Innholdsfortegnelse for 2018 - Finals Week 3 i Big League Weekly Edition

SOUTH Sydney back-rower Angus Crichton is preparing for the biggest game of his young NRL career when the Rabbitohs face the Roosters for a place in the grand final. It will be the first time Crichton has played in a preliminary final and it happens to be against the club he’s joining next season. Although it would be easy to be distracted this week leading up to the all-important clash, Crichton says he’ll approach the Roosters like any other match. “It’s going to be the same as any other game,” the 22-year-old told Big League. “I’m going to prepare the same way. I’ll get up for it the same way I would against any other team.” “Right now I’m wearing a red and green jersey, playing for the mighty Rabbitohs…

SHARKS hooker Jayden Brailey believes if his team can keep a lid on the Storm’s superstar back line in Friday’s preliminary final they’ll be able to take control of the game. “Their back five is probably the biggest thing,” Brailey told Big League. “We’ve got to shut them down, because in their own end they give their forwards a bit of a rest and carry a fair bit, so if we do a good job on them and dominate their forwards it’ll be hard for their spine to play some good football. We’re just going to have to be switched on and have our best game for the year.” Following the Sharks’ one-point win over the Panthers last weekend, their dressing sheds were oddly quiet. Brailey put this down to…

PLENTY will be written and said in the build-up to Saturday night’s preliminary final between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs, but so many younger fans could not possibly appreciate the rich history between the two. Based on the volume of matches, it’s clearly Australian rugby league’s longest-stretching rivalry. Saturday night will be the 219th meeting of the two, with the Roosters’ win in Round 22 this year their 100th all-time. Since 1908, South Sydney have recorded 113 victories, while there have been five draws. The location of Allianz Stadium is just a few hundred metres away from where they first met in 1908. At the then Sydney Showground on May 16, a fierce rivalry was born as Easts won 13-12. The Rabbitohs paid the price for poor goal-kicking on the…

It’s a knockout SBS and NITV are combining on the grand final long weekend to bring viewers all the action from the Koori Knockout, held at Dubbo’s Apex Oval. It marks NITV’s 11th consecutive year of broadcasting the event – known as one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous peoples in the world. The tournament will consist of more than 100 Indigenous teams from regional and metropolitan NSW battling for the title, and will be broadcast on SBS in HD and also on Facebook Live. Birthday bash NRLW star Jessica Sergis had a 21st birthday to remember on Saturday with her nearest and dearest either sitting in the crowd or warming up to play a game of their own. The Dragons centre starred in the team’s first win of the…

STORM halfback Brodie Croft is no stranger to the Cooper Cronk comparisons. They play the same position, they’ve got the same number of letters in their first and surnames and they’re separated by just one centimetre and three kilos according to the 2018 season guide. So when Cronk decided to leave Melbourne for Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, many assumed the former Junior Kangaroos skipper would simply step in as Cooper 2.0. It’s a tag Croft naturally wanted to avoid. He’d made a name himself last season with a clutch field goal to down the Cowboys during the Origin period and then bagged a hat-trick against the Knights in Round 24. The comparisons continued in Round 1, when he led the Storm to a convincing win in Perth. Everything was going to…

WHILE most people use Monday mornings as an opportunity to gossip about what went down on the weekend, the Big League crew spend the first hour of every week breaking down what happened in the NRL. Over coffees, bacon and egg rolls, and banana smoothies, we looked back at every game before dishing out points on a 3-2-1 basis on who we thought stole the show. We’ve polled the votes for the season, and after two years of locks dominating the award, we are proud to announce Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster as the Big League Player of the Year for 2018. Munster finished on 24 points, three points clear of South Sydney’s Damien Cook and Storm team-mate Cameron Smith. Other players of note in the top 10 were Jason Taumalolo,…

• I was born in Melbourne, Victoria • I was the first player born in Victoria to play for Melbourne • I made my NRL debut in 2012 • I have one of the most iconic hairstyles in the NRL • I’ve played six Tests for Tonga • I won consecutive Challenge Cup titles with Hull FC UNFORTUNATELY this is the last Little League for 2018! Thank you so much to all our readers and everyone who submitted drawings. Just remember – we’re still accepting pictures for Round 1, 2019! If yours appears here you’ll win a STEEDEN team ball, so send them 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…

AARON WOODS CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS 6 MINUTES LESS PER GAME When you’ve played at Origin and Test level, leaving your new club to take an interchange spot at another might not seem like the most enticing idea – but it’s worked wonders for Woods since his move from Belmore to the Shire. Even though he’s averaging fewer minutes each week, his input hasn’t decreased, with a noticeable boost in metres gained and tackle-breaks – he’s only gone below his season average for metres three times in 11 games at the Sharks. Though his tackle rate hasn’t moved, his missed tackles have decreased, and his error rate has also taken a hit in conjunction with the smaller number of offloads he attempts. While Woods arrived at the Sharks under strange circumstances, it…

