Innholdsfortegnelse for 2018 - Grand Final i Big League Weekly Edition

WELCOME to the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. We are nearing the close of a wonderful week – a celebration of rugby league, leading into the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. The grand final pits minor premiers the Sydney Roosters and the 2017 premiers Melbourne Storm up against each other. And there is nothing which suggests that it won’t follow the trend of the 2018 season – being incredibly tight and equally entertaining. Just two points separated the top eight teams over the course of the season, and when you consider that the previous record margin between first and eighth was seven points, this is nothing short of extraordinary. The closeness continued into the finals series. I hope you’ll all agree that the NRL finals provided us with some…

IT’S been a remarkable season for so many reasons – the Warriors finally breaking their finals drought, the Blues doing the same on the State of Origin stage, the incredibly tight finish in the race for the finals and the relentless, heart-stopping finals series itself, not to mention the long awaited arrival of the NRLW competition. Though the close finish gave us a seemingly endless list of possibilities, it’s fitting that this year’s grand final will be decided between the two best teams after 25 rounds. Yes, it was a closely fought competition and the gap between the NRL’s flyers and strugglers is narrower than ever before, but the minor premiership-winning Roosters and the indomitable Storm deserve their places on the field tonight. They’re the two best defensive teams in…

Sunday September 30 GRAND FINAL DAY, ANZ STADIUM 1:15PM Gates Open 1:35PM NRL Holden Women’s Premiership Grand Final Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters 3:40PM NRL Intrust Super State Championship Grand Final Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Redcliffe Dolphins 6:30PM Pre-Grand Final Entertainment commences 7:20PM 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final Sydney Roosters v Melbourne Storm 9:30PM 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final presentation…

FOOTY fans are still blowing up about the fact we never got to see the Raiders and Broncos – the two most dominant sides of the decade – do battle in a ’90s grand final. Thankfully, that won’t be an issue this time around when the Roosters and Storm go toe-to-toe in a heavyweight clash at ANZ Stadium. Who takes out the title is anyone’s guess, but here are some of the key numbers that should help you pick a winner. THE BREAKDOWN The Storm have won five of the past six meetings between the sides, including a 9-8 victory in Adelaide earlier in the year. The Roosters have trailed at half-time in four of those matches, and have failed to reach double figures at the break in all six…

JAMES TEDESCO Sydney Roosters Appearances: 24 Tries: 9 Try assists: 14 Line-break assists: 12 Line-breaks: 15 Tackle-breaks: 157 Avg metres: 192 per game With his move to Bondi during the offseason, the acquisition of James Tedesco was a clear signal of intent from the Roosters. Along with Cooper Cronk, Tedesco’s arrival signalled the dawn of a new era, taking a club that prides itself on consistent success to the next level. Though his time in the Tri-colours got off to a slow start, it didn’t take long for Tedesco to return to the form that earned him a State of Origin debut last year and made him one of the hottest players in the NRL. He may have only scored nine tries this season, but Tedesco has been invaluable to…

FELISE KAUFUSI Melbourne Storm Appearances: 20 Tries: 5 Try assists: 2 Offloads: 19 Avg tackles: 34.4 Tackle efficiency: 91.2 per cent Avg post-contact metres: 32.8 per game THE 2017 premiership, Australian World Cup selection, an Origin debut – it’s been a crazy 12 months for Melbourne’s afro-wearing back-rower, and entirely deserved. While Slater, Smith and Munster draw the focus and major narratives around the club’s trek to the grand final this year, Kaufusi has been plugging away as one of the most reliable – and intimidating – second-rowers in the game. Always a handy scoring option as the Storm shift the ball right, evidenced by his five four-pointers so far this year, Kaufusi is also excellent at initialising second-phase play, like with his offload to Billy Slater for the Storm’s…

BACK ROW (L-R): Poasa Faamausili, Victor Radley, Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Paul Momirovski, Ryan Matterson, Matt Ikuvalu, Nat Butcher, Sean O’Sullivan. MIDDLE ROW: Sitili Tupouniua, Blake Ferguson, Lindsay Collins, Latrell Mitchell, Daniel Tupou, Dylan Napa, Joseph Manu, Zane Tetevano. FRONT ROW: Cooper Cronk, Isaac Liu, Mitchell Aubusson, Jake Friend (co-captain), Trent Robinson (coach), Boyd Cordner (co-captain), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, James Tedesco, Luke Keary.…

