Four Key Players For This Weekend’s NRL Finals

Week one of the NRL finals delivered everything we have come to love about rugby league. It had excitement, controversy, upsets and what has to be regarded as the game of the year, in the Roosters versus the Sea Eagles.

We also saw the Bulldogs and Cowboys leave the competition, the former quietly out the back door and the latter kicking and screaming out the front door.

Now we turn our attention to finals week two, which again sees two tough match-ups – Sea Eagles versus Sharks, and Storm versus Knights.

Each team have their own points to prove in this race to make the NRL grand final.

I have selected four key players who will have the greatest impact for their team this weekend.

Manly Sea Eagles

Manly have got experience and talent all over the park and with Brett Stewart being named at fullback you could be mistaken for thinking that’s who I would choose, but the man I’ve gone for as my x-factor for the Sea Eagles is Jamie Lyon.

The captain and centre has the ability to change the game in Manly’s favour. Lyon has played 233 games and has the big match experience, that is for sure.

Whether it’s in defence or attack, Lyon is a constant threat and if the Sharks’ left side defence faults he will most definitely make them pay.

Great passing game, good touch when kicking near the line and knowing when the big play is needed, all these star attributes make Jamie Lyon such a plus for the Manly side in this NRL finals series.

Cronulla Sharks

With Todd Carney given next to no hope of taking the field tomorrow night, the Cronulla Sharks need someone to stand up and create a bit of magic and that man is Michael Gordon.

While the team boasts multiple State of Origin and Australian representative players, it’s the fullback who could have the most impact.

His leg speed close to the line enables him to bust tackles and make breaks most people couldn’t get close to doing.

His explosive speed close to the line makes him an enormous threat to the Sea Eagles’ defence, and has the ability to change the game with his goal kicking – Jamie Lyon hasn’t kicked great this year and if it comes down to a shootout in the goal kicking department, I know who my money is on.

The scary part is I still don’t think we have seen the best of Michael Gordon, let’s hope for the Sharks’ sake Manly get to see the best of Michael Gordon.

Melbourne Storm

When you think of Melbourne Storm you think of the big three, but the master and commander, the little general who steers the ship, is without a doubt Cameron Smith.

His ability to control a game is unequalled. Whether it’s in defence or attack, Smith is the number one hooker in the NRL today.

His scoots out of dummy half make metres and keep the Storm moving forward. His ability to identify weaknesses in the defensive line and combine with Billy Slater is always a threat. His awareness of when the Storm are in trouble and take control with a deep kick makes him Melbourne’s biggest asset.

You ask any coach in the NRL today if they could buy one player right now, who would it be, and they will all tell you Cameron Smith.

There is no doubt if the Storm’s forwards lay the platform, then Cameron Smith will lead them to victory.

Newcastle Knights

The surprise packet for most people in this NRL finals series is without a doubt the Newcastle Knights.

In this 2013 season the heart and soul of the Knights, week-in and week-out, has been Jarrod Mullen.

People talk about his kicking game being one of the best in the competition, and I agree. However it’s been his defence that’s most impressed me this season.

The five-eighth is always targeted in the defence line by the big boppers of the opposition but he has not faulted. Some might say it’s been similar form to the Immortal Andrew Johns.

Off the back of great defence, Mullen has grown as a leader of the team, steering the Knights around the park and kicking them to victories.

His left to right passing game and exceptional kicking game are rated as the best in the NRL.

And while Newcastle will run out on Sunday with the likes of Willie Mason, Danny Buderus, Darius Boyd and Akuila Uate in their side, look for the little number six to produce the big plays.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – Mullen is ready to go to the next level.

Average punter’s big tips

While I am no Peter Sterling or Phil Gould, these are my tips for NRL finals series week two.

I am going for Sea Eagles to be too strong for the Sharks. Even though Cronulla have put in a tremendous effort to finish where they have, without Carney I don’t see them being able to trouble the Manly defence too often.

Granted Manly had a massive game last week and it would have taken a lot out of them, the inclusion of Brett Stewart is a big one and I see them being two tries too good.

