Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 - Grand Final i Big League Weekly Edition

WELCOME to the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. Grand final day is the most special day on the rugby league calendar, and this year promises to be something quite unique and memorable. The decider pits premiers Sydney Roosters up against Canberra Raiders; a match-up which gives us some very special storylines. The Raiders have not been in this position since 1994, and their journey to this point has been followed by an intense and quite remarkable sense of community from their supporters, which has been fantastic to witness. The Roosters are eyeing off an historic feat too, endeavouring to be the first team to win back-to-back premierships since 1992-93. Either result would be a momentous achievement, to be celebrated for some time. The Roosters also have the Cooper Cronk fairytale…

THIS Sunday, one of rugby league’s long-standing droughts will be over. On one side, we have the Sydney Roosters, who could be the first team to win back-to-back premierships (not including the Super League) since the Broncos of 1992-93. On the other, the Canberra Raiders will play their first grand final since 1994, the year the club last won a premiership. After a season that has had it all, it’s fitting these two teams will battle to chalk up a record for a new era. The Roosters have yet again been one of the form teams, exhibiting incredible professionalism and showing time and time again they are one of the most complete outfits in the competition. The Raiders have scrapped harder to get here, but can hinge their season on…

WINNERS 1966 – Dick Huddart (St George) 1969 – David Bolton 1972-73 – Malcolm Reilly (Manly) 1976 – Gary Stephens, Phil Lowe, Steve Norton (Manly) 1987 – Kevin Ward (Manly) 1997 – Lee Jackson (Newcastle) 2000 – Harvey Howard (Brisbane) 2002 – Adrian Morley (Sydney Roosters) 2012 - Gareth Widdop (Melbourne) 2014 – Sam, George and Tom Burgess (South Sydney) NOTE: Killeen was South African rugby convert who played for Balmain from 1968-71 and was in the Tigers’ 1969 winning side. LOSERS 1966 – David Bolton (Balmain) 1971 – Ken Batty (St George) 1973 – Tom Bishop, Cliff Lyons, Bob Wear (Cronulla) 1974 – Brian Lockwood (Canterbury) 1988 – Ellery Hanley (Balmain) 1989 – Andy Currier, Shaun Edwards (Balmain) 2003-04 – Adrian Morley (Sydney Roosters) 2012, 14 – James Graham…

It’ll be the biggest topic of the week, but what does the prospect of going back-to-back mean to the team? It’s completely ignored. We’re just focusing on ourselves and after our performance against Melbourne, we’ve got to make sure we back it up. I’ve moved on from 2018 so my sole focus is on the task ahead and preparing the best I can. That was an amazing night last year, but this is a new team so we’re looking to create our own history. How do you stay hungry after last year’s success? You can fall into the trap of getting a win and trying to do the same thing the following week, or you can learn from it and look to do better. That’s the mentality we’ve taken this…

2019 appearances: 23 Tries: 17 Try assists: 13 Line-break assists: 13 Line-breaks: 23 Tackle-breaks: 161 Avg metres: 206 per game IT’S been a season to remember for James Tedesco and it could get even better if he can help the Roosters claim another premiership on grand final night. The star fullback has arguably been the best player across the competition in 2019 and he’s in career-best form. Over the past 18 months, the classy fullback has won a premiership, played for his country and claimed back-to-back State of Origin victories, as well as securing a host of honours including the Jack Gibson, Brad Fittler and Wally Lewis Medals. With blistering speed and slick footwork, he’s as dangerous as they come and the crowd roars every time he touches the ball.…

BACK ROW (L-R): Matthew Ikuvalu, Sam Verrills, Victor Radley, Drew Hutchison, Egan Butcher, Christian Tuipulotu, Daniel Fifita, Asu Kepaoa, Poasa Faamausili, Freddy Lussick, Bernard Lewis MIDDLE ROW: Lachlan Lam, Billy Smith, Zane Tetevano, Angus Crichton, Joseph Manu, Latrell Mitchell, Lindsay Collins, Sitili Tupouniua, Fletcher Baker, Isaac Liu, Ryan Hall, Nat Butcher FRONT ROW: Siosiua Taukeiaho, Brett Morris, James Tedesco, Mitchell Aubusson, Jake Friend (co-captain), Trent Robinson (coach), Boyd Cordner (co-captain), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Cooper Cronk, Luke Keary, Daniel Tupou…