Round 22, 2018 AAMI Park Cronulla 17 d. Melbourne 14 The Sharks came close early, only for Luke Lewis to spill the ball on the line – and Cam Smith almost had a 40/20 soon after but for the brilliance of Valentine Holmes. Five minutes later it was Jayden Brailey who opened the scoring, burrowing over from dummy-half. After a series of near misses and poor ball handling, the Storm finally hit back when Suliasi Vunivalu caught a Will Chambers flick pass. The Storm enjoyed a dominant period but couldn’t convert it into points, and the Sharks made them pay whenHolmes (above) caughtafloatingpassfrom Sosaia Feki. A Chad Townsend field goal closed out the half, but a try to Billy Slater soon after the break brought the gap back to three…

TWO games, two points deciding whose season ends in heartbreak. While I feel for the Panthers and Dragons, the continual on-field reminders that this is the closest season in recent memory keep us itching for the next instalment - and what a round of fixtures we have this weekend. Bring. It. On. WHAT a year – it seems like only yesterday Tyson Frizell grabbed the first try, but a lot has happened since. A competition as close as this year’s NRL is always going to generate debate, but there has been a distinctly divisive edge to many aspects of this season. As fans we’ve demanded more from referees, then many instantly demanded less when the officials took a stand. We’ve complained about the abundance of negative reporting in the media…

STORM flyer Josh Addo-Carr says Will Chambers owes the team nothing as he prepares to make his return from a three-game ban in Friday night’s preliminary final showdown with the Sharks. The star centre was charged for a crusher tackle on Jarryd Hayne during the Round 23 win over the Eels, and should be fresh for the grand final qualifier against Cronulla. Chambers was also hit with a two-game ban for a grapple tackle on Paul Gallen when the sides met earlier in the year and has been involved in several verbal stoushes with Sharks players over recent seasons. While plenty of focus will be on Chambers on Friday night, Addo-Carr is backing his teammate to put the hype to one side in what shapes as Melbourne’s biggest game of…

How exciting was it when the Dragons claimed their first win of the NRLW against the Warriors last Saturday? It was awesome. The atmosphere was so good and it was great to get the win – I loved it. We played so much better than our first game against Brisbane because the girls gelled a little bit more. Hopefully we can continue our winning ways again this week. How important is this weekend’s game against the Roosters? The game against the Warriors was a must-win, but this week is more of a do-or-die. We know how important this game is and if we can win there’s a good chance we’ll be in the grand final. We want to get the win and create history by playing in the first final.…

IMAGINE playing more than 300 NRL games, dominating in the rep scene and being a fan favourite, only for people to spend their lives reminding you that you’ve never won a premiership. I feel sorry for Andrew Ettingshausen, but I also know how he feels. Winning a premiership is tough, but getting to the grand final is just as hard. I started my career in 1998 with the Eels and we reached the preliminary final with plenty of confidence. Things looked good at 18-2, but you’re never safe no matter the score. The Bulldogs stormed home and got us in extra-time. It’s the one that got away and still hurts to this day. A similar thing happened against the Storm the following year. We were probably the better side on…

IF the stakes weren’t already high for Blake Ferguson in Saturday’s preliminary final, it could also be his last game for the Roosters. After four seasons in the Tri-colours, the 28-year-old winger will join the Eels next season on a three-year deal. But before he looks ahead to his future, Ferguson has business to finish with the Roosters. “Playing my last game is not even in my thought process to be honest,” Ferguson tells Big League. “I’m excited to go there for three years, but I need to focus on what we’re doing here, make every game count, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Ferguson is so committed to finishing off the year strongly with the Roosters that he agreed to terms with the Eels back in July, so…

‘It’s not hard to get up for these games Throw in the bonus of it being a prelim and it certainly makes it even more special ’ WHEN the scores are locked in the dying stages, there’s one man you want on your side – Adam Reynolds. He’s cool, calm and composed, and somehow doesn’t seem to know how to miss a field goal. The Rabbitohs halfback leads the competition for most one-pointers in 2018, having nailed five of them this season. Reynolds was the iceman in last Saturday night’s thrilling 13-12 semi-final win over St George Illawarra, scoring all of his side’s points including three field goals from as many attempts – two in the final four minutes. He became the first man since Jason Taylor in 1997 to…