What’s impressed you most about Melbourne’s form during the finals? We’ve completed relatively well throughout the finals, and that will always go a long way to helping you to victory. We did that really well for the full 80 minutes against South Sydney and again for the first half against the Sharks, but we let ourselves down a little bit in the second 40 with some silly errors. We’ll need to fix that this week because the Roosters are more than capable of punishing your mistakes. This will be your fifth grand final in seven years Do you have to pinch yourself? I’ve definitely been lucky to be involved in so many grand finals. It’s something I’ll be able to reflect on a bit later in life, but I won’t…

CHELSEA BAKER Age: 32 DOB: March 17, 1986 First Grade Games: 3 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Minutes: 180 Runs: 27 (9) Metres: 332 (110.7) Line-breaks: 4 Try Assists: 0 Offloads: 3 Tackles: 21 (7) Missed Tackles: 2 1 FULLBACK This electric ball-runner was a member of Australia’s successful 2017 Women’s Rugby League World Cup squad and played for Queensland this year. The fullback has scored two tries and kicked 10 goals in three games, and averages 111 running metres. She has a great passing game and is reliable at the back. JULIA ROBINSON Age: 20 DOB: June 1, 1998 First Grade Games: 3 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Minutes: 180 Runs: 32 (10.7) Metres: 288 (96) Line-breaks: 3 Try Assists: 0 Offloads: 1 Tackles: 11 (3.7) Missed Tackles: 1 2 WINGER…

How are you feeling heading into the first NRLW Premiership Grand Final? I’m so excited. It’s also very exciting for the club, for the sponsors and for our families. It’s pretty crazy how it all turned out with two losses and one win, but we’re really glad that we’ve made it. How have preparations been? We’ve had a few training sessions throughout the week and we’ve tried to smooth out our structures and combinations as well as polish everything, so we’re ready for the game. You fell short against the Broncos in Round 2 What have you learned leading into this game? We started really strong, there were two chances that we could have scored, but we didn’t. If we had, it would have been a different game, but the…

Appearances: 11 Tries: 3 Try assists: 2 Offloads: 11 Avg tackles: 26.1 Goal-kicking accuracy: 81.6 per cent Avg attacking metres: 124 pre game AFTER making his mark on the NRL this year, there’s no doubt that Rhyse Martin will be a game-changer for the Bulldogs in the State Championship. The 25-year-old second-rower was awarded a first grade debut in Round 9 after consistently impressive performances in the Intrust Super Premiership throughout 2017 and the beginning of this year. He then went on to secure a starting spot in the second row, score an NRL career-first hat-trick and take over the goal-kicking role, proving himself to be a huge asset to the club and ultimately receiving a one-year contract extension. But, before making a name in the NRL, Martin played a…

AUSTRALIA’S 1988 Bicentennial year was huge for rugby league, with arguably the most significant development the shift to a new headquarters, the Sydney Football Stadium. The Sydney Cricket Ground had hosted every premiership decider since 1951, but the ’88 Grand Final was held next door at the SFS – and the showdown between Canterbury and Balmain brimmed with readymade narratives. Revered coach Warren Ryan was in his first season in charge of the Tigers following a highly successful but equally tempestuous four-year stint at the Belmore. The Bulldogs’ new mentor was the 30-year-old Phil Gould, a Ryan disciple who played under ‘Wok’ at Newtown and Canterbury. The Bulldogs had advanced to their fourth grand final in five seasons via a one-point win over Canberra and a convincing major semi-final defeat…

EVERY year the game bids farewell to a number of high-profile stars, names who’ve defined an era and provided us with the highs and lows that fans and players share – but this year’s retiring class is, on paper at least, more prolific than most. Arguments will always rage around the issue of the best players of all time, but most of them will include names like Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater, two iconic champions of the game who both depart while still in amazing form. The likes of Luke Lewis, Sam Thaiday and more are all stars in their own right, and even those whose time has been cut short have still made an impact. While they won’t be adding points to the board or honurs to their CV…

WELCOME to ANZ Stadium for the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final, one of Australia’s biggest sporting events. The NRL Grand Final attracts visitors from around Australia and the world to Sydney, to enjoy our many wonderful attractions, stunning coastline and world-class restaurants. The NSW Government is proud to have secured this year’s NRL Grand Final for Sydney. We have also secured the grand final for the next 25 years, ensuring the harbour city remains its long-term home. We are also investing in new facilities to make sure that rugby league fans can have the best experience on game day – starting with a brand new Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta opening next year. The NRL Grand Final is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate rugby league and…