JUST one week ago it would have been hard to mount a case against the Broncos going back-to-back. But a historic slip-up against the Warriors coupled with a Dragons surge means Sunday’s decider is in the balance. Brisbane have been the dominant force in the NRLW since the competition started last year but entered the season with an element of doubt after a massive roster overhaul. Those fears were quickly allayed when they swept past the Red V in the first round and then put on a clinic to dismantle the Roosters 20-0 in Melbourne. However, their air of invincibility was cracked last week when they suffered their first defeat against a spirited Warriors side who challenged them through the middle. Not many saw it coming, but it showed that…

1 FULLBACK BOTILLE VETTE-WELSH DOB: September 13, 1996 Height: 173cm Weight: 66kg First Grade Games: 4 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 38 (12.7) Metres: 480 (160) Tackles: 6 (2) 2 WINGER RIKEYA HORNE DOB: September 14, 1999 Height: 164cm Weight: 67kg First Grade Games: 5 SEASON STATS Games: 2 Runs: 15 (7.5) Metres: 162 (81) Tackles: 3 (1.5) 3 CENTRE JESSICA SERGIS DOB: September 15, 1997 Height: 173cm Weight: 72kg First Grade Games: 6 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 34 (11.3) Metres: 460 (153.3) Tackles: 24 (8) 4 CENTRE TIANA PENITANI DOB: January 12, 1996 Height: 169cm Weight: 70kg First Grade Games: 3 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 29 (9.7) Metres: 272 (90.7) Tackles: 19 (6.3) 5 WINGER SHAKIAH TUNGAI DOB: November 29, 1996 Height:…

2019 appearances: 3 Tries: 3 Try assists: 1 Line-breaks: 2 Offloads: 2 Tackles: 24 Avg metres: 153 per game JESS Sergis burst onto the scene with a hat-trick on debut for the Blues in 2017, and she’s in even better form heading into the NRLW grand final. Injuries last season took their toll, with the gun centre slightly off in her preparation for the Dragons. But she’s brushed those problems aside and has emerged as the Red V’s X-factor in 2019. “This is the best I’ve been with my footy both mentally and physically,” she said. “Last year I battled a lot of injuries and doubt in my footy, but this year I’ve done everything I wanted to do. I’ve played rep games and I’ve looked after my body tremendously…

1 FULLBACK KURTIS ROWE Age: 25 DOB: November 12, 1993 Junior Club: Waitara Bears Height: 178cm Weight: 82kg 2 WINGER TYRONNE ROBERTS-DAVIS Age: 22 DOB: August 17, 1997 Junior Club: Kempsey Dragons Height: 188cm Weight: 96kg 3 CENTRE SAMI SAUILUMA Age: 27 DOB: February 13, 1992 Junior Club: Woden Valley Rams Height: 184cm Weight: 108kg 4 CENTRE JOSH BERKERS Age: 23 DOB: December 12, 1995 Junior Club: Burleigh Bears Height: 186cm Weight: 96kg 5 WINGER ANTHONY DON Age: 32 DOB: September 21, 1987 Junior Club: Grafton Ghosts Height: 188cm Weight: 100kg 6 FIVE-EIGHTH DYLAN PHYTHIAN Age: 24 DOB: August 19, 1995 Junior Club: Lakes United Height: 188cm Weight: 100kg 7 HALFBACK JAMAL FOGARTY Age: 25 DOB: December 13, 1993 Junior Club: Beaudesert Kingfishers…

