It all started on the 10th of March with the Dragons and Tigers and will end about 8:45 Sunday night with either the Broncos or the Storm being the 2006 NRL Premiers. It has been an interesting season but the post mortem will come later. The immediate concern is who will win Sunday’s game.
But before I do that let’s get one thing clear. I am tired of the wailing from the sackcloth and ashes crowd, both in the NRL and AFL, bemoaning no local sides in the deciders. Get over it. There are 13 clubs in the NRL and 14 in the AFL who failed to make the grand final. You don’t hear their fans crying about the state of the game because their club didn’t make it. It should be all about the best two clubs at the end of the season. Both codes have expanded and this narrow-minded state based parochialism concerned with the “rights” of Sydney or Melbourne based clubs to be in the respective grand final is to be consigned to the dustbin of history.
Except for State of Origin of course.
Now, let me tell you who is going to win…
The Melbourne Storm. They have been by far the best team all year. Of course that means nothing in the grand final as the 2001 decider showed. But as good as the Broncos were to come from behind to beat the Chokedogs the Storm were just so very impressive against the Dragons.
Phil Gould and Roy Masters have two pieces in today’s SMH on how they would coach the Bronocs and Storm. As Roy Masters notes, the Storm have so much variety around the rucks with Slater always a lurking danger. The Broncos would be wise to note when the Eels played the Storm, Hindmarsh shut Slater down around the rucks. Hindmarsh made sure that when Slater tried to go through the ruck he would end up in a Hindmarsh tackle, something that he also has done in State of Origin. If Brisbane can do the same it removes the danger from Slater exploding up the middle. However it does mean the ball will go out wide where the Storm have more than enough firepower to run riot.
Webcke will play a blinder in the first 20 minutes of his final game. However the packs are evenly matched so the battle will be between the Cronk, Lockyer and the outside backs.
The final score will be 26 points to 10 with the Storm prevailing after some quite open play at times.
Cross posted at Club Troppo.
If Melbourne turnover as much ball in their own half as they did against Saints then Brisbane will take much better advantage of that than Saints did. The sort of second half that Brisbane produced against Canterbury can only help a sides confidence and self belief and is a huge lift coming into a grand final. The Storm have been the best side all year and I wouldn’t be too upset if they won but I really think they can be vunerable if they trunover as much ball as they did last week or try and defend a lead like they did against the Eels. I think Brisbane will win by ten.
Shaun, I just hope that your grand final prediction turns out to be as accurate as your prediction of Wayne Bennett’s impending demise.
And in the more important match — the Blue Bags to thrash the Eels. Go Jets!
Well of course you think the Storm are going to win! They must be champions material if they were able to beat the Eels.
As it happens, I agree. They must be champions if they were able to beat the Dragons, who were somehow able to beat the mighty Sea-eagles.
And yeah!!! Up the jets! Wow. But How the hell did they get there?
Trenton, as a follower of the seers and prophets I figure that if I keep making predictions one day I will get one correct thus qualifying my psychic abilities.
Heh. I was tempted to blog solely about the Premier League game as it is more important being the 25th anniversary of the ’81 GF. Blue Bags haven’t got a hope as the Mighty Eels will win their second straight GF. Parra has the wood on them this year.
‘Tis a wonderful game, rugby league, and a shame so few appreciate it.
Carna Swannies!
I reckon the Jets should convert some of the West side story songs into chants. Come on, we are talking Newtown after all…
When you’re a Jet,
You’re the top cat in town,
You’re the gold medal kid
With the heavyweight crown!
When you’re a Jet,
You’re the swingin’est thing
Little boy, you’re a man
Little man, you’re a king!
I reckon your final score’s about right.
The Storm are younger and fitter than the Broncos. I reckon it’ll be like last week. It’ll be pretty even for most of the match but Melbourne will run away with it in the last 20 minutes.
DD, it is true that the Storm are younger but I am not sure they are fitter. Under the new training regime at the Broncos, the players are lighter, more agile and have greater levels of endurance than ever before. But we shall see.
Can’t disagree with that but remember Webcke has always been known for his efforts in the last 20 minutes.
I think the Storm will win because of their strength all over the park and especially their tall centres. Berrigan defends in the centres with Tate so they’ll bomb them in attack for sure and we are vulnerable to tha bomb at the best of times. When I saw them the Warriors scored twice off bombs. But then again their defensive record is superb and when the Warriors scored their first it was the first one the Broncs had let in in 180 mins of football.
What wpd said about the training regime. The Bronco’s will keep turning up. I’ve heard that part of the reason for their mid-season blues was that they were being over-trained. If the trainer works the players too hard they look forward to a bit of a blow on match day when the sod can’t get at them.
the Storm are faster and more consistent than the broncos
The heart says the Broncos. The head says the Storm.
The heart? In a past life I was a primary school teacher and Petero Civoniceva was a student in my class for two years; years 6&7. He was one hell of an athlete and I always thought his considerable skills were wasted in the front row. In my teams he played at five-eight. Also he would have to have been one of the nicest kids I ever taught.
