Innholdsfortegnelse for 2018 - Finals Week 1 i Big League Weekly Edition

STORM skipper Cameron Smith has given the biggest hint yet that he’ll play on in 2019 as he closes in on the magical 400-game mark. The 35-year-old remains one of the best players in the competition, and his decision to sign on for an 18th season would be a huge boost for a Melbourne side that will be without retiring fullback Billy Slater from next year. Smith retired from representative football on the eve of this year’s State of Origin series, and while he knew the time was right to call it quits for the Maroons and Kangaroos, the star rake is confident he still has a role to play in the NRL. “At the moment I’d like to play on because I feel like I’m contributing to the side…

CREDIT for the Warriors’ watershed season has been attributed to the arrival of strength and conditioning guru Alex Corvo, several blue-chip recruits, Issac Luke’s renaissance and a cultural overhaul. But Stephen Kearney has largely been overlooked by those dishing out plaudits for the club’s turnaround. The record-breaking Kiwis Test mentor was widely tipped as the first NRL coach to be sacked in 2018 in the wake of a first season that garnered just seven wins. But the Warriors players are emphatic about Kearney’s role. “Within the club we know ‘Mooks’ [Kearney] is a big part of what we’ve been able to do,” Simon Mannering told Big League. “The success isn’t just for the team on the field, it’s for the coaches right through to the staff who are doing the…

There are a number of hoodoos facing teams in the first week of the finals and the Warriors are no exception. Penrith have been the epitome of a bogey team for the New Zealand side – over this side of the ditch anyway. The Warriors have won three of their past 12 against the Panthers but, importantly, all of those wins were in Auckland. In Sydney it’s another story – they haven’t beaten the Panthers in Australia since 2012. With their improved away record in 2018, it’s a streak they’ll have to end on Saturday if they want to keep their hopes alive.…

I HAD the privilege last Sunday of hosting the Warriors’ season awards night in Auckland. They have had a great season, regardless of what happens from here and something that was said in a speech on the night by their CEO Cameron George struck me as the catalyst for the turnaround in fortunes in 2018. George spoke of how at the end of last year it was decided the Warriors needed to become less a business, and more a footy club if they were to turn things around. It’s important to have all management structures in place and good leadership, but the focus can never be taken off the football as a priority. They recruited some real pros in the likes of Adam Blair, Blake Green and Tohu Harris. Other…

BRONCOS captain Ali Brigginshaw knew she had to evolve as a player and person if she ever wanted to be seen as a rugby league leader. The talented half went into Australia’s World Cup campaign last year as one of the most experienced players in the squad, but she missed out on selection in the team’s leadership group. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Brigginshaw saw it as a lesson. She knew it was time for her to grow as a leader, personally and professionally. On Sunday, Brigginshaw will lead the Brisbane Broncos against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium, in a historic moment for women’s rugby league. She’ll be the club’s inaugural skipper – a reward for 12 months of hard work from the star player. “I wasn’t…

• I was born in Blacktown in 1983 • I am retiring at the end of the season • I am a Clive Churchill Medallist • I’ve won two premierships with different clubs • I have played 16 Tests for Australia • I’ve played 17 Origin games for NSW IT might already be the NRL finals but Little League is still going strong! It’s not too late to send us a drawing of your favourite NRL player or team. We love seeing how creative you can be! If yours appears here you’ll win a STEEDEN team ball. Send a drawing of your favourite team or player to Little League STEEDEN Art Gallery, Locked Bag 5030, Alexandria, NSW, 2015. Remember to write your name, address and favourite team clearly on the…

AAMI Park Friday 7.40pm Form: The Storm’s form has been scratchy at best over the past month, with victories over lowly-placed opponents the Eels and the Titans sandwiched by losses to top eight opponents the Rabbitohs, Sharks and Panthers. Last week’s loss to Penrith was hardly a guide to their chances this week considering the number of players missing through injury, but there are question marks remaining over the fitness of some while centre Will Chambers continues to serve a suspension. The Rabbitohs suffered a three-week lull after achieving the highpoint of their season with victory over the Storm in Round 21, but they roared back to form with their 52-10 demolition of Wests Tigers last Thursday. History: The history of this fixture paints a picture of almost total dominance…