IT was billed as the pre-grand final – a qualifier between the two teams who were expected to contest another premiership in 2019. But the Raiders managed a Week One upset win against the Storm, so Craig Bellamy’s men found themselves playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the first time in their history against a Roosters team that was refreshed after a week off. The game started in a fiery manner and set the tone for the next 80 minutes when Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Siosiua Taukeiaho were sent to the bin following a scuffle from the opening hit-up. The Roosters took the penalty from the incident and were able to maintain their lead. A few moments of brilliance were all they needed to keep their heads above water against…

ON behalf of the people of New South Wales, welcome to ANZ Stadium for the 2019 National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final – one of Australia’s biggest annual sporting events. The NSW government, via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, is proud to host the esteemed NRL Grand Final in Sydney, further cementing the Harbour City as Australia’s home of rugby league. The NRL Grand Final attracts visitors from around the country and the world to Sydney. In the past five years more than 400,000 people have seen the action unfold live at ANZ Stadium, more than a quarter of whom were overnight visitors to Sydney. Whether you’re a local or you’ve come from afar to see who claims the coveted Provan-Summons trophy, I encourage you to embrace…

NO matter whether you’ve played in three grand finals or this is your first time, it’s an awesome feeling knowing you’ve qualified for the most important game of the season. You play all year for the opportunity to be in this position and it’s a good feeling to be back after what we achieved in 2018. That said, last year is forgotten. It’s been a different journey this season and we’ve had new challenges to contend with. Our focus has been narrow ever since Round 1. We haven’t looked too far ahead and we haven’t looked back, and this week has been no different. Our next job is our next training session and that all leads to the final game on Sunday. We know there’ll be plenty of talk about…

David Middleton League Historian Roosters by 14 CC: Boyd Cordner State Champs: Jets NRLW: Dragons Michael Carayannis The Sunday Telegraph Roosters by 20 CC: Luke Keary State Champs: Jets NRLW: Broncos Maria Tsialis Big League Roosters by 6 CC: James Tedesco State Champs: Jets NRLW: Broncos Michael Chammas NRL.com Raiders by 2 CC: John Bateman State Champs: Jets NRLW: Dragons Footyhead Little League Raiders by 2 CC: Josh Hodgson State Champs: Jets NRLW: Dragons Rebekka Wake Reader Tipster Raiders by 4 CC: Josh Hodgson State Champs: Jets NRLW: Dragons…

WE have the makings of a classic grand final on Sunday night with two teams peaking at exactly the right time to earn their place in the decider. The Roosters are entitled to be favourites as they chase the rare feat of back-to-back titles, while the Raiders have been enjoying a wave of support – and not just from their own passionate followers. For both clubs, players and fans need to be aware of grand final history to ensure they make the most of this opportunity for premiership glory. Put simply – grand finals are bloody hard things to win. How about I run you through some numbers of the 16 NRL teams and their premiership strike rates. The Broncos have one premiership in the past 19 years, the Bulldogs…

WHAT makes a good coach? Some will say you have to be a master tactician, others favour man-management, while there’s a school of thought that you require a ruthless approach to succeed. Ricky Stuart has endured the highs and lows of the coaching caper but is on the verge of history should he guide the Raiders to premiership glory. On Sunday, he’ll equal Don Furner’s record for the longest gap between grand finals when he ends a 15-year drought dating back to 2004 when he was in his third-straight decider with the Roosters. A lot has changed since then. His demeanour on and off the field has tempered – the passionate outbursts are less frequent than years gone by – but his devotion has stayed the same. The Raiders pride…

2019 appearances: 24 Tries: 6 Line-break assists: 2 Line-breaks: 8 Tackle-breaks: 59 Avg metres: 147 per game Avg tackles: 28 per game RAIDERS enforcer Josh Papalii has been at his devastating best for the Green Machine in 2019 and is one of the key reasons they’ve reached their first grand final in 25 years. Following a sensational campaign, the 27-year-old prop claimed his third Mal Meninga Medal as Canberra’s Player of the Year and now has the opportunity to win his maiden premiership. Weighing in at 112kg and standing 182cm tall, he has the ability to break through tackles at will and doesn’t mind finding the try line. Even last week, with the preliminary final on the line and his side down to 12 men, Papalii rose to the occasion…

