NRL 2020 Grand Final

[Kimlo]

Also (this bitching might be me just delaying doing the dishes), but when is someone going to question the Storm's HIA tactics. No wonder they seem fitter and tighter defensively than most other teams. 3 bogus HIA's equals 6 extra interchanges. They're getting 14 in a game that is supposed to allow 8. And they've been doing it for 2 years straight now.

Yeah Brandon Smith knock around the ribs HIA. Kaufusi hurts his shoulder, HIA.

It's a total joke. Bring the interchanges back to 10, and HIA uses up an interchange, tough luck.

 

[Kimlo]

What about tonight with the ref going, ‘Josh (Addo-Carr) take it back on the mark, take it back on the mark. Josh take it back on the mark!’ Josh plays it exactly where he is, ‘Ok, play on.’

Yeah but didn't you see the refs make Cleary move the kicking tee 5 inches to the right? Integrity of the game isn't in question.

 

[Big Pete]

It was a genuinely bizarre game of Rugby League right from the opening kick off where Hughes made a mare of it. It was just so bizarre to see a Melbourne player fail to attack the ball off a kick off in the grand final. Penrith played like many thought they would by going through Kikau but Melbourne did an excellent job on him and the Panthers were found wanting.

The opening try followed the same logic. Melbourne sent Addo-Carr down the sideline on a wing and a prayer, To'o should have wrapped him up easily and just about did until he was able to get a desperation offload back on the inside. May acting instinctively gives away a penalty try and Melbourne get 6 points they didn't really deserve.

It seemed like Melbourne made their intentions clear and they were going to throw it around early and not make this into an arm wrestle. It actually backfired because it gave Penrith a ton of territory and possession. I was not shocked at all to see Penrith hit straight back, that's usually what they do and I thought the game would settle into a familiar routine. However there was a serious question mark on the decoy and the video ref made the right decision.

Penrith got opportunity after opportunity and against any other team they would have broken through but Melbourne just kept getting bodies in the way. Penrith weren't getting those percentage tries they're accustomed to and started taking risks that usually took all the pressure off the Storm.

To be fair to Penrith, when Melbourne were on their line, they didn't make life easy for Melbourne either and their points came through penalties that seemed pretty fortunate. Breakdowns in play which invited Penrith to make a play at the ball and somehow it would go wrong. I don't recall too many tough calls outside of the one of Kikau where his pass was smothered, but I'd have to revisit it.

10-0 and Melbourne were exactly where they wanted to be. Penrith were always looking likely, but they just needed that one pass and they appeared to be running out of ideas. That's when Cleary took an age to throw a long pass that even Stevie Wonder saw coming and Vunivalu made him pay in the worst way imagineable. Fair play to Suli, I don't think many wingers in the competition would have converted that play and that's why he's one of the star wingers in the game.

Then the try to Cameron Smith right on half-time felt like the match-winner. Again nothing doing for Melbourne, Penrith have done an excellent job of keeping them out of their line, when Smith scores a freak try off a strip. Nothing you can do and heads well and truly went down.

I thought after the Papenhuyzen try to make it 26-0 the game was going to get really ugly. That was such a demoralising try for Penrith, especially since it came after a desperation challenge from Leota. It just seemed like all the toys were coming out the cot from Penrith and Melbourne were really going to go on with it. However, this is where Munster and Hughes were really found wanting and Melbourne looked utterly rudderless. Even at 26-6, it was still Melbourne's game until the final 10 minutes where they made it nervous for themselves. It took me back to the 2009 Grand Final where Storm were cruising until Chambers gave away a Brent Naden/Jordan Kahu style penalty off a short kick-off to bring the Eels into it. 26-20 with two players in the bin was too close for comfort, but the Storm still finished on top, even though 3 of their tries all came directly off of Penrith mistakes.

I thought it was an accurate reflection of the season itself. In the end, Melbourne were just more composed, more resilient and more willing to get down and dirty to take the premiership. Penrith couldn't find their footing, played awful football in patches and by the time they started to do anything of note it was much too late.

Credit to the young Storm players who stood up tonight. Ryan Papenhuyzen, Brandon Smith, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui really led the way and made life difficult for their opponents. Premiership #4 for Melbourne and it appears this could be a real end of an era for them. I think this was a fantastic final note for them to go out on.

 

[winslow_wong]

If James roberts wasn’t so broken he could have been our papenhuyzen

Smh

 

[Petch67]

Conspiracy theory: The NRL is actually the leak at the Broncos

Also taking a leak on us!!! Probably will forever now to get their second brisbane team in

 

[Petch67]

Lots wrong with that game no doubt. Not least of all is the Panthers roll the ball without going near a foot.
They've been doing it all year and it contributes so much to their ruck speed.

