Innholdsfortegnelse for 2018 - Finals Week 2 i Big League Weekly Edition

RABBITOHS enforcer Sam Burgess may have had an underwhelming game against the Storm last Friday, but he won’t let it affect his preparation for Saturday’s must-win clash against the Dragons. The 29-year-old was kept relatively quiet by the Storm pack. He knocked on three times – courtesy of Felise Kaufusi’s defensive efforts – and also missed a tackle that led to a Storm try. After an out of character effort for the Rabbitohs powerhouse, he spent time on the weekend reviewing his mistakes. However, Burgess says he’s put the performance behind him now and won’t spend any more time dwelling on the negatives. “The last thing I want to do is let the team down. I had a few thoughts of that over the weekend, but you’ve got to move…

THE Panthers may have looked like they’d reignited their spark in last Saturday’s win over the Warriors, but Trent Merrin believes they can still turn the heat up a notch. “We haven’t played our best footy yet,” Merrin told Big League. “We showed in a few games throughout the year what we’re capable of doing. “We’re heading in the right direction, but there’s still a lot in us. Hopefully we can tap into that potential in our next game.” After being stumped early on when their opposition scored twice in the opening 20 minutes, the Panthers responded with three tries in eight minutes. Corey Harawira-Naera said the attacking power came off the back of a spark that’s been missing, and he hopes it’ll be carried into Friday’s clash against the…

After 301 NRL games across 14 seasons, the journey has come to an end following the loss to Penrith How are you feeling? I’ve had a wonderful career and I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved. It was unfortunate that we didn’t bring our best game against the Panthers. We knew it was going to be a tough match, and they were too good for us in the end. At full-time it was a funny feeling – I was proud of the boys with how well they played throughout the whole season, but it was disappointing that it has come to an end. That’s just footy. We weren’t good enough against Penrith. They put us under a lot of pressure on our own line and they got the better of us.…

I’VE been playing in the NRL since 2009, and I have to say, last week’s win over the Broncos was in my top-three most-satisfying results. Not too many people gave us a chance to win that, given we’ve been under the pump and not playing the best footy in recent weeks, so to go up there and get the win against my former club was very satisfying. That was my first game back at Suncorp Stadium in the Red V, so I was expecting to hear it from the crowd. I didn’t really hear anyone singling me out, but whenever the Broncos kicked off, the fans seemed to get pretty loud whenever I was about to catch the ball. Thankfully I didn’t given them what they wanted. It’d been a…

PLAYING at this time of the season brings the best out of players. When the finals roll around each September, we see some pretty remarkable, courageous efforts on the field. Jack de Belin was a fine example of this in the opening week, when St George Illawarra faced Brisbane. The lock forward showed true courage and commitment when he took to the field, despite suffering a grade-two syndesmosis injury in the regular season. Unable to walk freely for majority of the week and pushing through the pain barrier during the match, de Belin battled on for the Red V, helping his side to a memorable 48-18 triumph. “If it wasn’t the finals I’d probably have a few weeks off to get it right,” de Belin tells Big League. “It’s do-or-die…

SHARK CRONULLA will head into Friday’s semi-final knowing a loss won’t just end their season; it’ll also draw the curtain on Luke Lewis’ career. The 322-game veteran announced his retirement earlier in the year and now faces the prospect of bowing out of the NRL at the hands of the side who handed him his first-grade debut back in 2001. Lewis has won a premiership with both the Panthers and Sharks and is loved by footy fans around the world, and a third title would be a fitting way for the back-rower to bow out. Sharks fullback Valentine Holmes said the departing veteran had been more vocal than usual at training over the past few weeks, adding the rest of the team owed it to Lewis to send him out…

Allianz Stadium Friday 7.40pm Form: The Sharks carried a four-game winning streak into last Saturday’s qualifier against the Roosters but despite creating a welter of scoring chances, their ability to add finish to their plays was lacking. They bombed at least three genuine scoring opportunities with a poor final pass or loose handling and while their creative work will inspire confidence, they’ll need to take their chances against a team with as much scoring potential as the Panthers. Cameron Ciraldo’s outfit produced one of their most complete performances in several months when they ended the Warriors’ season last Saturday and despite conceding age and experience to the Sharks, they won’t be lacking in self-belief. History: The history of these clubs has run in parallel since they entered the premiership side-by-side…