At the end of every season, Footyhead gives out a few highly-prized trophies, including the coveted Golden Footyhead. Tipster of the Year Award: Before Round 1, when the majority of pundits predicted the Cowboys were the team to beat, I looked in my crystal football and saw that they were no chance. When few gave Souths much hope, I named the Bunnies and the Storm as the two leading contenders – so the award goes to me! Golden Footyhead Finalists: Each year, this prize goes to one of the young stars I interviewed during the season. I’m looking for the player who consistently contributed best to the success of his team. This year, the finalists were Cronulla’s Jayden Brailey, Brisbane’s Jamayne Isaako, Cameron Murray from the Rabbitohs, David Fusitu’a from…

SHARK  AFTER a neck-and-neck game with the Panthers last weekend, the Sharks secured a spot in the preliminary final against the Storm and their first finals match against their south-of-the-border rivals since the 2016 Grand Final. Sharks forward Kurt Capewell (right) is anticipating a gritty game against Melbourne and knows it will be a challenge to beat the defending premiers at their home ground. “A hundred per cent it will be tough. Melbourne in Melbourne is never easy, and they’ll be fresh,” he said. “I think we’re definitely up to it. We’re in pretty good form, so I can’t wait to get in there and jump into them.” The 25-year-old also praised team-mate Valentine Holmes, whose spontaneous short kick-off in the dying minutes of last weekend’s match led to Chad…

AAMI Park Friday 7.40pm Form: The Storm earned a week’s break courtesy of their last-ditch 29-28 victory over the Rabbitohs in the opening game of the finals series. They did it without centre Will Chambers (suspended) and injured prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, both of whom will return for this clash. Cronulla made their way to Melbourne after dropping their opening finals game to the Roosters before seeing off the Panthers in dramatic fashion at Allianz Stadium last Friday night. History: The Sharks have proved a menace for the Storm in recent seasons, winning four of the past five encounters, including the 2016 Grand Final. They were victorious in home and away fixtures this season for the first time since 2005 when they won 14-4 at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Round…

Allianz Stadium Saturday 7.40pm Form: The Roosters sat back and relaxed while the Rabbitohs battled through the pressure of a sudden death semi-final against the Dragons last weekend. Trent Robinson’s side earned the break following their 21-12 defeat of the Sharks a fortnight ago. The Rabbitohs, meanwhile, were forced to slug it out with the Dragons after going down by a point to the Storm in a desperately fought qualifying final a week earlier. The Roosters go into this contest with a record of seven wins from their past nine games, while the Rabbitohs have managed just two wins from their past six starts. History: These teams have been going at it for 110 years and despite the Rabbitohs holding an advantage in wins (113-100), the points difference after 218…

Round 22, 2018 ANZ Stadium Sydney Roosters 18 d. South Sydney 14 The Rabbitohs couldn’t have asked for a better start after Sio Siua Taukeiaho spilled the first pass into the grateful arms of Sam Burgess, and within two minutes South Sydney led from a penalty goal. The Rabbitohs piled on the pressure but couldn’t add to the score, and the Roosters made them pay after a Victor Radley offload sent James Tedesco through. The Roosters scored again after Radley drew a penalty, but South Sydney pulled level again when Adam Reynolds chased his own grubber into the in-goal. Another Roosters penalty gave them a half-time lead, and it was more of the same after the break as Reynolds added another penalty goal to the growing list. The Roosters went…

THE NRLW is set for a thrilling finish with all four teams still in the running to qualify for Sunday week’s grand final. The Broncos have all but secured their place in the competition’s maiden decider after claiming two wins from as many games. Meanwhile the Warriors, Dragons and Roosters will all be fighting for the chance to play on grand final day. The Roosters sit on the bottom of the ladder following two losses in the opening fortnight; however a win over the Dragons on Saturday evening could see them jump into second place. They may have scored just eight points so far in the tournament, but coach Adam Hartigan expects their attack to click this time around and has faith his side can still make the final. “We…

WITH star centre and regular goal-kicker Latrell Mitchell ruled out of Saturday’s preliminary final due to suspension, the kicking duties look likely to be handed over to winger Blake Ferguson. The 28-year-old shared the role earlier in the year with Sio Siua Taukeiaho while Mitchell had State of Origin duties and is expecting to step up to the plate again. “I think I’ll be doing it, but we’ll see how we go. I’ve practised a bit this week – I always do though,” Ferguson told Big League. Despite only successfully kicking six goals this season and this weekend being a high-pressure game, Ferguson isn’t too concerned about the extra responsibility. “I don’t get nervous at the best of times, so I’ll just kick the ball in the middle of the…

THERE are a lot of serious personalities in rugby league and then there’s Fox League’s ‘The Professor’ – a character played by James Rochford, who heads a tongue-in-cheek magazine show called The Professor’s Farewell Tour every Friday night, poking fun at players, coaches and pressing issues in the NRL. Joining him each week are former players Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh and Brett Finch, as well as comedian Andrew Barnett. They all add a different element to the show. And in October, the cast of The Professor’s Farewell Tour will live up to the name by taking a new live show around New South Wales. “It’s The Professor’s Mad Monday – a live show extravaganza, starring Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, Brett Finch, myself and Andrew Barnett from our Friday night show.…

