Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 - Round 25 i Big League Weekly Edition

WHATEVER you do, don’t mention the war. And while you’re at it, it’s probably best you steer clear of the final round of the 2016 season, when the Wests Tigers blew a golden chance to qualify for the finals with a huge loss at home to the Raiders. A win on the final Sunday afternoon of the regular season at Leichhardt Oval would have seen the Wests Tigers sneak into the top eight for the first time since 2011, but their dreams were quickly doused by the red-hot Green Machine, who piled on 52 points in a shellacking the home crowd could scarcely believe. But three years is a long time in footy, and there are only five survivors from that day who’ll take the field this weekend in what…

ROOSTERS forward Nat Butcher has praised the youngsters in his side for stepping up over the past month to cover for a number of experienced players. The Tri-colours have been missing nearly 800 games of experience with Cooper Cronk, Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend on the sidelines, yet they’ve shown no signs of slowing down heading into the finals. Cronk and Cordner have been named to return this Thursday against South Sydney, while Friend remains out. Butcher says the team has the motto ‘steel sharpens steel’, which represents the depth of the squad, how they learn from each other and how there’s always a player ready to step up if called upon. Last week Drew Hutchison filled in at halfback to cover for Cronk, while rookie dummy-half Sam Verrills starred…

What did it mean to win the Dally M Medal in 2018? To be recognised as the Dally M winner after the first NRLW was a big achievement for me. I was extremely honoured, and to be honest I wasn’t really expecting it because I was up against three other great athletes. I give all my glory to the team-mates I played with at the Broncos because without them there would be no me. You won the competition with the Broncos last year but decided to make the move to the Dragons. Why was that? Last year’s premiership win with the Broncos was an awesome feeling because it’s a great club with a great bunch of girls. I got the call from Dragons coach Daniel Lacey just before Origin camp…

IT’S the fairytale storyline that would have made Hans Christian Andersen proud, but sadly it’s unlikely there’ll be a happy ending for Wests Tigers fans, with Robbie Farah at long odds to feature in Sunday’s do-or-die showdown with the Sharks. The man who infamously sat on the Leichhardt Oval scoreboard following a tumultuous ending to his storied first stint with the men in black and gold has been named in No.21 on an extended bench, but will most likely have to watch on as his team-mates duke it out with Cronulla for the last spot in the finals. Farah hasn’t played since he fractured his tibia in the Round 21 loss to the Bulldogs but has been named on an extended bench after showing promising signs by running on an…

LIKE most young Papuans, Justin Olam spent his weekends in front of a television watching his heroes duke it out in the NRL. Thousands of locals still flock to the nearest screen whenever a game is on, but there’s a new champion in town for them to support. Like his childhood hero Marcus Bai, Olam is a part of the Storm system and has a chance to emulate his idol 20 years after he helped Melbourne claim its inaugural premiership. “He’s always been the idol for every Papua New Guinean kid growing up. He’s the motivation for everyone back home and proof that we can make it in rugby league,” Olam tells Big League. Hailing from the mountainous Highlands in PNG, Olam grew up like everyone else, with a passion…

ANZ Stadium Thursday 7.50pm Form: The wily old coach Wayne Bennett knows how to prime his team when the time is right and he looks to have done it again after the Rabbitohs emerged from a three-game rut to sink the Broncos and the Warriors in successive weeks. The Roosters are on a run of seven-straight wins and while a loss here would not damage their premiership hopes, they’ll be keen for payback against the neighbours following their 10-point defeat in Round 1. History: With a rivalry almost as old as the game itself, tensions between the Rabbitohs and the Roosters are never far from the surface. They threatened to boil over in the closing stages of the Round 1 clash at the SCG and with the scent of finals…

GIO Stadium Saturday 3pm Form: The Raiders have emerged from a high-intensity month in which they held their own against four top eight teams. They went down narrowly (by four points) to the Roosters and Sea Eagles, however hard-fought victories over the Storm and Sharks will do wonders for their confidence. The Warriors have endured a forgettable season, winning just eight games and losing five of their past six. Outside of a shock 24-16 win over the Sea Eagles in Round 21, their defensive effort over the past month has been substandard. History: The Warriors fired up for victories over the Raiders at home and away last season but outside those results, it’s been one-way traffic for Canberra in recent times. They won four straight in 2016-17 and were commanding…

Leichhardt Oval Sunday 2pm Form: Wests Tigers have given themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the finals for the first time since 2011 over the past fortnight with sparkling efforts against the Knights and the Dragons. Admittedly, they were aided and abetted by the Knights’ meek performance at Campbelltown and the Dragons were far from committed in their clash at the SCG but the Tigers’ effort in posting back-to-back scores of 40+ points was impressive nonetheless. The Sharks could have made things even tougher for the Tigers if they had held on to beat the Raiders last Sunday but as it stands, the winner of this clash will play finals football. History: Wests Tigers have compiled an impressive list of wins over the Sharks since joining the NRL in…