Sea Eagles to beat the Sharks 18-6.

I am tipping the upset of the year in the second game, Knights to beat the Storm.

Yes Melbourne are the defending champions, and yes they have Smith, Slater and Cooper Cronk. But they have also lost two of their last three games and with Gareth Widdop not playing with much confidence after coming back from injury, I believe Newcastle will be too strong.

In the last four weeks the Newcastle Knights have transformed into a team growing confidence and belief in their game plan.

With the experienced heads of Buderus, Jeremy Smith and Mullen in great form and leading from the front, and the most experienced NRL coach of all time, Wayne Bennett, at the helm, I’m going the Knights to break the hoodoo down in Melbourne.

Knights to beat the Storm 16-12.

Good luck this weekend to you and your teams.

View Source

State of Origin 2012: Game III preview

The 2012 State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales reaches a conclusion at the cauldron of Lang Park tonight.

Queensland remains favourite for the deciding game after winning the past six Origin series but the Blues are confident of claiming the series.

Coaches Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart have only increased the tension with their barbs at each other during the past six weeks.

Tonight one of these Origin legends will bask in the glory of possibly their sweetest victory.
Maroons prop Petero Civoniceva makes his 33rd and final Origin appearance and will be hoping to go out - as Darren Lockyer did 12 months ago - a winner.

Ahead of tonight's game Grandstand previews the match and looks back at all the facts and figures since Origin began in 1980.

• State of Origin by the numbers
• Game I and II statistical analysis
• Stuart insists Blues not intimidated
• Civoniceva: It's not about me

Grandstand's broadcast on local and digital radio starts just after 7pm (AEST), or catch the live web stream of the game and follow our live blog.

QUEENSLAND		NEW SOUTH WALES
GREG INGLIS Age: 25 Origin: 17	1	BRETT STEWART Age: 27 Origin: 7
DARIUS BOYD Age: 24 Origin: 13	2	JARRYD HAYNE Age: 24 Origin: 15
DANE NIELSEN Age: 27 Origin: 2	3	MICHAEL JENNINGS Age: 24 Origin: 6
JUSTIN HODGES Age: 30 Origin: 14	4	JOSH MORRIS Age: 25 Origin: 4
BRENT TATE Age: 30 Origin: 17	5	BRETT MORRIS Age: 25 Origin: 5
JOHNATHAN THURSTON Age: 29 Origin: 23	6	TODD CARNEY Age: 26 Origin: 2
COOPER CRONK Age: 28 Origin: 8	7	MITCHELL PEARCE Age: 28 Origin: 8
MATT SCOTT Age: 26 Origin: 10	8	TIM GRANT Age: 24 Origin: 1
CAMERON SMITH (C) Age: 29 Origin: 26	9	ROBBIE FARAH Age: 28 Origin: 4
PETERO CIVONICEVA Age: 37 Origin: 32	10	JAMES TAMOU Age: 23 Origin: 2
NATE MYLES Age: 27 Origin: 19	11	BEAU SCOTT Age: 28 Origin: 4
SAM THAIDAY Age: 27 Origin: 16	12	GREG BIRD Age: 28 Origin: 10
COREY PARKER Age: 30 Origin: 7	13	PAUL GALLEN (C) Age: 30 Origin: 13
Interchange
MATT GILLETT Age: 23 Origin: 2	14	TONY WILLIAMS Age: 23 Origin: 1
BEN TE'O Age: 23 Origin: debut	15	LUKE LEWIS Age: 28 Origin: 10
BEN HANNANT Age: 27 Origin: 11	16	BEN CREAGH Age: 27 Origin: 10
DAVID SHILLINGTON Age: 29 Origin: 6	17	ANTHONY WATMOUGH Age: 28 Origin: 8

Maroons Coach Mal Meninga Expects Better Of His Team; Unfazed By NSW Selection Issues

QUEENSLAND coach Mal Meninga has turned up the heat on his side ahead of the Origin decider by admitting he has not been completely satisfied with the Maroons' performances in the first two games. 
 