Form: Just when the Broncos’ campaign appeared to be losing impetus after consecutive losses to the Bulldogs and the Cowboys, and swirling speculation over the future of coach Wayne Bennett was apparently having a destabilising effect, the Broncos scored emphatic victories over the Rabbitohs and Roosters. Last weekend it was a 48-16 landslide win over Manly in their final dress rehearsal before the play-offs and suddenly the Broncos are a team to be feared. St George Illawarra managed to hit back from their 38-0 drubbing at the hands of the Bulldogs to defeat Newcastle last Saturday in a performance that should go some way towards restoring confidence and belief. History: For a few years a decade ago, the Dragons had the Broncos at their mercy. They won eight straight against,…

FINALS WEEK 1 RESULTS BLACKTOWN 36 (P Scanlan 3, H Tuha 2, L Li, J Jackson tries; K Cryer 4 goals) D. GUILDFORD 16 (J Lewis, H Hunt, D McKeown, M Rickard tries). GLEBE-BURWOOD 38 (C Schaafhausen 2, B Aufaga-Toomaga 2, L Schaumkel, A Pene, R King, P Manumalealii tries; Aufaga-Toomaga 3 goals) D. ASQUITH 14 (J Attard, S Jarvis, M Place tries; K Horton goal). WENTWORTHVILLE 26 (N Milone 2, A Miski 2, E Roberts tries; B Henry 2, J Miller goals) D. ST MARYS 12 (A Fitzgibbon, V Seumanu tries; J Toby 2 goals). CABRAMATTA 24 (C McGhie, S Kiel, J Steadman, Jesse Martin tries; Z Mackay 4 goals) D. MOUNTIES 18 (A Bristow 2, Jordan Martin, M Kennedy tries; Kennedy goal).…

Sydney Roosters winger Blake Ferguson has scored seven tries from seven finals appearances. Melbourne winger Josh Addo-Carr has scored six tries in his past three games against South Sydney. Panthers five-eighth James Maloney will play in his eighth finals series in nine years for his fourth club. The Warriors are returning to the finals for the first time since 2011. Broncos winger Corey Oates has scored eight tries in his past three games. St George Illawarra have lost their past 10 games at Suncorp Stadium. Storm prop Jesse Bromwich will play his 200th first grade game this Friday.…

WE’RE down to the last eight teams standing after a ridiculously close NRL season and literally any of them has a chance at hoisting the trophy on the last day of the month. Personally, though, I’m always interested in the teams returning to the finals after time away. Yes, the Storm, Roosters, Sharks, Broncos and Panthers deserve their places and credit for securing them, but the return of the Warriors after seven years in the wilderness is a fantastic story. After years of letting themselves and their fans down with late-season fades, they finally have a talented and united roster that’s living up to its potential and has the ability to give the teams above them a real shake. Then there are the Dragons and South Sydney, two proud clubs…

SOUTH Sydney five-eighth Cody Walker believes the key to beating Melbourne on Friday is to dominate through the middle, not allowing the Storm to control the ruck. The Rabbitohs forwards put on a masterclass last Thursday against the Wests Tigers as they ran for 1,317 metres more than their opponents in the 51-10 win. Ten South Sydney players ran for more than 105 metres, while no Tigers players did. Walker said his side will have to repeat that performance if they want to beat the Storm. “It’s easy when our big boys are rolling through the middle,” Walker told Big League. “It’s no secret that when our big boys are getting in quick play-the-balls, it brings myself, ‘Reyno’ [Adam Reynolds], ‘Cooky’ [Damien Cook] and ‘AJ’ [Alex Johnson] into the game.…

The NRL Women’s Premiership kicks off this weekend How has the lead-up been? It’s been really good. We had a good session on Saturday – it was a long session but it was a really good hit-out, which we needed. We had a session on Monday night which was a bit more relaxed, just going over skills and fundamentals. We’re just really excited more than anything. How do you personally prepare for a game? I’m pretty relaxed before the games. I just twiddle around, and now that I don’t have a job it’s even more relaxing for me. Once it gets to game day I like to have a ball in my hand, kicking it around and just thinking about my gameplan and where I can help out the team.…

YOU’RE probably familiar with the old cliché ‘the finals is a whole new ball game’, and the reason you’ve heard it so many times is because it’s 100 per cent true. Throw the form guide out the window – it’s a new competition and whoever plays the best brand of footy over the next month will win the premiership. Whether your side has had a good run into the finals or has gone through a bad patch of form, it doesn’t matter. Teams need to have the mindset of leaving the regular season behind to focus on putting in their best 80 minute performance in Week One of the finals. It doesn’t matter how well you’ve played all season, you just need to make sure you win your next game…