THE Sharks have claimed the 2019 minor premiership after holding the Knights scoreless in a tough final round match-up. They’ll take on the Raiders, who have lost just one of their last eight games on their way up the ladder. The Roosters failed to keep the pressure on the leaders after the Rabbitohs flew out to an early lead, and will now face the Panthers, who surged to a big win over Manly despite injuries to both of their halves. Meanwhile the Rabbitohs will face the Dragons, who finished eighth despite losing after the Tigers fell to the Warriors. In the other final this weekend, the Bulldogs will be looking to build on their big win over the Thunderbolts when they take on the Knights. WARRIORS 22 (E Kosi, E…

IT’S finally here. We’ve all put in 110 per cent, left everything out on the field and have made it to the final round of the season. And what a way to close out the competition. I must admit – and I’m very sorry to all the Dragons fans out there – I was really riding the Wests Tigers home last Sunday purely for the storylines. Here at Big League we had already bookmarked the Tigers v Sharks and Panthers v Knights as potential top eight deciders, and the game at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday afternoon will be the one for that final spot. Could it get any better? This year’s crop of retiring players is truly special. Aside from Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah, who is racing the clock…

AN injury to Cameron Munster has opened the door for Brodie Croft to stake his claim for a place in the Storm 17 for the finals, but even a five-star showing may not be enough to fight his way back into Melbourne’s coveted spine. Munster aggravated an injury towards the end of Melbourne’s comprehensive win over the Sea Eagles, allowing Croft – who had started the first 21 games of the season – to get a crack in the No.6 jersey. His defensive deficiencies have been exposed in 2019 and coach Craig Bellamy bit the bullet a fortnight ago, moving Jahrome Hughes to halfback and promoting Ryan Papenhuyzen to the starting side. “I’ve been there for a couple of weeks now and I played there a bit last year so…

8. John Lang An Australian Test hooker during the 1970s, Lang had a successful club coaching career in the Brisbane competition during the 1980s and ’90s before taking over at Cronulla in 1994. He led the Sharks to the 1997 Super League Grand Final and three preliminary finals in an eight-season stay, then orchestrated Penrith’s unlikely 2003 triumph. Lang moved on from the Panthers at the end of 2006, but after 18 months as South Sydney’s football consultant, he was pitched into the Rabbitohs’ head coach post following Jason Taylor’s sacking in late-2009, achieving respectable mid-table finishes in 2010-11. 7. Tom Raudonikis Legendary Western Suburbs and Newtown halfback Raudonikis hung up the boots following a player-coach stint at Brisbane Brothers, before further BRL coaching roles with Ipswich and Norths. Raudonikis…

Fan fest to kick-off GF week Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD will be transformed into a footy festival leading into the 2019 Grand Final with the NRL announcing a three day gala event to kick-start the biggest week of the season. The October 2-4 event will allow fans to meet their favourite players, take part in special activities and relax in family-friendly zones. “NRL Fan Fest is all about celebrating our fans, their clubs and our players – and bringing them closer to the game than they ever have been before,” NRL Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Abdo said. “Grand Final Week is more than just about the matches on Sunday. It is about a celebration of rugby league and the culmination of a wonderful season. NRL Fan Fest is an…

Cooper Cronk Sydney Roosters (2018-2019), Melbourne (2004-2017) First grade games: 369 Honours: 38 Tests Australia; 22 games Queensland; 1 game NRL All Stars; Dally M Medal (2013, 2016); Golden Boot Award (2016); Dally M Halfback of the Year (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016); Clive Churchill Medal (2012); RLIF Halfback of the Year (2012) People will look at back at his famous State of Origin field goal and laugh at the over-the-top quote that followed. But when you think about it, those words sum up Cronk’s career. Every sinew in his body came together that night, but that was par for the course for a player who meticulously prepared for every possible scenario. His legacy won’t be defined by his grand final heroics, playing with one arm last year, but the…

THE Holden Women’s Premiership is back for a second season and there has been one common lesson after last year’s experience – preparation is key. While the anticipation of last year’s competition made for great fan engagement, the general consensus is that clubs felt they were left with minimal time to organise their players. Clubs have noticeably worked on their recruitment strategies for 2019, highlighted by a mass turnover of more than 40 per cent of players from the inaugural season. This should see a noticeable improvement in the standard of quality each game produces, with 15 players shifting clubs and 38 either unsigned or retired. “There are now many young players between 17-18 who have had the opportunity to play most of their lives now, and the average age…