WHEN the final siren sounded last Saturday night and I knew we were heading to the grand final I was overcome with a mixture of excitement, relief and happiness. I was a part of the Roosters’ 2013 Grand Final winning team, so I know what victory feels like, but I was also a part of the Roosters squad that got knocked out in the preliminary final in 2014, 2015 and 2017, so I know what heartbreak feels like too. After getting so close three times, only to fall one short, you start to appreciate how hard it is to make a grand final – and that’s something I’ll carry with me into Sunday’s game. It’s been such a great year for the Roosters. We won the minor premiership and we…

IF I was to give advice to someone playing in their first grand final, it would be to enjoy the whole experience. Playing in the biggest game of the year doesn’t come around often, so enjoy the ride and don’t let nerves get in your way. It’s important to understand that you’re there for a reason and that your talent brought you to the grand final. It’s also important not to overthink things because you’ve got to stay focused on your role. If you overthink things, you’ll burn off a lot of nervous energy and it can be to you detriment. You’ve got to stay as relaxed as possible all day. From the moment you wake up on grand final day, the nerves kick in and you realise it’s going…

David Middleton League Historian Storm by 7 CC: Felise Kaufusi State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos Michael Carayannis The Sunday Telegraph Roosters by 4 CC: Latrell Mitchell State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos Rebecca Hart Reader Tipster Storm by 14 CC: Cameron Munster State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos Pamela Whaley Fox League Roosters by 2 CC: Latrell Mitchell State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos Footyhead Little League Storm by 6 CC: Cameron Munster State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos Michael Chammas NRL.com Storm by 8 CC: Cameron Munster State Champs: Bulldogs NRLW: Broncos David Piepers Editor Storm by 8 Clive Churchill: Felise Kaufusi Michael Blok Staff Writer Roosters by 2 Clive Churchill: Luke Keary Martin Gabor Staff Writer Storm by 4 Clive Churchill: Cameron Smith Darcie McDonald Staff Writer Roosters by 4 Clive Churchill:…

BILLY SLATER Age: 35 DOB: June 18, 1983 Height: 178cm Weight: 88kg Previous NRL Clubs: Nil First Grade Debut: Melbourne v Cronulla, Toyota Park, R1, 2003 First Grade Games: 318 Finals Appearances: 31 SEASON STATS Games: 19 Minutes: 1,505 Runs: 279 (14.7) Metres: 2,293 (120.7) Line-breaks: 10 Try Assists: 13 Offloads: 25 Tackles: 81 (4.3) Missed Tackles: 25 1 FULLBACK He could go around again next year and dominate, but the superstar fullback has picked tonight as his final game in the NRL. The Immortal-in-waiting remains one of the best ball-carriers in the world, while his goal-line defence, aerial ability and pass selection are as good as ever. A ring would be the perfect farewell gift. SULIASI VUNIVALU Age: 22 DOB: November 27, 1995 Height: 192cm Weight: 99kg Previous NRL…

AFTER a year full of twists and turns, surprise packets, upsets, new faces and intense closeness, it feels a little strange to have the two teams in the grand final that many predicted before a ball had even been kicked. The Roosters and Storm have reached today’s game as the two best sides in the competition, even if all that separated them from missing the finals all together was four competition points. Combined, they’ve played in 15 grand finals since 1999, earmarking them as the two most successful teams of the modern era, yet they’ve never faced off on the biggest stage of all – until tonight. The Roosters claimed the minor premiership behind an impressive team mentality, a bruising defensive approach and the acquisition of two genuine match-winners in…

KARINA BROWN Age: 29 DOB: March 9, 1989 First Grade Games: 3 SEASON STATS Games: 3 Minutes: 180 Runs: 27 (9) Metres: 195 (65) Line-breaks: 1 Try Assists: 1 Offloads: 0 Tackles: 18 (6) Missed Tackles: 2 1 FULLBACK The fullback was Queensland’s lone try-scorer in the inaugural Women’s State of Origin match this year. She’s also made a name for herself with her impressive performances for the Jillaroos. She averages 65 metres a game and has recorded 11 tackle-breaks in three games. Reliable at the back. BRYDIE PARKER Age: 18 DOB: October 25, 1999 First Grade Games: 1 SEASON STATS Games: 1 Minutes: 60 Runs: 8 (8) Metres: 59 (59) Line-breaks: 0 Try Assists: 0 Offloads: 0 Tackles: 2 (2) Missed Tackles: 2 2 WINGER The Muswellbrook local was…

