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

A Century In The Making - Roosters VS Rabbitohs

Both the Roosters and Rabbitohs will be out to get each other in this Friday night blockbuster

It’s a script you could hardly have written; the 2013 NRL season kicked off with a blockbuster between the new look Roosters and the redemption seeking Rabbitohs. It was Burgess v Sonny-Bill, and now it’s Burgess, Burgess, Burgess and Burgess v Sonny-Bill - talk about an unfair fight! 

In Round 26 the game’s two oldest rivals will battle it out for the minor premiership, adding another chapter to the famous ‘Book of Feuds’ South Sydney part-owner Russell Crowe created upon purchasing the club. The Roosters last minor premiership was in 2004, while Rabbitohs fans have to search back to 1989 for a time when they last lifted the J.J.Giltinan Shield. 

It is approximately 105 years and one week since South Sydney met Eastern Suburbs in the first ever rugby league grand final in Australia, with the Rabbitohs running out victors 14-12 in front of approximately 4,000 spectators at the Royal Agricultural Society Showground (now redeveloped as the Entertainment Quarter and Fox Studios) at Moore Park - score one to the Rabbitohs.

It took another two years for the Roosters to gain revenge, that coming in Round 12 of 1910, but skip forward 92 years to 2002, where the Rabbitohs were playing their first game since re-admittance to the NRL. A 40-6 thrashing at the hands of the Tricolours ensued, a loss stuck in the middle of a 13 game stretch where ‘the pride of the league’ couldn’t get one over their local rivals.

100 plus years of history precedes what is without a doubt the game of the year, but that loss in 2002 still burns in the memories of modern Souths fans. The minor premiership is but a sideshow when these two sides meet, particularly since only three minor premiers have gone on to win the grand final in the past 10 seasons. 

An opening round win to the Rabbitohs kicked off what was supposed to be their year of dominance, but as we enter the final week of the season some six months later, the Roosters are here to spoil the party. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, there is one belter of a game ahead on Friday night.

Sellout Anticipated When SBW Runs On With The Roosters

HE HAS been cast as a mercenary and a villain by many, but there cannot be any doubting his pulling power. Sonny Bill Williams, who was accused of selling out on the Bulldogs, may now sell out Allianz Stadium, giving the NRL a record start to this year's season.

NRL and Sydney Roosters officials are hopeful the club's round-one season opener on March 7 against South Sydney, Williams's first match for his new team, will be sold out.

The hype around Williams's debut already had ticket sales tracking well, but the performances of the two sides in their final trials over the weekend - the Roosters' 28-16 win over Wests Tigers in the Foundation Cup and the Rabbitohs' 28-10 victory over St George Illawarra in the Charity Shield - have officials expecting a further surge in ticket sales this week.

 

 "Ticket sales are tracking along very well" ... chief commercial operating officer of the Roosters, Ted Helliar. Photo: Getty Images


''Ticket sales are tracking along very well,'' said the chief commercial operating officer of the Roosters, Ted Helliar. ''They've been extremely positive so far.

''I'd love nothing more than to put the sold-out sign up. It's probably a little too early to tell whether it will be. This time next week, we may have a better idea.''

A sellout would mean a crowd close to the stadium's capacity of 45,500, and a record for the Roosters in a home-and-away match.

Their SCG match against St George Illawarra in 2010 drew 37,994, a record for Roosters non-finals matches.

''It would be great to see a sellout,'' an NRL spokesperson said. ''It's the first match and the first round, and there's the Sonny Bill factor. But you can never make those sorts of predictions.''

It remains an unknown how supporters will respond to a Thursday night match but the television ratings for trial matches show the appetite for the start of the NRL season is
significant.

Friday night's Charity Shield match was the highest-rating contest over a busy weekend of televised sport on pay television, drawing 240,000 viewers.

The Foundation Cup - featuring an impressive Roosters side, without Williams but including other new signings James Maloney, Michael Jennings and Luke O'Donnell, dispose of the Tigers - drew 173,000, although the crowd at Allianz Stadium was small largely because of poor weather.

In comparison, Israel Folau's Super Rugby debut with the Waratahs against the Reds drew 174,000 viewers, giving rugby union the equivalent, perhaps appropriately, of a win by a late penalty goal over the NRL trial, screened on the same night.

The strong ratings for the Foundation Cup came despite the fact that Williams, who controversially walked out on the Bulldogs in 2008 to play rugby union, was sitting on the sidelines. Roosters coach Trent Robinson erred on the side of caution with the star signing, deciding to give him more time off the field as he recovers from a pectoral injury.

Robinson remained confident Williams would be fit to play the Rabbitohs.

The Roosters emerged relatively unscathed from their final hit-out before round one; Daniel Mortimer required eight stitches to a cut under his right eye, but is not expected to be in any doubt for the season opener.

Read more

2013 All Stars Teams Announced

Former Internationals Willie Mason and Timana Tahu will make a stunning return to representative football as rivals after the Knights team-mates were today named as ‘coach’s selections’ for next month’s Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars in Brisbane.