MOMENTS after the Roosters downed the Eels to clinch top spot on the premiership ladder, the club sent out a tweet to their followers telling them the job was only just getting started. “The Sydney Roosters are the minor premiers of the 2018 NRL season… but we play for premierships,” they tweeted. For some clubs, top spot, $100,000 and the JJ Giltinan Shield would have been enough to warrant a pass mark for the season. But for a team that’s made a habit of finishing first – this is their fourth minor premiership in six years – success will be measured on whether they can go all the way for the first time since 2013. Five years is hardly a premiership drought, but for a powerhouse club like the Tri-colours,…

AS the title drought ended for South Sydney in 2014, the journey for two youngsters was just getting started. As the Rabbitohs went on their fairytale run, snapping a 43-year premiership drought, Angus Crichton and Cody Walker had just penned deals with the club for the following season. The duo had never played first grade footy, but watching on in awe throughout the 2014 season made them dream about playing in the NRL. They looked up to the premiership-winning players – guys like Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds. Now, four years on, Crichton and Walker are also key players for the Rabbitohs and they’re both on the verge of making their NRL finals debut this weekend. “I remember going to the grand final back in 2014,” Crichton tells…

WARRIORS  AFTER qualifying for the finals for the first time in seven seasons, the Warriors want to hang around for more than just the 80 minutes against Penrith on Saturday “We’re going to make the most of this opportunity,” Tohu Harris told Big League. “We’ve got to make sure we treat every day with the respect it deserves and prepare the best we possibly can, because little details count at this time of the year.” Harris said the team’s goal is to go deep into the finals, but warned it could be detrimental to their premiership chances if they look beyond Saturday evening’s match. “To be honest, we’re not even thinking past this first round. It’s an exciting time for the club, but if we get too far ahead of…

ANZ Stadium Saturday 5.30pm Form: The Panthers rebounded from successive losses to the Knights and Warriors by up-ending a below-strength Melbourne outfit last Friday, but it was an important confidence-builder heading into the play-offs. The return of experienced five-eighth James Maloney was a key for the Panthers and his steadying influence and vast experience will be a key for the home team. The Warriors have enjoyed an impressive lead-in to the play-offs, winning four of their final five regular season games and losing the other by a point (to Canterbury). History: The Panthers hold a tidy lead in all matches played since 1995 however they have enjoyed a dominant record since 2012. Of the past 12 encounters between these teams, the Panthers have won nine, including the past five in…

FINALS WEEK 1 RESULTS PENRITH 28 (L Martin, C Aekins, L Coleman, R Tuisese, W Burns tries; A Keighran 3, Coleman goals) D. CANTERBURY 18 (F Tualau, R To’omaga, J Olive tries; J Cleeland 3 goals). MOUNTIES 21 (B O’Hagan, L Knight, S Kris, M Cahalane tries; S Moceidreke 2 goals; T Cornish field goal) D. WARRIORS 20 (H Perham 2, J Vuna, M Love-Henry tries; C Harris-Tavita 2 goals). WYONG 18 (L Sharpe, P Momirovski, M Ikuvalu tries; S O’Sullivan 3 goals) D. WESTERN SUBURBS 14 (C Lemuelu, H O’Toole tries; T Lolohea 3 goals). ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 28 (S Sauni-Esau 2, R Garrick, A Clune, P Herbert tries; D Nicholls 4 goals) D. NEWTOWN 26 (M Evans 2, B Nikora, W Kennedy, R Rennie tries; K Flanagan 3…

THEY say the finals is a new competition and last weekend’s results prove why. Easts Tigers and Ipswich Jets headed into the finals as the two bottom ranked teams of the contenders, but were able to knock out Townsville and Northern Pride respectively to progress through to this week. After keeping Pride scoreless last week, Easts take on Ipswich on Saturday in a must-win match to keep their hopes alive. Easts five-eighth lead the way for his team last week scoring a hat-trick, while Marmin Barba had a perfect day on the boot in Ipswich’s win over Townsville and his accuracy could prove to be the difference in Saturday’s clash. The winner of this match will progress to next week, while the losing team’s season will be over. They had…

