NRL - Finals Week 2

[Big Pete]

Semi Final
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. Manly Sea Eagles
ANZ Stadium, Friday 20 September 2019
Kick Off: 7:50pm

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

1. Adam Doueihi 2. Alex Johnston 3. James Roberts 4. Dane Gagai 5. Campbell Graham 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Burgess 9. Damien Cook 10. Liam Knight 11. John Sutton 12. Sam Burgess 13. Cameron Murray

Interchange: 14 George Burgess 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Junior Tatola 17. Ethan Lowe

Reserves: 18. Jaydn Su'A 19. Dean Britt 20. Corey Allan 21. Kyle Turner

MANLY SEA EAGLES

1. Brendan Elliot 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Brad Parker 4. Moses Suli 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Dylan Walker 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Martin Taupau11. Corey Waddell 12. Jack Gosiewski 13. Jake Trbojevic

Interchange: 14. Manase Fainu 15. Haumole Olakau’atu 16. Sean Keppie 17. Lloyd Perrett

Reserves: 18. Lachlan Croker 19. Tevita Funa 20. Toafofoa Sipley 21. Tony Williams

Semi Final
Melbourne Storm vs. Parramatta Eels
AAMI Park, Saturday 21 September 2019
Kick Off: 7:50pm

MELBOURNE STORM

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3. Will Chambers 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenneath Bromwich 13. Dale Finucane

Interchange: 14. Brandon Smith 15. Tui Kamikamica 16. Max King 17. Joe Stimson

Reserves: 18. Curtis Scott 19. Tino Faasuamaleaui 20. Tom Eisenhuth 21. Brodie Croft

PARRAMATTA EELS

1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Michael Jennings 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Kane Evans 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Manu Ma’u 13. Nathan Brown

Interchange: 14. Brad Takairangi 15. Daniel Alvaro 16. Tepai Moeroa 17. Marata Niukore

Reserves: 18. Ray Stone 19. Jaeman Salmon 20. Peni Terepo 21. Josh Hoffman

 

[Big Pete]

Apologies for the delay, I've yet to catch up on all the games from the weekend and this round has snuck up on me.

Just the two games this weekend, with both Manly and Parramatta coming in after red hot performances while Souths were absolutely humbled in one half of football and Melbourne were uncharacteristically poor against Canberra. I haven't had a lot of time to look at all the particulars but from what I saw their line speed and attention to detail was light years apart from the standard Melbourne are known for.

If they're not careful, and Parramatta maintain the standard they showed against the Broncos then they could exit on straight sets. It would be an extradinary result, but if you look at the team list, not that surprising. It's funny how Broncos bang on about missing a genuine seven when the best team by a long way don't have one either. They've got a rookie fullback who is electric, but he's still learning the game and seems to love kicking everything. And the three quarters are average. Everyone and their dog kicks Darius, but can we talk about Will Chambers. What the hell happened? From arguably the most well rounded centre in the competition to one of the biggest mysteries in this Melbourne line-up. If it wasn't for tenure and Melbourne's impressive record, he would have been a Falcon yesterday. It makes the Curtis Scott situation that much stranger because he looked far more threatening before the foot injury.

It just highlights how important the team aspect of the game is and how well drilled the Storm are. They don't have that many genuine superstars, just a certain mould of player, doing a job to Bellamy's specifications and finding themselves on the right end of the scoreboard more often than not. By rights, they should be too tough a nut to crack for Parramatta, but this isn't the same Melbourne side of yesteryear and Parramatta could strike another big blow in a matter of weeks and really shake this competition up.

Stay tuned.

I like the changes Bennett has made to Souths. I'm not sure what was going through his mind last week with Doueihi. I wonder if he remembered what happened a decade prior with St. George Illawarra and the Hayne Plane and just thought he ought to change it. It ultimately backfired immediately and the moment Johnston knocked on Mitchell's kick, it signalled a long night for the Bunnies. With Doueihi back, Sam back, Tom starting and to a lesser extent Dane thereabouts, I think Souths should just edge the Sea Eagles who were able to catch Cronulla slow out of the blocks and made them pay.

If the past two games are anything to go by, I expect it to be close and it could really come down to an Adam Reynolds field goal. I wonder if he'll have to kick three like he did in last year's corrosponding game?

Before I sat down and looked into both games, my thought process was that the top two teams would just go on with it, win relatively comfortably and expose just how bad the Sharks and Broncos were. However, thinking about it, there's a good chance we could have an upset on our hands in both games. Of the two results, the Eels getting up would be the most extradinary, if only because it would completely change the narrative of this season. At the very least, I hope they keep it interesting.

 

[Battler]

What a shock that the Arey Roberts combo in defence is pathetic.

 

[Alec]

I think Johns is right, he keeps mentioninhg how crushers often seem to happen when the ball runner runs in backwards when getting tackled. Makes it so easy to get your neck "crushed", even by an accident.

Civo used to turn in tackes, but he was like 7 feet tall and had a strong neck.

 

[tommy]

Has Jimmy the drunk touched the ball yet? Is he playing?

 

[Battler]

Has Jimmy the drunk touched the ball yet? Is he playing?

He's going to be Souths' version of Boyd in a few years when Wayne gives it away.

 

[Alec]

That was dumb as **** from Lane.

 

[Wolfie]

How dumb by Manly

 

[Battler]

What, how is that a penalty?

 

[Wolfie]

That sort of shit should be 10 in the bin

 

[Wolfie]

How is the Manly player not binned as well?

 

[Alec]

Doesn’t he play for Parra?

True got their names confused haha. They look similar.

 

[Wolfie]

And it is.

I wasnt talking about Walker, but he had to go as well.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Walker just got binned for an open hand slap.

**** me lol

 

[winslow_wong]

Good game so far but Jesus some penalties are so soft... the “crusher” on cook was also soft, it’s just the way he landed in the tackle.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

He's held up

 

[Wolfie]

That was some tackle by Big Sam.

 

[Alec]

This is a damn good game so far.