ANZ Stadium Saturday 7.40pm Form: The Rabbitohs commenced their finals campaign after a resounding victory over Wests Tigers in their only winning result from their final four games, but there was plenty to like about their finals opener against the Storm last Friday. Against almost any other opponent at any other venue, the Rabbitohs’ 28 points would have been enough to secure a first-up win. The result was not fatal to their chances and they’ll have an opportunity to bounce back against the Dragons. St George Illawarra turned the form book on its head with their dominant performance against the Broncos last Sunday. A fortnight earlier they were routed 38-0 on home soil by also-rans Canterbury and it appeared there was no way back for Paul McGregor and his team.…

WHAT a thrilling first weekend of finals football. From the epic clash for the ages between the Rabbitohs and Storm through to Tariq Sims and the Dragons leaving the Broncos stunned and everything in-between, it had something for fans and neutral observers alike – and now we’re left with two historically loaded semifinals in what promises to be a cracking second week. Penrith and Cronulla entered the competition at the same time back in 1967, and while the Panthers enjoyed early dominance in the fixture it’s been all Sharks lately. They’re on a five-game streak and have won eight of the past 10 – but the finals are a different ball game, and a game these two sides have never played together in their 50-plus years. With both sides in…

WHEN asked what his usual September routine was, Roosters fullback James Tedesco could only answer with one word: “partying”. Tedesco never played finals footy during his six seasons at the Wests Tigers, but the 25-year-old broke the drought in his first year in Bondi as the Tri-colours claimed the minor premiership, and then used home-ground advantage to edge the Sharks to earn the week off. For many youngsters, partying in September sounds great. But for Tedesco, celebrating wins at the business end of the season is a far better feeling. “I’d definitely rather be playing finals footy than being knocked out and watching other teams play,” he said. “The Roosters are a very strong club, and the team we’ve got here definitely has a chance of taking us all the…

1979 BULLDOGS OUTLAST EELS FOR GRAND FINAL SPOT CANTERBURY’S charge from fifth spot culminated in a grand final appearance after overcoming second-placed Parramatta 20-14 in a high-quality preliminary final. The Bulldogs held a tenuous 5-4 lead at half-time but had pushed out to 15-9 by the time inspirational Eels lock Ray Price was sent off after an off-the-ball incident. Canterbury’s trio of Mortimer brothers – Chris, Peter and Steve – all found their way across the try-line, while five-eighth Garry Hughes’ three-pointer sealed the result with 12 minutes to go. In the seventh season since the NSWRL adopted the five-team finals series format, the Bulldogs became the first side from outside the top three to qualify for the grand final. The Bulldogs lost 17-13 to St George in the following…

SEPTEMBER is well and truly here. Ten teams are kicking back on the warm sands of Bali or heading for the bright lights of Vegas or, in Manly’s case, enduring an end-of-season review. The other six still have that premiership dream flickering, hopes of grand final glory alive. To stay that way, though, teams will have to overcome plenty in what is the most torrid and tense month rugby league has to offer. HISTORY Melbourne will need to be the first team in years to win back-to-back premierships and emulate the Broncos teams of 1992-93. The Roosters and Storm have both made it to the decider the year after winning the premiership, but couldn’t seal the deal. History is also very much against an all-Sydney grand final. Despite the NSW…

IF the Panthers were Superman, the Sharks would be their kryptonite. They’ve faced each other nine times in the last five years and Penrith have come out on top just once. A lot of teams have a bogey side, so it’s nothing too unnerving. But if you factor in that Friday’s clash against the Sharks is the first time they’ve ever met in a finals series and that the Panthers have lost in Week Two both last year and the year before, then it’s likely to make the Penrith faithful squeamish. Panthers second-rower Corey Harawira-Naera knows the rivalry well, and despite the odds being stacked against his team, he believes there’s no time like the present to buck the trend. “I don’t know what it is, but within the past…

YOUNG gun Julia Robinson has announced herself as a star of the women’s premiership after a stunning display in Brisbane’s opening match against St George Illawarra. The 20-year-old winger ran hard for 89 metres, recorded a team-high six tackle-breaks and pulled off some memorable big hits, finishing as one of the notable players from the competition’s maiden weekend. She didn’t miss a beat and looked like a player who had been around for years. Remarkably, though, before 2018 she hadn’t played a single game of rugby league. She was a netballer and never imagined lacing up the footy boots. But after being asked to play for the Australian Defence Force team, she soon discovered she was a natural. Now, a few months since her rugby league debut, she’s playing for…