SYDNEY SHIELD Finals Week 1 WENTWORTHVILLE 32 (K Aupouri 2, E Navale, B Newtown, S Lasalo, A Tupou tries; Newton 4 goals) D. EAST CAMPBELLTOWN 10 (M Talolua 2 tries; S Gallant goal). GUILDFORD 30 (J Delailoa 3, D Oxley, J Field, M Soultan tries; T Errington 3 goals) D. CABRAMATTA 4 (M El Oueik try). ASQUITH 54 (J El-Jalkh 2, A Nicholls-O’Neill, V Ngaro, A Oughtred, C Campbell, R Williams, L Hodge, R Tuliatu tries; T Brown 9 goals) D. BLACKTOWN 14 (S Fitzgerald, P Aupaau, S Lipano tries; C Keating goal). MOOREBANK 36 (Z Saddler 2, L Hauff, K Chan, A Maungaati, A Manu, J Wilkinson tries; N Williams 4 goals) D. ST MARYS 8 (J Abbott 2 tries). ENGLAND SUPER LEAGUE: SUPER 8s WARRINGTON 80 (B Goodwin…

AFTER boosting their points differential with a big win over Manly, the Broncos leapt into sixth place and secured a home final against the Dragons this Sunday. Captain Darius Boyd knows the value of home ground advantage at this time of year – especially when five of the top eight teams are based in Sydney. He said the Broncos’ winning streak over the past three weeks will also give the team a confidence boost heading into the finals. “The home final definitely helps – four away games would have been tough. We’ve had a pretty good away record and a good record against the top eight sides this year, but it’s all about momentum and backing up each week,” Boyd said. “Throughout the year we’ve been patchy with our performances,…

REWIND two months and the Dragons were hot favourites to take out the premiership – but after a torturous nine weeks, they’ve scraped into the finals in seventh spot. Their diminishing form has sparked criticism from the media and their own fans, but captain Gareth Widdop – who is set to return from injury this week – isn’t taking the scrutiny personally. “You can’t get away from media and social media these days, but each and every person is different in how they want to look at it. Personally, things like that are completely irrelevant to my job and the role that I need to do,” Widdop said. “Obviously [criticism is] out there. We all understand that, but we know within the four walls of the Dragons what we’re capable…

1974 WESTS RALLY TO STUN CHAMPS TWO-TIME premiers Manly’s reign came to an end courtesy of a remarkable minor semi-final comeback from Western Suburbs. The Sea Eagles dominated the opening 40 minutes to lead 15-4 at the break, but the Magpies surged back with a try to dual international Steve Knight, a quick-fire double to Test halfback Tom Raudonikis and a swag of goals to John Dorahy as they took a 23-15 lead into the final quarter. Bob Fulton, who clashed with opposing captain Raudonikis in the early minutes, pegged the deficit back to three points with eight minutes on the clock, but Wests hung on for a 23-20 victory. Too nervous to watch the tense closing stages, Magpies coach Don Parish retreated to the SCG dressing rooms as his…

THEY’VE been the most dominant team of the past decade, but history will be against the Melbourne Storm when they start their title defence against the Rabbitohs on Friday night. It’s common knowledge that no team has gone back-to-back since the Broncos won the titles in 1992 and 1993, but that statistic is the least of Melbourne’s worries. Winning the competition naturally puts a target on you the following season, but it seems no side can handle the ‘hunted’ tag, given no defending premier has won in Week One of the finals the following year since the Panthers in 2004. Even that win was nervy, as Penrith held on for a 31-30 win over the Dragons before being bundled out in the grand final qualifier. Smith’s Storm won the 2007…

FANS will be able to feast their eyes on some of the game’s biggest names in Saturday’s qualifying final between the Sharks and Roosters. Eight Sharks players have starred in the State of Origin arena and the Roosters have star-power that spreads across the park. But Sharks halfback Chad Townsend will be feasting his own eyes on two particular stars – his direct opponent Cooper Cronk and accomplice Luke Keary. Townsend may still hold bragging rights over Cronk from the Sharks’ 2016 Grand Final win against the Storm, but since his move to the Roosters Cronk has formed a powerful new partnership with Keary that Townsend is wary of. “You’ve got the best of both worlds with those two,” Townsend tells Big League. “Cooper obviously perfects his craft and what…

THE growing popularity of women’s rugby league was showcased at Dolphin Stadium last week as schoolgirls from as far away as Thursday Island and Keebra took part in the Karyn Murphy Cup finals. The diversity of the finals participants highlighted the continuing growth of female participation – a result of the improved female pathways that have been made available in recent years. Tagai State College (situated on Thursday Island, beyond the tip of Cape York) epitomised this growth, with participants taking part in a 2,100km trip to be involved in the finals. Competitions like the Karyn Murphy Cup have given schoolgirls the opportunity to try their hand at league – some for the first time – and has seen a massive rise in the number of schools taking part. The…

