabbitohs
2nd Position
away Team
Knights
5th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Wests Tigers v Raiders, Friday, 7.55pm, Bankwest Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: John Bateman has been the buy of the season. I'm hearing from staff and players in Canberra that when he returned to training last week it was a huge boost due to the aura he has. Ricky Stuart is doing a great job with Canberra. The Wests Tigers struggle with scoring points. The Tigers will challenge them but I don't know if they can score enough points to win. Raiders by 6
Match: Wests Tigers v Raiders
Round 13 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
12th Position
away Team
Raiders
3rd Position
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Warriors v Storm Saturday, 5pm (3pm AEST), Mt Smart Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: The Warriors should be flying this week – freshened up after a week off and no players coming back from Origin. The Storm have to worry about a disrupted preparation. If any time is a good time to get the Melbourne Storm this is it. I'm tipping an upset with Kodi Nikorima to get them home. Warriors by 8
Match: Warriors v Storm
Round 13 -
home Team
Warriors
14th Position
away Team
Storm
1st Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Sharks v Eels, Saturday, 5.30pm, PointsBet Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: We know the Sharks can play tough, but Matt Moylan's return in their last game just gave them a little bit of finesse. He's really important for their attack. It's a big day for Mitchell Moses to see if he can stay composed and get Parramatta home. A big test for him, and the Eels. Sharks by 6
Match: Sharks v Eels
Round 13 -
home Team
Sharks
6th Position
away Team
Eels
8th Position
Venue: PointsBet Stadium, Sydney
Cowboys v Sea Eagles, Saturday, 7.35pm, 1300Smiles Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: The Cowboys are finding some form – John Asiata is the biggest five-eighth since Olsen Filipaina and he's going great. That team has really settled in with the players they've got. I think they'll go on a winning streak. You can see Manly are missing a bit of class. They need both the Trbojevic brothers and also Daly Cherry-Evans back. Cowboys by 8
Match: Cowboys v Sea Eagles
Round 13 -
home Team
Cowboys
9th Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
7th Position
Venue: 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville
Broncos v Titans, Sunday, 2pm, Suncorp Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: The Broncos are ready to go on a winning streak. They've got a very good pack of forwards but some of them will have to back up after Origin for the first time. Anthony Milford is the key for them. I don't really know what the Titans are trying to do in attack. I think big brother might give little brother a bit of a lesson. Broncos by 14
Match: Broncos v Titans
Round 13 -
home Team
Broncos
10th Position
away Team
Titans
15th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Panthers v Roosters, Sunday, 4.05pm, Panthers Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: I expect the Roosters to bounce back. They've had a bit of a lull but that was going to happen after they started the season so early with the World Club Challenge. They'll rely on the players who aren't in Origin to star in this one. Penrith have had a couple of wins, but they've been against sides that aren't as good as the Sydney Roosters. Roosters by 6
Match: Panthers v Roosters
Round 13 -
home Team
Panthers
13th Position
away Team
Roosters
4th Position
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Bulldogs v Dragons, Monday, 4pm, ANZ Stadium
Brett Kimmorley says: It's tough to get a form gauge on the Dragons – five losses in a row and now they also have players backing up from Origin. Ben Hunt is going to be exhausted after playing dummy half in Origin. With Kieran Foran back playing some decent football and asking questions the Dogs might be able to get the job done. The only problem for them might be getting to 16-18 points which will probably be enough. Bulldogs by 2
Match: Bulldogs v Dragons
Round 13 -
home Team
Bulldogs
16th Position
away Team
Dragons
11th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