1 FULLBACK CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD Age: 24 DOB: August 2, 1995 Height: 182cm Weight: 94kg Previous NRL Clubs: Warriors (2017) First Grade Debut: Warriors v Sydney Roosters, Mt Smart, R9, 2017 First Grade Games: 32 Finals Appearances: 2 SEASON STATS Games: 25 Minutes: 1990 Runs: 451 (18) Metres: 4315 (172.6) Line-breaks: 8 Try Assists: 3 Offloads: 22 Tackles: 119 (4.8) Missed Tackles: 25 Before a ball was kicked this season, Nicoll-Klokstad had the goal of playing a handful of first grade games, and now he finds himself in a grand final. He’s become a fan favourite in the nation’s capital and has been one of the competition’s best buys of 2019. He loves getting his hands on the ball and doesn’t mind taking tough carries. 2 WINGER NICK COTRIC Age: 20…

1 FULLBACK CHELSEA BAKER DOB: March 17, 1986 Height: 165cm Weight: 68kg First Grade Games: 7 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 25 (8.3) Metres: 218 (72.7) Tackles: 7 (2.3) 2 WINGER JULIA ROBINSON DOB: June 1, 1998 Height: 170cm Weight: 73kg First Grade Games: 6 SEASON STATS Games: 2 Runs: 23 (11.5) Metres: 192 (96) Tackles: 8 (4) 3 CENTRE AMY TURNER DOB: March 25, 1984 Height: 165cm Weight: 61kg First Grade Games: 3 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 34 (11.3) Metres: 285 (95) Tackles: 23 (7.7) 4 CENTRE AMBER PILLEY DOB: December 8, 1997 Height: 173cm Weight: 73kg First Grade Games: 7 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Runs: 31 (10.3) Metres: 259 (86.3) Tackles : 26 (8.7) 5 WINGER MEG WARD DOB: August 18, 1994…

2019 appearances: 3 Tries: 1 Try assists: 1 Line-breaks: 2 Offloads: 2 Tackles: 26 Avg metres: 86 per game THE Broncos boast some of the biggest names in the women’s game but it’s one of their younger stars who could hold the key on Sunday afternoon. Rising centre Amber Pilley made her debut for Queensland earlier in the year and has been a standout at right centre throughout the NRLW. Good things tend to happen when she’s got the ball and she caught everyone’s attention after slicing through the Roosters for one of the solo tries of the season. She’ll have her hands full marking Dragons counterpart Tiana Penitani but will head into the clash full of confidence having gotten the better of her rival in their first meeting with…

After last year’s heartbreak, were you worried history would repeat when the Roosters got the jump on you last week? We were coming off a high in 2018 having beaten the Warriors the week before so we went into that game really confident but they started that game really strong and got the jump on us so we knew we couldn’t let that happen again. It looked like history might repeat, but we turned things around thanks to Jess Sergis’ moment of brilliance. We had a few tries disallowed as well which has been a bit of a theme for us this year but we played well after the slow start. We always seem to start off a bit slow which is not what we want, but we believed in…

1 FULLBACK WILL KENNEDY Age: 22 DOB: April 18, 1997 Junior Club: Bathurst St Pats Height: 183cm Weight: 88kg 2 WINGER SIONE KATOA Age: 22 DOB: August 21, 1997 Junior Club: Chester Hill Hornets Height: 180cm Weight: 88kg 3 CENTRE AARON GRAY Age: 25 DOB: April 7, 1994 Junior Club: Mascot Jets Height: 181cm Weight: 96kg 4 CENTRE RONALDO MULITALO Age: 19 DOB: November 17, 1999 Junior Club: Ellerslie Eagles Height: 190cm Weight: 95kg 5 WINGER TYRONE PHILLIPS Age: 25 DOB: January 5, 1994 Junior Club: La Perouse Panthers Height: 183cm Weight: 93kg 6 FIVE-EIGHTH JACK WILLIAMS Age: 22 DOB: January 28, 1997 Junior Club: De La Salle Caringbah Height: 175cm Weight: 75kg 7 HALFBACK BRAYDON TRINDALL Age: 20 DOB: July 11, 1999…