EVERY young player has a superstar they dream of playing against, and it’s no different for Jayden Brailey, who looked up to Cameron Smith. He’s played against the legendary hooker a number of times, but has never faced him in a finals match until this week. On Friday, Brailey will take the field for the biggest game of his career so far – opposite his idol. “When I started playing hooker at about 14, I always looked up to Cameron Smith,” Brailey tells Big League. “I’ve been fortunate enough to verse him a few times and every time I do I circle it on the calendar. I’m really looking forward to it, especially because of how big the game is and what’s on the line.” The 22-year-old rake has become…

YOU wouldn’t be able to tell by the way she’s killing it in the NRLW, but the past month has been exhausting for Warriors fullback Apii Nicholls. On top of travelling from New Zealand to Australia each week to play in the new competition, Nicholls has also continued her full-time job as a police officer back home. For most, playing a professional sport would be tiring enough, but Nicholls returns home to work long shifts several times a week – proving her commitment to rugby league and typifying the sacrifice she and other women make to play in the NRLW. The fullback admits the heavy schedule is draining, but she wouldn’t have it any other way because she knows how special this opportunity is. “I might be exhausted, but it’s…

THE NRL is currently working on some exciting new initiatives that hope to further enhance young people’s experiences in the game. One program that has immense potential is the RISE Rugby League Development program, trialled on the Gold Coast and Coffs Harbour throughout 2018. The program offers aspirational 13-15-year-olds opportunities to develop their rugby league skills, physical conditioning and socio-emotional wellbeing through a partnership with Griffith University’s Life-Fit Program. The program is supported by Australian Kangaroos Coach Mal Meninga, who initiated the RISE values along with the current Australian Kangaroos playing group. RISE endorses a set of values and daily actions that inspire people to reach their full potential, both on and off the field. Mal and Jillaroos Head Coach Brad Donald were on the Gold Coast recently to congratulate…

IT’S been quite a season for women’s rugby league, when you consider everything that’s happened wasn’t expected to occur for another couple of years. The players, the fans, the clubs, even most of the administrators – nearly everyone thought a women’s competition was due around 2020 or 2021. Instead, the foot hit the accelerator and in the space of a year the NRLW Premiership has begun. It’s not perfect; it’s definitely a work in progress. Next year it may not look anything like what it does now. It may be at a different time of year and in a different format. Or it could be almost exactly the same – it’s wait and see at this point. However, what those involved know is that the work put in to get…

Q Did Valentine Holmes tell anyone about that short kick-off? A I didn’t see it coming, but Val backed himself and it came off. I’ve never seen him do it at training, so my first thought was, “I hope this comes off.” When it did, we were able to get down their end, apply pressure and come away with the field goal. It was a huge play, so we’re just happy he nailed it. Q There was nothing easy about the winning field goal, but Chad Townsend made it look like a piece of cake… A That’s just Chad – he’s calm under pressure. He’s the one who calls the shots and he loves to step up in the big moments. He’s kicked a few field…

Q How good is it to know you have a guy like Adam Reynolds in your team who can kick field goals in the clutch moments? A Adam’s kicking is up there with the best in the competition. It means a lot to have him in the side because when we get in position we know we can rely on him to kick field goals in the big moments. He puts in so much work at training with his kicking, so we’re always confident his hard work will pay off in games. Q Cameron Murray was huge against the Dragons How important was that strip late in the game? A He’s been massive for us. We’ve all known the potential that he’s got, and everyone is starting…

SYDNEY SHIELD Prelim Finals EAST CAMPBELLTOWN 24 (M Talolua 2, T Leato, B Lahey tries; E Connor 4 goals) D. MOOREBANK 20 (L Hauff 2, J Wilkinson, A Maungaati tries; N Williams 2 goals). GUILDFORD 24 (D Vasek, J Porter, N Masima, C Eyles tries; Masima 4 goals) D. WENTWORTHVILLE 22 (K Apouri 2, E Navale, B Newton tries; Newton 3 goals). ENGLAND SUPER LEAGUE: SUPER 8s CASTLEFORD 44 (J Moors 2, G Eden, J Webster, J Clare, M McMeeken, P Mata’utia, G Millington tries; P McShane 6 goals) D. HUDDERSFIELD 12 (A O’Brien, L Gaskell tries; D Brough 2 goals). WIGAN 26 (D Manfredi 2, T Leuluai, R Sutton tries; S Tomkins 4, G Williams goals) D. WARRINGTON 6 (S Ratchford try; D Patton goal). WAKEFIELD 34 (T Johnstone…