NRL 2023 Finals Week 1 Discussion

[Big Pete]

Brisbane Broncos vs. Melbourne Storm
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 8 September 2023
Kick Off: 7:50pm

BRISBANE BRONCOS

1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Flegler 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Brendan Piakura 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Keenan Palasia

18. Corey Oates 19. Martin Taupau 20. Corey Jensen 21. Jock Madden 22. Tristan Sailor

MELBOURNE STORM

1. Nick Meaney 2. William Warbrick 3. Marion Seve 4. Young Tonumaipea 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Josh King

14. Bronson Garlick 15. Tom Eisenhuth 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 17. Ryan Papenhuyzen

18. Tyran Wishart 19. Tariq Sims 20. Tepai Moeroa 21. Reimis Smith 22. Grant Anderson

Penrith Panthers vs. Warriors
BlueBet Stadium, Saturday 9 September 2023
Kick Off: 4:00pm

PENRITH PANTHERS

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jack Cogger 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo

14. Tyrone Peachey 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Zac Hosking

18. Jaeman Salmon 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Luke Sommerton 21. Luke Garner 22. Thomas Jenkins

NZ WARRIORS

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Adam Pompey 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Marata Niukore 13. Tohu Harris

14. Dylan Walker 15. Jazz Tevaga 16. Bayley Sironen 17. Josh Curran

18. Freddy Lussick 20. Taine Tuaupiki 21. Bunty Afoa 22. Tom Ale 23. Edward Kosi

Cronulla Sharks vs. Sydney Roosters
PointsBet Stadium, Saturday 9 September 2023
Kick Off: 7:50pm

CRONULLA SHARKS

1. Connor Tracey 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Toby Rudolf 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Cameron McInnes

14. Jack Williams 15. Royce Hunt 16. Thomas Hazelton 17. Oregon Kaufusi

18. Kayal Iro 19. Daniel Atkinson 20. Jesse Colquhoun 21. William Kennedy 22. Matt Moylan

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

1. James Tedesco 2. Fetalaiga Pauga 3. Billy Smith 4. Joseph Manu 5. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 6. Luke Keary 7. Sam Walker 8. Fletcher Baker 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Siua Wong 12. Nat Butcher 13. Victor Radley

14. Sandon Smith 15. Egan Butcher 16. Terrell May 17. Angus Crichton

18. Drew Hutchison 19. Naufahu Whyte 20. Corey Allan 21. Jaxson Paulo 22. Dylan Napa

Newcastle Knights vs. Canberra Raiders
McDonald Jones Stadium, Sunday 10 September 2023
Kick Off: 4:05pm

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Adam Elliott

14. Kurt Mann 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker

18. Adam Clune 19. Lachlan Miller 20. Dylan Lucas 21. Enari Tuala 22. Brodie Jones

CANBERRA RAIDERS

1. Jordan Rapana 2. James Schiller 3. Jack Wighton 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Nick Cotric 6. Matt Frawley 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Ata Mariota 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Hohepa Puru

14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Trey Mooney

18. Jarrod Croker 19. Albert Hopoate 20. Danny Levi 21. Ethan Strange 22. Xavier Savage

 

[JayPee]

Going to be tough on the Wahs. Terrible matchup for them. If they keep it close will be impressive. I like the fact they have picked 0 front rowers on the bench. Got to play Barnett and Fonu-Blake big mins.

No idea what the Raiders are doing. Their only chance is if Wighton has a blinder at 6. Ricky doing Ricky things.

Melbourne changing up their center pairing has paid dividends. See how it goes in finals. Seve has improved defensively than what he used to be.

 

[Big Pete]

There's been plenty of speculation surrounding the Broncos decision to rest players, but I don't think we'll see a proper test until the Panthers play the Warriors. If the Warriors are slow out of the blocks and/or don't outplay the Panthers during the second half, then the disruption didn't really benefit them.

I'm not sure if you guys caught any of the discussion over on Twitter about PointsBet. Personally I've got no issue with the NRL going with suburban grounds for the first couple of weeks before heading to the big stadiums for the Grand Final qualifiers and the GF itself. The suggestion the game should have been played at Allianz is ludicrous, and really just speaks to the entitlement certain fanbases have.

Admittedly SharkPark doesn't always provide the best atmosphere but that shouldn't be a problem for the Knights. I believe this is the first home final since 2006? It should be an electric atmosphere and it would take one of the all-time great ambushes by Canberra for them to prevail. Personally I already have the Knights ready to either travel over to New Zealand (which should also be an awesome atmosphere) or Allianz (I'm pretty sure Sydney teams lose their home ground advantage, so poor Cronulla gained no advantage for finishing Top 4 last year).

 

[ningnangnong]

Knights match is already sold out, and believe me, the whole town is foaming at the bit.

It'll have the best atmosphere of all games this weekend.

 

[Fozz]

Knights match is already sold out, and believe me, the whole town is foaming at the bit.

It'll have the best atmosphere of all games this weekend.

 

[mrslong]

Storm
Panthers
roosters
Knights are my tips

 

[Foordy]

Storm
Panthers
roosters
Knights are my tips

you'll get 3 from 4

 

[Organix]

Storm
Panthers
roosters
Knights are my tips

Why you do dis?

 

[mrslong]

Why you do dis?

 

[Organix]

You gotta cast positivity out into the universe.

As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. You are a human transmission tower, the most powerful transmission tower in the Universe.

 

[LittleDavey]

You gotta cast positivity out into the universe.

As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. You are a human transmission tower, the most powerful transmission tower in the Universe.

Soooo 52k fans collectively at Suncorp on Friday night is one hell of a transmitter then...let's gooo!!!

 

[mrslong]

You gotta cast positivity out into the universe.

As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. You are a human transmission tower, the most powerful transmission tower in the Universe.

That’s not how it works. I thought positively in 2008 when we got the ball back from the kick off…….
I thought positively in 2015 when JT missed the conversion…….

 

[Mr Fourex]

I heard this morning that the bookies have us as favourites.....

 

[Mr Fourex]

Storm
Panthers
roosters
Knights are my tips

 

[Organix]

I heard this morning that the bookies have us as favourites.....

Good if true. The game is run by them.

 

[Organix]

That’s not how it works. I thought positively in 2008 when we got the ball back from the kick off…….
I thought positively in 2015 when JT missed the conversion…….

But did you REALLY!? Or did you let doubt overcome your positive vibings?

 

[Renegade]

Warriors are neck deep in this, I'm tipping an upset. Webster will have them primed and they are riding their own wave of momentum.

 

[Culhwch]

Warriors are neck deep in this, I'm tipping an upset. Webster will have them primed and they are riding their own wave of momentum.

I actually think the opposite. They could be in for a beating. Might get away from them in the second half, even if they stick with Penrith through the first fifty or sixty minutes.