2019 appearances: 26 Tries: 7 Try assists: 22 Line-breaks: 5 Tackle-breaks: 44 Avg metres: 83 per game Points: 218 CAPTAIN of the Burleigh side that was embarrassed in the 2016 State Championship, Jamal Fogarty will be doubly-determined to lead the Bears to national glory this time around. Fogarty was at the heart of Burleigh’s surprise run to win the Intrust Super Cup in 2019, and starred in their grand final win over Wynnum Manly. The halfback’s sublime kicking game was on show, while he also scored the match-sealing try and assisted another in the 28-10 triumph. It came just days after he took out the Petero Civoniceva Medal as the Queensland Cup Player of the Year. He beat a host of worthy candidates to take out the prestigious award, which…

RAIDERS Meninga Medal: Josh Papalii Coaches Award: Dunamis Lui NRL Rookies of the Year: Bailey Simonsson & Corey Horsburgh Fred Daly Club Person of the Year: Jarrod Croker Jersey Flegg Player of the Year: Harley Smith-Shields BULLDOGS Dr George Peponis Bulldogs Player of the Year: Will Hopoate Hazem El Masri Jersey Flegg Player of the Year: Javvier Pitovao Terry Lamb Canterbury Cup Premiership Player of the Year: Fa’amanu Brown Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership Player of the Year: Mahinaarangi Rewi Steve Mortimer Rookie of the Year: Jayden Okunbor Les Johns Bulldogs Clubman of the Year: Josh Jackson Peter Warren Medal – Bulldogs Community Service: Adam Elliott 2019 Coaches Award: Jeremy Marshall-King SHARKS Monty Porter Medal and Pontifex Player of the Year: Chad Townsend Tommy Bishop NRL Players’ Player Award: Chad…

8. Kevin Walters Industrious St George lock Brad Mackay won the 1993 Churchill Medal, despite the Dragons’ listless 14-6 loss to Brisbane. While the Broncos were not at their scintillating best in clinching back-to-back grand final triumphs, Kevin Walters put in a compelling bid for the man of the match honour. The wily five-eighth made a break to send Chris Johns away for the opening try before setting up the only other four-pointer of the first half to Terry Matterson – the highlights of a polished all-round showing. 7. Royce Simmons Bradley Clyde became the first player to win two Churchill Medals and the first to do so in a losing team following Canberra’s 19-12 grand final defeat to Penrith in 1991. The Raiders workhorse was typically outstanding, but had…

IT may be imperceptible, but the cheers for the Roosters and the Raiders will be a little quieter this Sunday and the applause slightly softer following the passing through the year of former players and ardent supporters of both grand finalists. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke gave the Raiders incredible profile during the years that they qualified for three consecutive grand finals (1989-91), congratulating the winners in 1989-90 and lending a shoulder to cry on when Mal Meninga’s team went down to the Panthers in 1991. Well known as a sporting fanatic, Hawke held official receptions for the Raiders at Parliament House, attended fundraisers when the club stuck financial trouble through 1991 and remained a close friend of the Green Machine for the rest of his days. If not for…

WELCOME to the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. At Telstra, we have had a long-standing association with the NRL, a partnership that is almost 20 years long. This year, we’ve extended that association to include women’s rugby league and the NRLW Premiership. We have seen many highlights throughout the year, from the introduction of the Magic Round, the opening of Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta, Cameron Smith’s 400th game, and a thrilling, sold-out State of Origin match in Perth. I want to congratulate the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders for reaching the pinnacle of the competition, the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. Taking our sport to more people in more places is a mission both Telstra and the NRL share with high quality rugby league action on the NRL Official…