Kikau did it all night.....and year

 

[Petch67]

Yeah but didn't you see the refs make Cleary move the kicking tee 5 inches to the right? Integrity of the game isn't in question.

Its a wonder he didnt make him take it in front

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

We've gone through a rubbish 6 months here in Melbourne, good on the Storm but that was a horrible game at the end of a horrible season with a football code headed in a horrible direction.

I was wondering why you always go on about afl haha. It's like if anyone says they follow afl in Brisbane the first question I ask them is if they ever lived in Victoria. The answer is either yes or their parents are Victorian.

 

[Fernando]

The Storm played some shocking football once they got to 26-0. Bellamy probably wanted to give them a post match spray.

 

[BRC088]

If I subjected any of my employees to the rot Bellamy does to his staff and players I'd be walked on the spot and probably personally sued..

 

[Dexter]

I think Bellamy could see the Storm had gone away from the plan and went all ad lib and sideways because they thought they were safe. From where he was sitting he knew Penrith could still win if they kept turning over possession and also the ref was only sticking his arm up 1 way by that stage.

 

[Big Pete]

What did you make of Papenhuyzen's performance Dex?

It seems like he's learned some restraint in his game. Last year he just seemed kick happy and would just turn the ball over with no sense of what his team mates were trying to build around him. There are still times where it looks like he runs around like a headless chook, bouncing out of tackles only to have to run back into the pack but he's clearly trending in the right direction.

Are you convinced he'll go onto become one of the greats of this generation, or did we just witness his peak?

 

[Dexter]

What did you make of Papenhuyzen's performance Dex?

It seems like he's learned some restraint in his game. Last year he just seemed kick happy and would just turn the ball over with no sense of what his team mates were trying to build around him. There are still times where it looks like he runs around like a headless chook, bouncing out of tackles only to have to run back into the pack but he's clearly trending in the right direction.

Are you convinced he'll go onto become one of the greats of this generation, or did we just witness his peak?

Interesting you should say that BP. Last year I was telling anyone who would listen he was a kick happy speed merchant who would be sorted very quickly.

This year I am eating my words. As Jack Wighton did the year before, Papenhausen surprised the hell out of me going to a level I thought was beyond him. Not that I didn't think he couldn't play at that level but to maintain it over a season is something else.
His kicks are more selective and as much for team mates as for himself and he has developed a pass. His positioning has improved and he is in the game all the time ala last night when he jumped mtrs over the sideline to pull off a stunning play.

Can he improve ?? Not sure but I'm reluctant to say no.
He certainly seems to be learning and on an upward trend. I hope he does improve though, he entertains me.
He seems a decent bloke too and no lair in him which I like.

I though his first half performance last night was solid and safe but if he doesn't play that second half Melbourne lose IMO.
Worthy recipient of the CC and not just because I got him at $21.

 

[The True King]

The remarkable thing about Papenhouyzen's rise is that he basically Bradbury'd his way into the Storm #1 jersey.

There was a time that he was behind Slater, Drinkwater and Hughes, potentially Munster too. Instead of looking elsewhere he just kept his head down and waited his turn which came around sooner than most thought it would and then he grabbed it with both hands.

He is yet another player the that has made the Tigers retention policy look really stupid.

 

[Alec]

The remarkable thing about Papenhouyzen's rise is that he basically Bradbury'd his way into the Storm #1 jersey.

There was a time that he was behind Slater, Drinkwater and Hughes, potentially Munster too. Instead of looking elsewhere he just kept his head down and waited his turn which came around sooner than most thought it would and then he grabbed it with both hands.

He is yet another player the that has made the Tigers retention policy look really stupid.

They should hire someone to do their review.
Keep: Good players
Let go: Not good players

 

[Morkel]

They should hire someone to do their review.
Keep: Good players
Let go: Not good players

There's your problem. Todd Carney, Dave Taylor, & Arana Taumata were good players.

 

[vertigo]

Premiership #4 for Melbourne and it appears this could be a real end of an era for them. I think this was a fantastic final note for them to go out on.

I don't think Smith is retiring.

They'll probably go back to back just to knock the Roosters off their perch.

 

[vertigo]

If I subjected any of my employees to the rot Bellamy does to his staff and players I'd be walked on the spot and probably personally sued..

The people who can't hack it leave.

And they don't achieve anywhere near the success they do at the Storm.