Years later I visited Redcliffe High School with the then Minister for Education, Paul Braddy, a ‘Rugger Bugger’. We were greeted at the gate by the School Captain, Petero Civoniceva who at that stage was playing both codes.
Petero was never the ‘dumb’ front rower stereotype. And neither is Shane Webcke.
I can’t tip against the Broncos.
If I did, I would point out that the Storm seem to have the wood on the Broncos. Craig Bellamy, as assistant to Bennett at the Broncos for yonks and as assistant Australian Coach, has had unrivalled opportunities to get inside Bennett’s head.
When we progress, we invariably do so on the advances made by others. If the Storm do win, look for Bellamy to acknowledge Bennett’s contribution to his own development
wpd I sometimes think there is scope for a bit of unconventionality in body types, especially in a position like five-eighth. My elder brother was only 178cm tall but when in playing condition tipped the scales at 110kg. He was a powerful man with a fantastic fend. Yet they wasted him in the front row.
Oh, yes and he was quick off the mark. No-one ever beat him over 25m. He filled in on the wing once in an emergency. First time he got the ball he scored.
Brian, I tossed up about ‘five-eight’ and ‘five-eighth’ (the historically correct usage) and elected for the modern pronunciation. Apologies.
PS I think the Broncos might have been better to go for the big NZ winger guy rather than Darius Boyd, given that it is likely to be a physical contest.
wpd, I’m not very modern and was hoping to be able to spell it somewhere near right, being too lazy to look it up.
It’s a worry, but I keep agreeing with you. Tame Tupou should be there. I’d have Darius Boyd as well. I can’t understand what David Stagg is doing running around in the backs, except that he is a good tackler. He’s got to weaken them in attack and with Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Scott Hill and Billy Slater they are going to have a lot of holes to plug in the middle in defense.
Not to mention Kaufusi. Did you realise that that Kaufusi guy is a Queenslander?
Brian, actually I did know he was a ‘Queenslander’ and went to school at Wavell. I think.
It raises the issue of whether state schools in QLD or elsewhere should be in the ‘market’ for these talented sportsmen/women. A focus on X is often at the expense of Y.
For example, I understand that the staff at Wavell are quite divided on the issue. Should RL players, often imports, have an extra claim on the scarce resources?
There are any number of QLD High Schools who now ‘differentiate’ themselves through ‘sporting brands’; whether that be RL, BB or whatever.
I’ve seen a few Petero interviews and he does speak really well, putting a few stereotypes to rest. I also like Webcke’s add for some rum variety as well sending up the front-rower sterotype as well.
His add about the ‘storm’ damanging his car is a classic. I suspect, however, the ad is only shown in QLD.
wpd, can I gently suggest you may have your wires crossed. I do this with trepidation.
I understand that Kaufusi comes from Bundaberg whence he migrated with his family. Greg Inglis is actually from NSW and went to Wavell HS on some kind of a scholarship but then played his first senior RL in Qld or whatever the rule is that allows him to be one of us for State of Origin.
Or so I believe.
Brian, I may be confused. But according to the Storm’s web site:
He either went to Wavell High, which has a specialist league program OR he may have gone to Nudgee College as a boarder. When he began to play for Norths I think he was still at school. I assumed it was Wavell but on reflection it may have been Nudgee.
I think the Melbourne Storms will win because I think they are a better team than the Brisbane Broncos.
But on the other side Brisbane has got some great players.
It’s sad the Sydney Swans lost by 1 point by the West Coast Eagles. They did so well in the 3 and 4 quarter but they didn’t win.
GO STORMS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The heart won.
Did the Storm win.
I couldn’t watch the match because I had some people coming.
How much did they win?
The Broncs won!
If Smith is injured could Berrigan be the hooker? Certainly he will be in the team.
Shane W’s fairytale has come true.
I must admit, if the opportunity arises, I watch the TV while I listen to the ABC commentary. Tonight, the ABC commentary was RS.
David Morrow; get a life.
Hey, here’s a good one from the other code final. An in-law of mine (recently arrived in Melb from QLD) is a sports nut – but like most of us Quincelanders knows zip about AFL.
He’s one of those guys who enjoys lecturing you on your inadequate understandings of (northern) footy minutiae, dropping names from his young playing days etc, which makes the following tale so much sweeter….
Yesterday he watched the entire final on pay tv, without realising it was free to air… and – crucially – that it was only free to air.
Yep, Sportboy watched the entire 2005 final without catching on.
Turned up for drinks with some new Victorian workmates going “how bout them Swans then!”
We’re not supposed to tell anyone.
hehe.
Ten is not seven but I will take the win. Certainly a few things went the Bronco’s way but their desire and ability to “hang in” won the day. I thought Cameron Smith showed his true class when on ABC radio he was invited to use the refereeing as an out after their defeat. He refused to do so and to me that is a sign of a player that will be a winner over the long term due to an uncompromising attitude like that. Berrigan is the most underated player in the competition and did a great job of blunting Inglis. Shane Webke was still running as hard at the end of his career as he was at the start. A great way for hin to finnish.
Trenton, I think it was one of Webke’s better games.
Homer, the score was 15-8 to the Broncs. They were two tries a piece.
wpd, I was at my brother’s place and listened to the radio in one ear in the second half. I agree with you (as usual!) I thought the ref had a good game.