The Maroons have struggled with their execution this series without the cool-headed organisation of former skipper Darren Lockyer, putting pressure on his five-eighth replacement Johnathan Thurston to fire in the Suncorp decider next Wednesday night.

Emboldened by their 16-12 win in Origin II, the Blues are growing in confidence and believe they have finally struck the right formula in team balance and attitude to end Queensland's six-year interstate dominance.

While praising his side's commitment and desire, Meninga said the major lesson he has learned from the opening two matches is Queensland's need to be more clinical across the board.

Meninga's warning came as the Maroons prepared to launch their preparations for Origin III with the first training session at a rain-soaked Stockland Park on the Sunshine Coast today.


"We have always talked about preparation and the effort has been there but we have let ourselves down a bit in execution," Meninga said.

"We have to come up with the right formula, the right plan and the right team to get on with the business of winning the decider.

"It is getting more difficult each year. Ricky (Stuart, NSW coach) has a very good side, they believe they are more desperate than us and they understand the cauldron of Suncorp Stadium.

"It's a challenge each game we play. It's different to club footy, you have to focus intensely on each game and you only have three games so every time you put the Maroon jersey on you have to be at your best.

"It's about how we handle it all. The side has to realise NSW are coming to our home and we have to start well."

While the Maroons are sweating on the fitness of injured fullback Billy Slater, Queensland hierarchy do not expect Blues hitman Glenn Stewart to take a knee injury into the decider.

Asked about how the Blues were shaping up after naming another extended squad, Meninga said: "I don't really care to be honest with you, it will sort itself out.

"We have had to endure this before in regards to their make up. We will plan around what to expect, we don't expect Stewart to play but we have to make sure we are settled to prepare as best we can."

Maroons prop Petero Civoniceva said he was not concerned that Queensland's 20-man squad could derail their preparations.

"It's not disruptive at all," he said.

"It's something we have to deal with week in, week out with our own (club) teams.

"You get guys who are carrying injuries into games every week and it's a process.

"The core of our team is our strength and we've got some great combinations that has brought us a lot of success over the years.

"I'm sure that familiarity will help us in our preparation."

Four Nations Can Erase Pain of World Cup

One of the potential problems with rugby league's Four Nations, which opens with Australia playing New Zealand at Warrington tonight, is that it can hardly avoid comparisons with events on the other side of the world.

Set alongside rugby union's World Cup, the crowds will be smaller, the coverage minimal, the rugby and the off-field behaviour better. There will be more tries than goals. All that can be predicted with some confidence.

There is no denying that league's weakness is its lack of a convincing international dimension. The Four Nations, a concept which is itself a rather inadequate replacement for full tours to and by Great Britain, goes into cold storage after this tournament. It is scheduled to reappear in 2014, after a World Cup here the previous year.

By comparison with either that or rugby union's shindig, this is a condensed, intimate affair. Even four nations could be too many, however.

The concept began as Three Nations, with England, Australia and New Zealand playing each other twice, leading to a final. Provided nobody fell down on the job too badly, that was a guarantee of plenty of competitive rugby.

The worthy motive of encouraging France and Papua New Guinea – the next strata down – has diluted that promise. It seemed an exciting development when Wales beat the French to qualify for this year's tournament; now one rather fears for them.

With a couple of their brighter prospects opting to qualify for England, the talismanic Gareth Thomas retired and the guts kicked out of the professional structure in the Principality by the implosion of Crusaders, it will be a major achievement for Wales – now largely and creditably represented by Welsh-born players – to avoid three heavy defeats, starting with England at Leigh tomorrow.

The title will be decided by the games between the big three, culminating in the final at Elland Road on 19 November. Here, there is much to look forward to.

To see the Kangaroos and the Kiwis go head-to-head in a stadium as tight to the touchlines and as atmospheric as the Halliwell Jones is a treat no rugby league follower could resist. Likewise next weekend's double-header at Wembley: England (or rather Great Britain) have a good record against the Aussies in that stadium (or rather its predecessor) and the RFL is confident of topping the 50,000 mark for the two games. They are part of something of a blitz on London next week, with the rebranding of Harlequins RL (who revert to their old identity as London Broncos), the International Player of the Year awards and all four squads spending time promoting the game in the capital.

