Manly are in the midst of a nightmare run, having lost four of their last five games as well as their biggest star, who will miss the rest of the season.
Yet it’s not the team’s form or the absence of Tom Trbojevic that has Andrew Johns concerned for the Sea Eagles when they play the Storm on Thursday night.
No, it’s the three factors that combine to make the Storm almost impossible to beat for any opponent.
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“I have a theory,” Johns told Brad Fittler for Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and The Eighth’s Tips.
“You play Melbourne at home and it’s wet and at night, Melbourne win. So for me Melbourne win and win well.”
Fittler also tipped the Storm although he took a more methodical approach, listing the returning Melbourne stars as a contrast to the absence of Trbojevic.
While the Storm are heavy favourites, they are in a rare rough patch having lost their last two games by whopping margins.
In what presented as an early showdown for the minor premiership the Storm were thumped by the Panthers 32-6, before succumbing in stunning fashion to the Cowboys 36-6 on Saturday.
Craig Bellamy’s side has been undermanned through that period but should the Storm fail to turn things around with a statement win over Manly, their premiership credentials for this season will face their most serious questions yet.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and Round 12 tips by Johns, Brad Fittler and all Nine’s expert tipsters!
Andrew Johns: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Dragons, Raiders
Brad Fittler: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Dragons, Raiders
Johnathan Thurston: Storm, Cowboys, Broncos, Warriors, Tigers, Sharks, Dragons Raiders
Paul Gallen: Storm, Panthers, Titans, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Dragons, Eels
Peter Psaltis: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Dragons, Raiders
Allana Ferguson: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Bulldogs, Eels
Billy Slater: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Bulldogs, Eels
Ruan Sims: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Warriors, Tigers, Roosters, Dragons, Eels
Michael Chammas: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Warriors, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Dragons, Eels
Dave Middleton: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Dragons, Eels
Darren Lockyer: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Bulldogs, Raiders
Mat Thompson: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Souths, Sharks, Dragons, Eels
The Mole: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Warriors, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Dragons, Eels
Ben Glover: Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Sharks, Dragons, Eels
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