Morrow was going off that the Broncos scored two penalty goals when it should have been penalties the other way. One the referee got right, the other was maybe a 50-50 call.
Bennett said they tried to hit it up the middle and “take the gas out of” their big guys. It worked. Berrigan was incredible in attack and in defence he shut Inglis right down. I reckon he could be Australian hooker on tonight’s performance, although you’d go Buderis if he’s available.
Has anyone noticed that Lockyer has been practicing his tackling?
As the second half wore on Storm looked pretty ragged, with the Broncos definitely finishing the stronger.
wpd, in principle I see the special RL program at Wavell as a good thing. Kelvin Grove has had a special drama program for yonks so why not RL? It allows special talents to be nurtured.
As a Sydney Swans supporter who is used to copping crap each week from Victorian umpires, I guess it was sweet revenge to see the Storm cop similar crap from the Sydney ref, linesmen and video ref. To be honest, I couldn’t care who won but fair dinkem, the Storm were robbed. 4 points from ridiculous penalties and 6 points denied from an obviously fair try. No wonder I dumped the NRL years ago for a superior game.
Hey Brian, yes, why shouldn’t special talents be nurtured? Sounds like a great idea.
I thought the ABC commentary were over the top on the 5050 calls. It might have been a “soft” strip from Slater but a strip it was. When I mean soft Berrigan has come close to losing the ball but Slater definitely reefed it out and by the letter of the law it was a strip. One of the knock on calls against Melbourne that they got upset about was actually knocked back by Hodges but then travelled on to be knocked on by Geyer. The King no try imo was a knock on by Hoffman but Berrigan definitely should have been penalised for a sheppard in the lead up to the Bronco’s second half penalty kick.
Brian, Webke had a great game that emphasized to me his greatest attribute and that was no matter how hard they hit him early, at the business end of the game that “tank” would still be rumbling forward. One of the great prop Forwards.
What game are yuse guys talking about? The Mighty Eels triumphed in extra time over the Blue Bags 20-19 in an amazing game.
In the minor game, good on the Broncos. I didn’t see Webcke at all in the first half but he more than made up for it in the second half.
It seems the Storm from 2006 will be unfortunately be remembered in the same manner as Manly in 1995 and the Eels in 2001.
Sorry to disappoint you Trenton but all the experts/commentators disagree with you (except the Queenslanders, of course). Replays show no clear knock on by King so the benefit of the doubt goes with the attacking team. Next time you watch the replay take an impartial view – i’m sure you’ll see the truth.
Carl, not disappointed had a bit of money on the Broncs and am quite satisfied. I thought he knocked on and so did the video ref and that is all that really counts.
Shaun, happy for you that Parra got up but do you think some of those premier league players may be eating at the same restaurants as some of their first grade counterparts?
thanks Brian,
That was in fact my eldest son inquiring of the result
NO!!!!!!!!!
What was the score
Some of the PL players are first graders. John Williams for the Eels would be in first grade except for Hayne and Grothe and their are a few in both teams (Soward for example) that have played first grade but haven’t found the consistency needed. However the quality did suffer and Blake Green’s brain explosion near the end in extra time was indicative that some of them have a lot to learn.
But I could cheer the Eels on the day and that is what matters.
But I want to know the score.
I didn’t watch it yesertday night because people were coming over to see our house and my mother wanted them to come over.
To the gentleman who dumped the NRL for a superior game ,theres not many of you is there, The Swans got back last year 10,000, get back this yr 350 what a wonderfull bunch of supporters they have,
The Swans bandwagon rolls on not,give me NRL any day that is if I was allowed to watch it live in Perth.
Observing the shameful antics of one team’s fair weather fans is a pretty fatuous way of assessing the quality of a sport. Counterexamples are many…
Hey, the Western Reds couldn’t get enough sponsors/members to keep fielding a team. I guess RL sucks.
Dockers fans gave a 15-minute standing ovation after they lost badly first final in 2003. I guess AFL rules.
It’s your argument.
Paxton, I’ve already told you. The score was 15-8 to the Broncos. Both teams scored two tries. The difference was a conversion, two penalties and a field goal. One of the conversions missed by the Storm was actually easy and would have put them in front.
Carl, Trenton is exactly right about the refereeing decisions, including the shepherd. It is disappointing to hear Craig Bellamy still going on about it today. If the situation was reversed the Broncos would be told they are just a mob of whingers and to bugger off.
If the King try was have been granted it would have been a disgrace.
Shaun, Webcke only did 5 hit-ups in the first half but did 19 tackles including a try-saver on Cameron Smith. He also dropped the pill once, as I knew he would. He always does, for some reason.
I was in Central Station in Sydney yesterday arvo around 4.15 when all the Melbourne Storm supporters were streaming in their colours off to the trains and buses to Olympic Park. I’m assuming that the Storm don’t have that massive a supporter base in Sydney but Broncos-haters were adopting colours of convenience. At least they had a public holiday to sleep off the defeat!
I missed the game itself as I was in a plane – but caught a little bit in the cab radio on the way home.