The key game could well be at Hull the following weekend, when England and New Zealand should be contesting a place in the final against Australia.

The Kiwis might look well below full power this time, but they have fooled us that way before. In Benji Marshall, they have a player who can take any game by the throat, whilst newcomers such as the full-back, Kevin Locke, and the scrum-half, Kieran Foran, look genuine prospects.

Australia, with that familiar spine of Queensland class and experience, also have some exciting new faces, headed by Akuila Uate, a winger who has the potential to become one of the very best.

Which leaves England, or the United Nations, as disgruntled purists might put it. Coach Steve McNamara's decision to use four players from the southern hemisphere has not pleased everyone, but that tough attitude of "whatever it takes" could be just the ticket.

Four Nations: Who's who

Australia

Coach Tim Sheens

Captain On his farewell tour, Darren Lockyer

One to watch Thrilling winger Akuila Uate

Bookies say 11-4 on

England

Coach Steve McNamara

Captain Pack leader par excellence, Jamie Peacock

One to watch Kiwi-born half-back Rangi Chase

Bookies say 7-1 shot

New Zealand

Coach Stephen Kearney

Captain Benji Marshall, developing into the tactical leader that the Kiwis need.

One to watch Kevin Locke

Bookies say 3-1

Wales

Coach Iestyn Harris

Captain Lee Briers

One to watch Widnes-bound Lloyd White

Bookies say At 100-1, the rank outsiders

Silence Speaks Volumes About the Pain That Drives Stewart

Few could imagine the emotion Brett Stewart carried to his comeback NRL season and now a grand final, writes Richard Hinds.

Tomorrow, it will be precisely 12 months since Manly fullback Brett Stewart heard the verdict. A year since, in a formal sense, his personal ordeal came to an end.

Back then, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotion, you can only imagine how distant, even insignificant, the thought of playing in another NRL grand final would have seemed. After the humiliation Stewart had endured, and the toll injury and a long absence from the game had taken, how far-fetched it might have been to think he would appear again, so soon, in the far more glowing public spotlight of ANZ Stadium.

You can only imagine, because, for the most part, Stewart has maintained what seems - from afar - a brooding silence. Attempts to talk to Stewart, through his agent, have been rebuffed or met with no response at all. Stewart accumulated six-figure legal bills and his story is a tradeable commodity. It might well appear elsewhere.

But, other than for potential financial gain, Stewart's reluctance to talk is hardly surprising. Tried, judged and - in his own mind, at least - persecuted by the media since the day of his arrest, it is understandable he has withdrawn into a protective cocoon. Even more so at a club that famously holds the world at arm's length.

Yet, as he prepared to feature in what should be one of the feel-good stories of the NRL grand final, the heavy, almost oppressive atmosphere that has surrounded Stewart this season seems unfortunate. In the manner in which he has returned from the harrowing ordeal of the sexual assault trial and a series of serious knee injuries, Stewart deserves to be praised beyond his Brookvale backyard. To be re-embraced by the game he once - very briefly - publicly symbolised.

Instead, there remains a note of defiance, even bitterness, about Stewart's great comeback. Manly fans cheered when the fullback ''Galloped'' after scoring his 100th first grade try in May. But what should have been a crowning moment was again dominated by old wounds and unsettled scores.

Grand final week is usually replete with tales of redemption, near-death experiences and other entertaining back stories told to whet the appetite for the contest. Stewart's tale is awkward, unorthodox and difficult to define.

No doubt, many would begrudge Stewart any form of ''heroism'' on the grounds his supposedly heroic act is merely to have been found not guilty of a serious crime. But that fails to take into account the mental anguish he must have endured between his arrest in March last year and his trial. The public humiliation, the personal doubts and the effect on family and friends.

Perhaps that lingering bitterness and resentment drives Stewart. Perhaps, if he forgave and forgot his public vilification, he would not have found the motivation to return to the top so quickly. Maybe, if he was not playing angry, he would not be playing at all. Or does the smile, concealed from the public, appear the moment he reaches the sanctuary of the sheds? You would love to ask Stewart if he had found peace inside, and outside, the white lines.