LET’S turn Sydney green! Throughout the entire finals series, we’ve seen everything in Canberra turn green. We’ve had green sausages, green coffees, green pasta, green drinks, green lights – everything was green. Now it’s time to bring the green to ANZ Stadium for the grand final. The stadium holds about 80,000 people and I’m hoping for 50 or 60 thousand green jerseys. It would be an amazing atmosphere to have so many Raiders fans there in the one place. Our fans travel everywhere – a couple hours up the highway won’t stop them. Imagine hearing the Viking Clap with that many people. Hearing the Viking Clap and the roar of the fans really does make an impact on the players on the field – we can hear every single cheer…

WHEN Yorkshireman Kevin Ward flew into a hot Sydney five days before the 1987 Grand Final to take his place for Manly, he would’ve had no idea of the place he would retain in history more than three decades later. Irrespective of the historical aspect of Ward’s outstanding performance that left him within a whisker of becoming the first Englishman to win the Clive Churchill Medal, his contribution to the champion Sea Eagles of 1987 is one of the game’s most intriguing grand final tales. Ward, who was born in Wakefield, remains the last Englishman to win an Australian premiership as a ‘guest player’ – that is, while still playing full-time in England. Premiership-winning teams have featured 14 British players, from Dick Huddart for St George in 1966 through to…

THE Roosters may find themselves in the same position as last year, but things are very different this time around. This time last year, the lead-up to the grand final was dominated by questions about the fitness of Cooper Cronk and whether he’d be fit for the decider. The star halfback was at long odds to line up after he busted his shoulder in a fierce preliminary final, but he miraculously made it onto the pitch on grand final night. Although he was limited with his contribution, the Roosters won the memorable clash. One year on, Cronk is at full health and ready for his ninth grand final appearance, although he’ll still dominate the headlines as it’s his final NRL game before retirement. “I understand there will be storylines about…

Can you believe you’re playing in an NRL grand final? No, I can’t believe it. It’s been a crazy year with lots of ups and downs. If you’d told me at the start of the season that I’d be playing first grade, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, so I definitely wouldn’t have believed you if you told me I’d be playing in a grand final – I’m really stoked. To make a grand final is always exciting, but to do it with this bunch of blokes makes it even more special We’ve got a great group here this season and I’m so glad I’ve been able to play with them. Now we’ve got the chance to do something in the last game of the year and hopefully we can…

1 FULLBACK JAMES TEDESCO Age: 26 DOB: January 8, 1993 Height: 184cm Weight: 95kg Previous NRL Clubs: Wests Tigers (2012-17) First Grade Debut: Wests Tigers v Cronulla, Leichhardt Oval, R1, 2012 First Grade Games: 138 Finals Appearances: 5 SEASON STATS Games: 23 Minutes: 1837 Runs: 421 (18.3) Metres: 4729 (205.6) Line-breaks: 23 Try Assists: 13 Offloads: 24 Tackles: 90 (3.9) Missed Tackles: 28 He’s the hottest player in the world right now and a second premiership in as many years would be the exclamation mark on the best year of his career. State of Origin success for the Blues has been sandwiched by a sizzling season for the Roosters. His attacking numbers are through the roof and he is the danger man. 2 WINGER DANIEL TUPOU Age: 28…

AT this time of year you’ll hear few sayings more often than ‘defence wins premierships’, and so it seems only fair that the Roosters and Raiders will face off in the 2019 Grand Final after finishing the year with the second and third-best defensive records respectively. There’s another common phrase too – ‘to be the best, you have to beat the best’ – and both teams have also met that requirement, securing wins over the minor premiers Melbourne on their path through the finals to ensure an historic result no matter the outcome. On one side, Canberra return to the final game of the year for the first time in a quarter of a century, seeking their first premiership in just as long. They’re enjoying a fairytale campaign that has…