ONCE again this year, the NRL Game Development Victorian team have paired up with the Melbourne Storm to facilitate over 30 Billy Slater Shield events! These safe and friendly gala days are held throughout the year to give boys and girls from Victorian primary schools the chance to get outside and be active with their school friends. The Year 5-6 event is open for the children to play tackle – but for the students wanting to try something different or who are beginners, there is also an option to play league tag. Team sports are a fantastic way to make new friends and learn many new skills while having fun! At some of the bigger Billy Slater Shield gala days there will be anywhere up to eight different fields being…

ONE started the Warriors’ campaign in the best possible manner, one ensured it finished with the best result. Hilda and Laura Mariu have been together for six years and married for six months. Ever since they met they’ve played in the same team, and last weekend they ran out for the first game of the NRL Women’s Premiership. They’re both in the record books. Hilda will forever be the first tryscorer in the women’s competition, while Laura is just one of four inaugural captains for the league. At home, the atmosphere can be subdued if the team’s suffered a loss, but they didn’t have to worry about that last weekend. The Warriors defeated the Roosters 10-4 in the NRLW’s first game and it was a crunching tackle by Laura on…

Q Cameron Ciraldo is the most inexperienced coach in this year’s finals series How is he coping? A That’s the sort of character he is. He’s had these young boys for a few years, he’s seen them develop into the players they are and he knows how to handle them. He’s doing a great job there and it’s up to us as a team to really steer that direction heading into next week and take it to a new level. Q Has the change in coach rattled the team in any way? A We’ve got a tight group here and we know what we’re capable of. We’ve just got to focus on the job ahead. It’s been a rollercoaster with what’s going on, but that’s out…

Q. You didn’t get the result, but there was plenty to like about your performance against the Storm… A. There were a lot of positives to take out of that game, but there were also a few things we need to learn from and we need to do that quickly because we play on Saturday night. With finals footy, you can’t dwell on games for too long, so we’ve got to move on from the Storm game, learn from it, and get ready for the next assignment. Q. The game was played at a frenetic pace How did you guys handle the step up in intensity? A. It was pretty similar to Origin. It was a good battle between two strong sides who at times were able to…

NEWTOWN scored five tries to three in their 34-16 win over Mounties to advance to the preliminary finals. The Jets will now face minor and defending premiers Penrith at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon with the winner advancing to the grand final. Canterbury won the other semi-final last weekend, defeating Wyong 34-24 in a thrilling contest. Rhyse Martin was superb as he scored a try and booted five goals. The Bulldogs will now take on St George Illawarra, who enjoyed the week off. The Dragons finished second in the regular season before winning in Week One of the finals.…

NEWCASTLE fullback Matt Cooper bagged a double to help the Knights defeat the Roosters 27-8 to advance to the final four. The Knights will now face Penrith for a place in the grand final. The Panthers will be well rested after enjoying a week off following their qualifying final win over Cronulla. The Sharks may have lost in Week One of the finals, but a 30-10 triumph over the Bulldogs saw them advance to the preliminary finals. Cronulla will take on Mounties, who defeated Newcastle a fortnight ago.…

WITH just one win separating the top-eight sides after 25 rounds, any advantage was always going to be crucial in the finals. For the Storm and the Roosters, Week One of the play-offs couldn’t have worked out any better as they ground out impressive wins to earn an all-important seven days off heading into their grand final qualifiers. Since 2007, only the 2015 Cowboys have played all four games and gone on to hoist the premiership shield on grand final day. It’s a telling stat, with the top teams all benefiting from the week off following a gruelling regular season. Storm lock Dale Finucane (above) understands the importance of the week off, especially for the State of Origin contingent who have endured a hectic workload in 2018. “Given the physicality…

IN this extraordinary season of rugby league, there’s an abundance of incredible storylines that may unfold in the next few weeks. The form reversal of the Dragons last Sunday was amazing and now a team in red and white plays South Sydney in September for the first time in 34 years. It’s even more remarkable that the two clubs that entered the NSWRL comp back in 1967, will meet for the first time in a semifinal on Saturday when Cronulla tackle Penrith. And further on the Panthers challenge, the Cameron Ciraldo (above) coaching story is potentially one of the rarest rugby league feats in history. Last Saturday night’s win over the Warriors was just his fifth game as a head coach. Should Penrith go all the way to the grand…