No doubt, Stewart's looming happily-ever-after owes much to his handful of confidantes, particularly coach Des Hasler. Asked earlier this year, when was he convinced of Stewart's innocence, Hasler said it was when he saw him at the police station after his arrest and looked into his eyes.

To some, no doubt, such a seemingly superficial assessment would reek of partisanship, even disrespect for the alleged victim. Given what Hasler had to gain from his superstar fullback, it might even be considered rank opportunism.

Yet, with his faith and conviction vindicated by the jury's verdict, Hasler has created an unbreakable bond. Similar to the familial bond that made it not merely understandable but purely reflexive, that Stewart came to his brother's aid as the ''third man in'' during the Battle of Brookvale.

Almost as an afterthought, there is also an old-fashioned football element to Stewart's story.

The knee injuries that forced him from the park for most of last season, and which have been a lingering concern right up until the eve of these finals.

But, if Stewart has not quite reached the peak of his try-scoring powers, he has been a reasonable facsimile. Sound at the back, a threat near the line. Back in a place that was, just 12 months ago, unimaginable. It would be nice to speak to Stewart about what that all means. Then again, on Sunday, just trotting out to play another grand final will speak for itself.

rhinds@smh.com.au

SOURCE: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/silence-speaks-volumes-about-the-pain-that-drives-stewart-20110927-1kvjo.html#ixzz1ZCuISXrv

Warriors on Verge of Making NRL History - NRL FINALS

If the Warriors win the National Rugby League grand final in Sydney on Sunday, they won't be just notching up an historic first premiership for the only non-Australian club in the competition – they will be flying in the face of pure statistics as well.

A team ranked from outside the top four, going into the playoffs, has never won the NRL since the rebranded competition began in 1998.

The Warriors are the sixth team from outside the top four to make the season's decider in that time, but the closest any non-top four team has come was in 1999, when the sixth-placed Dragons were just nudged by the Storm 20-18.

All remaining outsiders have typically been handed hidings, with the averaging losing margin for each of the other five teams being 14 points.

In 1998, a year before the McIntyre System was introduced, the ninth-ranked Bulldogs reached the grand final, which they lost to the Broncos.

You have to turn back the history books to 1995, the Warriors' foundation year, for the last time a sixth-placed team won the first-grade competition.

The then-Sydney Bulldogs beat minor premiers Manly 17-4 to win the Australian Rugby League title that year.

In a good omen for the Warriors, former captain Steve Price started in the second row for the Bulldogs that day, while, interestingly enough, former All Black John Timu played in the centres for the premiership winners.

The Warriors' 20-12 victory over the Storm last Saturday meant that for the first time since 2005, when the fourth-ranked Tigers beat the Cowboys, there will be no minor premier in the grand final.

Don't think that it is all sunshine for the Sea Eagles though, who finished the season placed second. Since the McIntyre System was introduced in 1999, second-place teams have made the grand final five times, only winning twice.

These victories came in 2004 when the Bulldogs overcame the Roosters, and in 2008 when the Sea Eagles themselves trumped the Storm.

The Junior Warriors will also be aiming to rewrite history on Sunday.

A victory against the Cowboys Under-20s in the Toyota Cup grand final would be the first back-to-back pair of premierships in the junior competition's history.

And while the Rugby World Cup has swept New Zealand throughout the past month rugby league fans will, very quietly, point out that since their inception in 1995 they have now made two finals, compared to the All Blacks' one, against South Africa in 1995.

AT A GLANCE

Warriors' run to the NRL grand final (since August):

Lost to Broncos 21-20 in Brisbane
bt Knights 20-12 in Auckland
bt Panthers 26-12 in Sydney
lost to Dragons 26-22 in Wollongong
bt Cowboys 18-6 in Auckland
lost to Broncos 40-10 in Brisbane (qualifying final)
bt Tigers 22-20 in Sydney (semifinal)
bt Storm 20-12 in Melbourne (preliminary final)