Bankwest Stadium Friday 6pm Form: Despite being assured of an elimination final at Bankwest Stadium, the Eels will be eager to arrest a two-game losing streak after going down to the Bulldogs and Broncos. The Sea Eagles will face a tough task to rise again after their costly loss to the Storm last Saturday. As if the 30-point margin wasn’t bad enough, the loss of dynamic fullback Tom Trbojevic for the rest of the season to a pectoral injury is a savage blow to their chances of advancing deep into the play-offs. History: The 62-year rivalry between these clubs enters a new phase this week with the first clash at Bankwest Stadium. The Sea Eagles will quickly discover that the contest can be influenced heavily by the playing surface. The…

ANZ Stadium Saturday 5.30pm Form: The Bulldogs have done themselves proud over the second half of the season, producing excellence in defence to rival the leading teams. Coach Dean Pay deserves credit for restoring the values of hard work and resilience that were hallmarks of his playing career. The Dogs were far from disgraced in going down to the Cowboys last Thursday and will go into this encounter with the imposing recent record of four wins from their past five games. They’ve conceded just 51 points since Round 21. The Broncos have produced impressive results in the run to the finals, even if many of their performances have been unconvincing. In their past nine games, they have won six, drawn one and lost two. A win over the Bulldogs will…

Panthers Stadium Sunday 4.05pm Form: The reality of missing the finals will hit home for both teams when they lock horns at Panthers Stadium. One extra win for both would have had them fighting for a play-off berth, although the Panthers would still have faced an uphill battle with their poor points differential. Both will find it difficult to remain grim for 80 minutes when there is so little at stake and that could make for an open and entertaining contest for those looking on. The Knights have piled on 80 points in total in their past two games at home but they haven’t won an away game since Round 13. History: The Panthers have been dominant in this contest since 2014, winning eight of the past 10 encounters. They…

REDCLIFFE’S late surge continued with a thumping of Mackay that launches them into an elimination final showdown with Tweed, who secured a two-point win over the Pride thanks to a late penalty goal. Sunshine Coast’s amazing season came to a strange end, with a draw against Ipswich. The minor premiers needed three late tries to draw level after the Jets shot out to an early lead. They’ll take on a Townsville side who scored a late victory over the Tigers. Wynnum Manly and Burleigh will face off after securing big final round wins, while the Tigers and Devils will meet after tasting defeat in the final week. TOWNSVILLE 22 (J Feeney, T Power, D Beasley, T Gilbert tries; S Nona 3 goals) D. EASTS TIGERS 20 (J Peoples 2, B…

THE 2019 regular season came to a thrilling conclusion, with Mounties’ big upset of leaders Wentworthville and St Marys’ hammering of Blacktown seeing the Magpies claim the minor premiership by a single for-and-against point. The Saints now face the giant-killing Mulga, while Wenty will take on Asquith. Western Suburbs will look to build on their win against Brothers in an elimination game with Cabramatta, who were left stunned by the Dirty Reds. In the other Elimination final, Guildford face a Hills side that will be refreshed after the bye. MOUNTIES 30 (R Ioelu, V Rennie, S Tavita, L Brown, J Karam tries; S Duggan 5 goals) D. WENTWORTHVILLE 18 (B Keighran, K Hayman, C Schaafhausen tries; B Henry 2, Keighran goals). WESTERN SUBURBS 40 (J Drodrolagi 2, O Slaimankhel, H…

CANBERRA veteran Josh Papalii has declared the Raiders can go all the way this season following their win over Cronulla last Sunday. The golden point victory secured the Green Machine’s place in the top four, ensuring a second chance and a home final in either the second or third week of the play-offs. Papalii is proud of how his side have been able to go from missing out on the finals last season to finishing inside the top four this time around, but he won’t be satisfied until they’re lifting the trophy on grand final day – something he believes can be a reality. “I believe we’ve got what it takes to go all the way. I know I’m being biased, but we have the belief that we can do…

WHAT a dramatic last day of regular season competition we are in for with the Tigers-Sharks clash at a packed Leichhardt Oval, rugby league’s version of life or death. You could say the match is an unofficial ‘wildcard’ game that had been discussed earlier in the season. If I’m the Wests Tigers game-day promotional team, I’m preparing a video of the late Laurie Nicholls in action to throw up on the big screen before the teams run out on Sunday. It’ll send the crowd into a frenzy. I’m bringing back Mark the Magpie and Tiger Tim mascots to do their thing on the sideline, embracing supporters old and young of the joint-venture club. Some have had the audacity to suggest “you couldn’t have scripted it better”. As good as Sunday…