Newcastle and NRL All Stars Coach Wayne Bennett chose Mason to make his All Stars debut alongside Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs), James Tamou (Cowboys), Billy Slater (Storm) and Tim Grant (Panthers), while Tahu was chosen by Laurie Daley for his Indigenous All Stars side featuring seven newcomers. The others are Raiders’ trio Reece Robinson, Jake Foster and Jack Wighton, Aidan Sezer (Titans), Joel Romelo (Bulldogs) and Dane Nielsen (Warriors).


Indigenous All Stars captain Johnathan Thurston and Broncos NRL All Stars selection Ben Hannant joined Bennett and Daley in Brisbane today for the announcement of both squads for the fourth annual Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match to be played at Suncorp Stadium for the first time on February 9.


More than 40,000 Rugby League fans have had their say via two online voting stages to select a representative from each of the 16 NRL Clubs in the 20-man NRL All Stars squad, while fans could choose from all of Rugby League’s best Indigenous talent for Daley’s Indigenous All Stars.

Following the closing of the public online voting on Monday, Bennett was able to select two extra players alongside automatic selections Benji Marshall (New Zealand captain) and Cameron Smith (Australian captain); while Daley could pick three extra players in addition to automatic selection (as captain) Thurston.

Bennett’s other ‘coach’s selection’ is the Storm’s Cooper Cronk, while Daley also chose Wighton and Nielsen.

Daley said: “We certainly have some strike-power in our team and when you look at the calibre of players we have, I think fans will be excited at the style of footy we will play.
“The NRL All Stars is a formidable side with big, powerful, class players in key positions, but I know how determined our team is to perform well and I think we have a squad capable of achieving something special.”

Bennett said the public had selected him a balanced side that would be capable of playing the exciting brand of football that had become synonymous with the All Stars game.

“There is no doubt the fans will be in for an entertaining game with the great mix of talented and exciting backs and powerful forwards in both teams, as well as the blend of experience and youth,” Bennett said.

“Just as important as the game though is the whole week of All Stars activities and community events and I commend the players for their ongoing commitment to the All Stars concept which continues to help make a real difference to the lives of many Australians.”

The 2013 NRL All Stars team is:

Player (* = All Stars debutants)	Club
Billy Slater*	Storm
Akuila Uate	Knights
Shaun Kenny-Dowall	Roosters
Josh Morris	Bulldogs
Brett Morris	Dragons
Benji Marshall, (C) (automatic selection)	Wests Tigers
Adam Reynolds*	Rabbitohs
James Tamou*	Cowboys
Cameron Smith (automatic selection)	Storm
Ben Hannant	Broncos
David Taylor	Titans
Anthony Watmough	Sea Eagles
Paul Gallen	Sharks
Interchange
Robbie Farah	Wests Tigers
Tim Grant*	Panthers
David Shillington	Raiders
Feleti Mateo	Warriors
Jarryd Hayne	Eels
Coach’s Selections
Willie Mason*	Knights
Cooper Cronk	Storm

The 2013 Learn Earn Legend! Indigenous All Stars team is:

Player (* = All Stars debutants)	Club
Ben Barba	Bulldogs
Reece Robinson*	Raiders
Justin Hodges	Broncos
Greg Inglis	Rabbitohs
Blake Ferguson	Raiders
Johnathan Thurston (C)	Cowboys
Scott Prince	Broncos
George Rose	Sea Eagles
Travis Waddell	Uncontracted
Andrew Fifita	Sharks
Joel Thompson	Raiders
Greg Bird	Titans
Nathan Peats	Rabbitohs
Interchange
Ryan James	Titans
Aidan Sezer*	Titans
Joel Romelo*	Bulldogs
Jake Foster*	Raiders
Coach’s Selections
Dane Neilsen*	Warriors
Timana Tahu*	Knights
Jack Wighton*	Raiders

The Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, the Hon. Jann Stuckey MP, extended her congratulations to the players on their selection today and welcomed the event to the State’s capital for the first time.

“The votes are in and with such talented athletes on both sides, the 2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match at Suncorp Stadium is an event not to be missed by fans,” Ms Stuckey said.
“Broadcast to an estimated 1.5 million people, the fourth annual 2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars will showcase our State’s capital as a premier holiday and event destination.

“The Newman Government recognises the important role events play in delivering economic and social benefits to the communities in which they are held and we are proud to support this event through Tourism and Events Queensland.”

Results

2010 Indigenous All Stars 16 def NRL All Stars 12
2011 NRL All Stars 28 def Indigenous All Stars 12
2012 NRL All Stars 36 def Indigenous All Stars 28

2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars Ticket Categories and Prices

Tickets for the 2013 Harvey Norman All Stars match are available through Ticketek outlets, on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au. New Zealand customers can call 0800 842 538 or +61 132 849.

Categories	Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3
Adult	$90.00	$50.00	$20.00
Pensioner	$80.00	$45.00	$18.00
Junior	$70.00	$40.00	$16.00
Family (2A+2J)	$265.00	$150.00	$60.00

The Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars is supported by Tourism and Events Queensland as part of a growing calendar of sporting, cultural, regional and business events across Queensland.

