Whatever your opinion on resting players in round 25 is, nobody can argue that it hasn't made tipping more difficult.
Teams such and Parramatta, South Sydney and Newcastle will send different looking teams into battle over the coming days.
Can these teams still win? While the Eels would always have faced an uphill battle against Penrith, the tasks facing the Knights and Rabbitohs are now more interesting than they might otherwise have been.
Including the finals, there are just 17 matches remaining in the men's season. So, if you need to make up ground on either the leader or someone you simply couldn't stand losing to, best you start making a move.
On the NRL.com tipping panel leaderboard, the ever-consistent Lone Scout is back in first spot on his own. NRL.com reporter Alicia Newton lost ground last weekend. NRL Teams host Niav Owens remains well in the running.
If you need help on how each team is travelling, Jamie Soward's Power Rankings is the best place to go for an accurate gauge on who's travelling well and who's doing not so well.
Tipping note: Due to ongoing uncertainty around when the NRLW fixtures will be played, the 2021 NRL Tipping Competition will now NOT include the NRLW fixtures and revert to the same scenario as prior years where the nine matches of the NRL Finals Series count as round 26 and also as a prize month.
So, make sure you tip all the way to grand final day of the NRL season.