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS O WINS IN MELBOURNE It’s a damning statistic but one that bears repeating ahead of this Friday’s clash – the South Sydney Rabbitohs have never won in Melbourne. Whether at Olympic Park or AAMI Park, the Bunnies just can’t cop a break in the southern capital. It’s a statistic that includes 14 attempts, stretching all the way back to April 1999. Looking at the numbers, the Storm’s defensive home record against the red-and-green is equally impressive. In those 14 attempts, South Sydney have never scored more than 16 points – and have been held to single digits nine times. Yes, they get to continue their finals campaign if they lose again this Friday (and they won’t have to return to Melbourne, either), but it’s a hoodoo you…

Form: Until recent losses to the Raiders and Broncos, the Roosters had cruised through the second half of the season, beaten only by Melbourne by a single point in Adelaide. They bounced back impressively against Parramatta last Saturday but it was hardly the intense hit-out required heading into the finals, especially facing such a formidable opponent as Cronulla. The Sharks are the only undefeated team over the past month and are expected to hit the ground running after disposing of the Storm, Cowboys, Knights and Bulldogs in successive games. History: The Roosters are well in front when it comes to head-to-head results over 51 seasons but the Sharks’ greatest period of dominance over the Roosters only came to an end 12 months ago after six straight victories. The Roosters stopped…

FINALS WEEK 1 RESULTS CANTERBURY 22 (D Smith 2, A Seve, T Katoa tries; B Wakeham 3 goals) D. PARRAMATTA 18 (T Sapienza 2, S Fonua, E Parry tries; Sapienza goal). MOUNTIES 25 (H Young, P Roache, T McGrady, A Niko tries; T Westcott 4 goals; Westcott field goal) D. NEWCASTLE 24 (S Toa, B Fermor, N Birch, T Hoy tries; K Dark 4 goals). PENRITH 18 (S Blore, M Ritchie, D Laurie tries; B Hands 3 goals) D. CRONULLA 10 (J Ferris 2 tries; B Trindall goal). SYDNEY ROOSTERS 40 (A Pompey 3, A Kepoa 2, T Spry, L Lam, K Kenese tries; Pompey 4 goals) D. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 28 (L Gale 2, M Johns, T Wishart, T Sailor tries; Gale 3, Wishart goals).…

MOUNTIES kept their premiership hopes alive with a thrilling win over the Warriors at Panthers Stadium last Saturday. With the scores locked at 20-all, Tyler Cornish booted a field goal with five minutes left on the clock. Mounties will now face Newtown, who went down by two points against St George Illawarra in the qualifying final. Wyong also remained in the competition after beating Western Suburbs in extra time last Sunday afternoon. A late try to Paul Momirovski and sideline conversion to Sean O’Sullivan sent the game beyond the 80 minutes before Matt Ikuvalu scored the match-winner. The Roos will now come up against the Bulldogs, who went down to minor premiers, Penrith, last Saturday. The Panthers and Dragons both have the weekend off before they prepare for next week’s…

RABBITOHS v TIGERS SOUTH SYDNEY 51 (Robert Jennings 17’, Angus Crichton 31’, Cody Walker 40’, Campbell Graham 50’, Adam Reynolds 65’, Alex Johnston 68’, Thomas Burgess 71’, John Sutton 75’ tries; Adam Reynolds 8 goals, Jason Clark 1 goal; Adam Reynolds 1 field goal) D. WESTS TIGERS 10 (Chris Lawrence 4’, David Nofoaluma 24’ tries; Esan Marsters 1 goal) Half-time: South Sydney 22-10 Crowd: 12,037 Scrums: South Sydney 5-2 Penalties: South Sydney 7-6 Sin Bin: Nil Sent Off: Nil Referee: Ashley Klein Assistant Referee: Adam Gee Touch Judges: Belinda Sleeman, Chris Sutton Goalkickers: Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs) 8 from 9, Jason Clark (Rabbitohs) 1 from 1, Esan Marsters (Tigers) 1 from 2 Completion Rates: South Sydney 33/42, Wests Tigers 22/28 Big 3: 3 Walker; 2 Reynolds; 1 Crichton – M.B WARRIORS…