Find out more at NRL.com

NSW Secures State of Origin Coup

Sydney will host seven State of Origin matches over the next five years, including two in 2013, in a major coup for NSW rugby league fans.

NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell, welcomed the announcement. “Today’s announcement is a win for fairness and a win for fans in rugby league’s heartland,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“The NSW Government, with Destination NSW and ANZ Stadium, fought hard to ensure the Blues played more often at home - not only for NSW fans, but for the economic boost major events like State of Origin bring to our state,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“Our two games in Sydney next year will be a huge boost to the Blues’ 2013 campaign as we look to breaking through for a long-awaited series win under Paul Gallen and new coach Laurie Daley.”

Minister for Tourism and Major Events George Souris said the announcement re-enforces Sydney as Australia’s premier sporting and major events destination.

“Ensuring NSW has secured its fair share of State of Origin games to 2017 will guarantee that NSW’s great facilities and unique attractions will be showcased to rugby league fans.

“Between 2013 and 2017, the State of Origin games will contribute over $65 million to the NSW economy, including visitor spend by overseas, interstate and intrastate visitors.

“I congratulate Destination NSW on its winning bid strategy which will contribute to achieving our goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”

(Source: Destination NSW)

2012 NRL Grand Final Jackpot for Canterbury Bulldogs' lucky Charm Sam Perrett

BY rights, Bulldogs winger Sam Perrett could have been joining his ex-Roosters teammates on an end of season trip to the US about now. 

Instead, the reborn Kiwi flyer bagged a double in the grand final qualifier last night to help his new club Canterbury-Bankstown into the final weekend of September.

Perrett's second try was sheer brilliance, picking up a looping ball from team mate Greg Eastwood before dancing along the sideline and crossing in the corner.

As the replays showed, there was a matter of millimetres between Perrett's boot and the white stripe of the touchline.

But like everything Perrett has touched since his mid-season switch from Bondi Junction to Belmore, it turned out to be pure rolled gold.

"It was a huge atmosphere. You couldn't hear a thing out there between each other but somehow we managed to all be on the same page and execute what we wanted to," Perrett said.

"The move has been chalk and cheese. I felt like I absolutely needed that and it's been an absolute blessing from the moment I first spoke to Des and the club up until now."

On his dance down the sideline for his second try after some brilliant lead-up from Greg Eastwood, Perrett said: "I remember a young, nippier Greg Eastwood back in his school days was able to do that.

"I wasn't sure if he still had it in him so it was good to see that he's still got it."

On the prospect of beating the Storm, Perrett said: "I've got all the belief in this team but we're going to have to work really hard. It's going to be our biggest challenge absolutely."

Aside from the performances of Perrett and Eastwood, another unlikely star for the Bulldogs was fellow mid-season convert Krisnan Inu.

Having previously tasted grand final defeats with Parramatta and the Warriors, Inu, who landed four goals and picked up a try, said the Bulldogs could go one better.

"No disrespect to the last two teams I've played with but we've shown we've got the team to be in the grand final," Inu said.

Manly Set to Storm Melbourne's Fortress

Manly are plotting to storm Melbourne's fortress and seize the mantle as the NRL's new super powers in Friday night's heavyweight preliminary final at AAMI Park.

The decade's most dominant forces will collide in a high-stakes encounter, the reward a shot at premiership glory and bragging rights as the NRL's most successful club.

Renewing their bitter finals rivalry, Melbourne and Manly are clashing in the playoffs for the first time since the Storm belted the Sea Eagles 40-12 in the 2009 qualifying final.

A year earlier, Manly buried the Storm 40-0 in the 2008 title mismatch at ANZ Stadium to avenge a 34-8 loss to Melbourne in the 2007 decider.

Now the Eagles are bidding to become the NRL's first triple premiers while the Storm could have been seeking their fourth title if they had not had two stripped for salary cap cheating.
Fittingly, the sides have split their past 10 matches.

But while the Eagles hold an 8-5 edge in clashes in Sydney since the Storm entered the league in 1998, conquering Melbourne on home soil has proven an altogether different proposition.
Manly have won only twice in nine matches in Melbourne and lost their only previous clash at AAMI Park - in round one last year.

"It is tougher playing them down there," admitted star five-eighth Kieran Foran.
"They always turn up. We're going to need to be at the top of our game."

Foran, 22, hasn't forgotten his finals debut in `09 - when the Storm ripped his side apart to end Manly's season before going on to win the premiership, which was later stripped for salary cap breaches.

But Sea Eagles skipper Jamie Lyon is confident of qualifying for the club's fourth grand final in six seasons - a tally to match the Storm's dream run from 2006-09 - and says they are relishing the challenge.

"We know it's going to be a tough ask going down there. It's always hard," Lyon said.
"But if you want to be the No.1 team, you've got to beat everyone and we can't wait."

While Lyon completed the entire game after being in doubt for last Friday night's 22-12 semi-final win over North Queensland, his co-captain Jason King is a new fitness concern after lasting only 27 minutes before succumbing to a shoulder injury.

View Source