IF Dane Gagai didn’t already know the extremity of the rivalry between South Sydney and the Roosters, he did following their clash in the opening round this season. Relaxing with his family at a local café in enemy territory, Gagai received a tap on the shoulder that would show how much the rivalry means to the two clubs. “After we played them in Round 1, I went to a café with my family in Bondi and a (Roosters) fan walked past. I didn’t think anything of it, but then he said ‘you’re on the wrong side of town here’,” Gagai recalls. “The rivalry was pretty noticeable then. The fans get right into it.” This is just one example about how passionate the fans get in the southern and eastern parts…

ROOSTERS A TOP-TWO finish is assured heading into the last game of the regular season, but forward Nat Butcher has called on his Roosters to keep their momentum heading into the finals. They’re guaranteed two home finals and a second chance, but Butcher said it’s important they don’t switch off against South Sydney on Thursday. “It’s very important that we don’t take the game for granted,” Butcher told Big League. “There’s a lot of history with Souths. A lot of the boys are looking forward to playing and hopefully we can get the job done.” Butcher said his teammates have too much class to not give their full effort despite not being able to alter their position on the ladder. “Not at all,” he replied when asked if he thinks…

WE’VE struggled to the finish line Fantasy coaches – and I do mean struggled! The good news, if there is any, is that most of us are in the same boat. Round 24 was a horror weekend for injuries, with Shaun Johnson a late withdrawal. It happened so late in the warm up and the round there was little coaches could do to try and replace him. On top of that, star Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic suffered a ruptured pec early on in the loss to Melbourne so not only is he out for the season but coaches copped a -1 score in that game. To cap a dire weekend off, Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes broke his leg, while this week’s team sheets have another surprise with Raiders gun John…

AAMI Park Friday 7.55pm Form: The Storm tuned up impressively for the finals with their 30-point dispatch of the Sea Eagles last Saturday. Their biggest win at Lottoland was clinical, inspired by the class of captain Cameron Smith and some quality involvements by halfback Jahrome Hughes and pacy fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen. The Cowboys have displayed impressive qualities over the past fortnight, refusing to give up on their season even though they’ve been effectively out of contention for at least a month. Wins over the Panthers and Bulldogs have signalled their intention to finish on a positive note. History: The Storm have established dominance in this contest, which dates back 22 seasons. They have not been defeated by the Cowboys since the 2015 preliminary final at AAMI Park when Johnathan Thurston…

Cbus Super Stadium Saturday 7.35pm Form: The Titans looked anything but up for the contest against the Knights last Saturday as they crashed to their 10th consecutive loss. At least they showed some fight against the Storm a week earlier, establishing an 8-0 lead and displaying a competitive spirit (through Phillip Sami’s chase of Josh Addo-Carr) even when the cause was lost. There was no such spirit at McDonald Jones Stadium last Saturday as the Knights continued to notch try after try. It was almost as bad for the Dragons in their 42-14 loss to Wests Tigers last Sunday. The Dragons’ sole win from their past nine games was against the Titans at Kogarah in Round 21. History: The Dragons have owned this contest in recent times, chalking up winning…

THE Canterbury Cup finals kick off this week after a thrilling final round of the regular season. South Sydney seemed destined to secure the minor premiership but were left stunned by Wentworthville after Dean Britt was sent off early in the second half. They’ll now face North Sydney, who are on a three-game winning streak after beating Mounties. St George Illawarra capitalised on Souths’ slip-up to finish first by a point, holding off a fast-finishing Bulldogs side after surging to an 18-0 half-time lead to win by two points. The two teams will now meet again in the first week of the finals. Penrith blew their chance of a top four finish after a boilover against last-placed Blacktown, while Newtown will be quietly confident against Mounties after a final round…

TOWNSVILLE secured this year’s minor premiership in the final week of the season with a big win over Easts Tigers. Though three teams finished the season with 39 points, the Blackhawks claimed the title thanks to a superior points differential. They’ll meet a Sunshine Coast team full of confidence after destroying Ipswich. Burleigh and Wynnum Manly will meet in what promises to be a thrilling qualifying final, while the must-win elimination finals see Mackay take on Tweed and the Devils face the Easts Tigers. TOWNSVILLE 34 (T Everett 2, Z Martin, E Shibasaki, G Neame, A Moore tries; A Cook 5 goals) D. EASTS TIGERS 14 (S Faataape, Z Teevan, T Kenny tries; D Ngatuere-Wroe goal). TWEED 36 (E Ambrosyev 2, J To’o, C Hodges, J Rio, C Hennessey tries;…

The Rabbitohs are aiming for two regular season wins against the Roosters for the first time since 2009. The Storm are aiming for 20 regular season wins for the second time in three years. The Titans haven’t won at home since Round 6. Cronulla have won their past five games against the Tigers. The Panthers have won six of their past seven games against the Knights. The Eels have won seven of their past nine games against the Sea Eagles. Wests Tigers have defeated Cronulla in three of their past four clashes at Leichhardt. Dane Gagai has scored seven tries in his past seven games.…