The plaudits continue The end-of-season award ceremonies have continued this week, with three clubs and the NSW Blues handing out their Player of the Year awards. In Newcastle, new recruit Kalyn Ponga was rewarded for a breakthrough season, while prominent clubman David Klemmer won the honour for the Bulldogs, while Jake Trbojevic was named Player of the Year for Manly. Blue-ribbon effort In the NSW Blues’ annual awards night held at The Star, James Tedesco was awarded the Brad Fittler Medal as NSW Player of the Year. Young Panther Caleb Aekins was named Intrust Super Premiership Player of the Year, Isabelle Kelly claimed Women’s State of Origin Player of the Year, Tom Trbojevic won the True Blue award and Damien Cook scored the People’s Choice Award. Lower grade accolades were…

HE’S lighter than every member of the South Sydney back five, but Rabbitohs young gun Cameron Murray is the club’s not-so-secret weapon heading into this weekend’s heavyweight showdown with the Dragons at ANZ Stadium. Pre-season stats list the 20-year-old at 90 kilograms and 184 centimetres, making him the perfect build to play at hooker or in the halves. Instead, Murray mixes it in the middle with the biggest bodies in the game, not afraid to take on opposition front-rowers who often outweigh him by 20 or more kilos. “I kind of got over it pretty quickly, coming through the ranks,” Murray tells Big League of how he handled being dwarfed in the junior leagues. “Under-20s was an eye-opener for me because I had to step up against guys who were…

• I was born in Liverpool, UK • I won the Super League’s ‘Man of Steel’ award in 2008 • I made my NRL debut in 2012 • I play in the front row • I changed NRL clubs for the first time this year • I have played 38 Tests for England HAVE you been enjoying the football lately? If you have, make sure to send us in a drawing of your favourite NRL player. 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 back! This week’s…

VALENTINE HOLMES CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS 323 METRES GAINED v SYDNEY ROOSTERS His side may have gone down to the Tri-colours, but Valentine Holmes reaffirmed his status as the hottest player in the game with a record-breaking performance at Allianz Stadium. The Sharks fullback has dominated the competition in the second half of the season, with his speed and footwork proving too much for opposition defenders. Last Saturday, he ran for a staggering 323 metres – the most by anyone in a finals game. The previous record was Peta Hiku’s 301 metres back in 2013 when he was with the Sea Eagles. Ironically, he also achieved the feat in Week One of the finals against the Roosters.…

Round 18, 2018 Panthers Stadium Cronulla 24 d. Penrith 12 The Panthers chose to rest Origin halves James Maloney and Nathan Cleary for this clash, while young gun Caleb Aekins was handed his NRL debut at the back. Penrith mounted plenty of early pressure but only had a penalty goal to show for it after the first 10 minutes. The Sharks started to gain momentum at the midway point of the half, and they scored the first try through Sione Katoa after a chaotic left-to-right shift that was started by Edrick Lee. Aekins, who had proven reliable at the back, handed the Sharks their next try through Valentine Holmes after dropping a towering bomb. Penrith started brightly after the break and some sharp passing by Jarome Luai found Waqa Blake…

Round 10, 2018 ANZ Stadium South Sydney 24 d. St George Illawarra 10 Nene Macdonald got off to a horror start, dropping the ball in the first tackle of the day from Angus Crichton. Souths applied plent of early pressure down the left and within two minutes a lightning-quick shift saw Hymel Hunt go over to score. They were in again two minutes later after a short ball from Adam Reynolds sent Crichton over despite the best efforts of Matt Dufty. Both sides had opportunities, with Paul Vaughan going close at one end and Damien Cook terrorising the line, but a Reynolds penalty goal would be the only other score before half-time. Crichton continued his sensational form after the break, scything through the line and holding up tackles, before the…

SYDNEY SHIELD Semi-finals EAST CAMPBELLTOWN 38 (A Potifara 2, A Tovio 2, J Da Silva, A Teariki, T Leato tries; E Connor 4, B Lahey goals) D. ASQUITH 4 (S George try). GUILDFORD 34 (N Masima 3, J King, M Butfield, S Lasalo tries; Masima 5 goals) D. ST MARYS 26 (P Nay 2, A Niulesa, I Thompson, J Abbott tries; Nay 3 goals). ENGLAND SUPER LEAGUE: SUPER 8s WIGAN 25 (O Gildart, S Powell, M Escare, J Greenwood tries; S Tomkins 4 goals; Tomkins field goal) D. WAKEFIELD 10 (T Johnstone, B Tupou tries; R Hampshire goal). WARRINGTON 26 (B Goodwin 2, R Atkins, S Ratchford, T Lineham tries; T Roberts 3 goals) D. HUDDERSFIELD 24 (J Mamo 3, L Gaskell, J Wardle tries; D Brough 2 goals). CASTLEFORD…