BACK ROW (L-R): Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa’amausili, Rikeya Horne, Lexi Kiriwi, Ngatokotoru Arakua, Maitua Feterika MIDDLE ROW: Tiana Penitani, Botille Vette-Welsh, Takilele Katoa, Stephanie Mooka, Maddison Weatherall, Teuila Fotu-Moala, Shaylee Bent, Najvada George FRONT ROW: Kimiora Nati, Shakiah Tungai, Maddie Studdon, Holli Wheeler (vice-captain), Daniel Lacey (coach), Kezie Apps (captain), Brittany Breayley, Jessica Sergis, Keeley Davis ABSENT: Sarah Togatuki…

How excited are you to reach another NRLW grand final? I’m super-excited. I got the opportunity to play in the grand final last year and that was an amazing experience. To be able to do it two years in a row is unbelievable. If you told me two years ago that we’d qualify for the first two NRLW grand finals, I wouldn’t have believed you. That says something about the Broncos and the quality of this club. Winning last year was an amazing feeling and something I’ll remember forever so it’ll be awesome if we can get the job done again. I’m really excited for the game. The Broncos suffered their first ever NRLW loss last weekend against the Warriors. Do you think that could be a blessing in disguise?…

BOTH Newtown and Burleigh defied the odds to win their state titles in 2019, but there can only be one national champion. After winning their local deciders last week, the attention of both sides turns straight to the NRL State Championship game, to be played on grand final day at ANZ Stadium. And with both sides gunning for their first national title, it’s bound to be competitive. Newtown came from seventh to win the 2019 Canterbury Cup, edging the high-flying Wentworthville in extra-time of a thrilling decider. The Jets spent most of the Grand Final playing catch-up but prevailed 20-15, winning it at the death, as Will Kennedy scored a stunning try in the 87th minute after some Billy Magoulias brilliance. Burleigh were outsiders to win the Queensland Cup until…

2019 appearances: 23 Tries: 16 Try assists: 8 Line-break assists: 6 Line-breaks: 15 Tackle-breaks: 104 Avg metres: 111 per game HE’S the son of a gun, but Will Kennedy has been making a name for himself in 2019 and is looking to top it all off with a State Championship triumph on Sunday. The son of country league legend Bubba Kennedy, Will cemented his place in Jets folklore last week with a scintillating performance in the Canterbury Cup Grand Final. Kennedy’s stunning try in the dying stages of extra time saw the Jets snatch a 20-15 victory, sending them to the State Championship. He finished up with a try, an assist and 250 running metres in an extraordinary man-of-the-match display. Kennedy is the quintessential modern fullback, with both a strong…

RAIDERS fans started streaming into GIO Stadium for an historic match early. They had suffered heartbreak after heartbreak in recent years, and the nervous energy was off the charts. Those jitters spilled onto the field, with both the Raiders and Rabbitohs looking rusty at times. The Rabbitohs started the game with intent, but possession didn’t convert into points. A spilled ball gave the Raiders the momentum change they craved, and captain Jarrod Croker took advantage, scoring the first try after Corey Allan dropped the ball in-goal under pressure from Josh Hodgson. The Rabbitohs went close minutes later through Cody Walker, but a miraculous trysaver from Hodgson knocked the ball from the five-eighth’s hands. They couldn’t be stopped moments later however, with Dane Gagai scoring off a scrum set play to…

Cooper Cronk Sydney Roosters (2019-18), Melbourne (2017-04) First grade games: 371 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…

1. Which is the only team that the Sydney Roosters did not defeat in 2019? 2. Who captained the Raiders to their first grand final in 1987? 3. Who are the only two men who have been first grade coach of the Roosters and the Raiders? 4. How many premiership titles have been won by the Roosters? 5. How many times have the Raiders held their opposition scoreless in 2019? 6. How many points did Latrell Mitchell score at the SCG in 2019? 7. Which two members of the Raiders’ grand final line-up also played NRL for the Roosters? 8. The sister of which Raiders’ player will turn out for the Broncos in the NRLW grand final? 9. Which Immortal played for Eastern Suburbs in 1908? 10. What year did…