WHILE Redcliffe and the Bulldogs may be on a high from taking out the Intrust Super Cup and Intrust Super Premiership respectively last weekend, they still have one more step to go before they claim the ultimate bragging rights in the Intrust Super State Championship. Tonight’s game between the two is gearing up to be a big one. The Bulldogs come off the back of a superb defensive effort against Newtown to claim the ISP, while Redcliffe put on their best attacking efforts to defeat Easts Tigers to win their first ISC Trophy since 2006. With the likes of Josh Cleeland, Lachlan Burr and Renouf To’omaga, the Bulldogs pose a threat across the park. Cleeland has been ready to step up into the NRL for years, but is still waiting…

TRAI FULLER DOB: April 8, 1997 Junior Club: Eidsvold Eagles Height: 172cm Weight: 80kg 1 FULLBACK JOSH BEEHAG DOB: April 22, 1995 Junior Club: Redcliffe Dolphins Height: 180cm Weight: 91kg 2 WINGER KOTONI STAGGS DOB: October 29, 1998 Junior Club: Wellington Cowboys Height:185cm Weight: 92kg 3 CENTRE TOM OPACIC DOB: September 7, 1994 Junior Club: Redcliffe Dolphins Height: 183cm Weight: 100kg 4 CENTRE JEREMY HAWKINS DOB: May 15, 1993 Junior Club: Randwick Kingfishers Height: 181cm Weight: 101kg 5 WINGER BRYCE DONOVAN DOB: February 8, 1995 Junior Club: Western Suburbs Height: 183cm Weight: 85kg 6 FIVE EIGHTH CAMERON CULLEN (C) DOB: September 9, 1993 Junior Club: Tweed Coast Raiders Height: 165cm Weight: 86kg 7 HALFBACK NATHAN WATTS DOB: September 18, 1996 Junior Club: Redcliffe Dolphins Height: 186cm Weight: 102kg 16 PROP…

IF the elevation of six players to the ranks of the Immortals in August represented the highest point of the 2018 season then the loss of legendary fullback Graeme ‘Changa’ Langlands in January was its lowest. Langlands was an intrinsic figure for St George as they extended their unprecedented run of grand final victories from seven when he arrived from Wollongong ahead of the 1963 season to a world record 11 when it ended with a preliminary final loss to Canterbury in 1967. Langlands was best known as a fullback, striding into the backline and shredding defences with a wicked step honed during a childhood on the NSW South Coast. But when the situation warranted, he was equally devastating at centre. On his first Kangaroo tour in 1963-64, Langlands was…

WELCOME to the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. This year has seen the closest-fought minor premiership in history, with minor premiers the Sydney Roosters separated from the eighth-placed Warriors by two competition points. I want to congratulate the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm for reaching the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. At Telstra, our focus is on creating brilliant connected experiences for our customers through our world-leading mobile network, emerging technologies, and innovation. The quality of football on display each week is one of the reasons we have supported the NRL for almost 20 years as naming rights partner.ln fact, tight matches have greatly contributed to the surge in viewership figures on the NRL Official App and Live Pass, as we have brought fans closer to the action,…

I’M so proud of this club for making their third grand final in as many years. It’s not easy to compare past achievements – especially when you’re coming off premiership success – but moments after our game against the Sharks, we were able to reflect on what’s been a special few months. If you’d told us at the start of 2018 that we’d host a preliminary final with a chance of being in another grand final, I’d have grabbed it with both hands and ran for my life with that offer. On the back of losing so much experience in Cooper Cronk, Tohu Harris, Jordan McLean and Slade Griffin from the premiership-winning side, it was always going to be a significant challenge for our side to return to the heights…

AFTER 25 gruelling rounds and a tense finals series, the two best sides of 2018 will face off for premiership glory – we’re set for a great grand final. Given how tough and close the competition has been, the Roosters and Melbourne both deserve to be playing on the biggest stage this week. The Roosters have been the best defensive side all season and the Storm haven’t been far behind. The Tri-colours started the season as premiership favourites after signing representative players James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk. They took a little while to develop in the new system, but have been outstanding lately. Even when their attack struggled earlier in the season, their defence remained intact the whole time and that’s the reason they’ve had so much success in 2018.…

JAMES TEDESCO Age: 25 DOB: January 8, 1993 Height: 184cm Weight: 95kg Previous NRL Clubs: Wests Tigers First Grade Debut: Wests Tigers v Cronulla, Leichhardt Oval, R1, 2012 First Grade Games: 114 Finals Appearances: 2 SEASON STATS Games: 24 Minutes: 1,908 Runs: 415 (17.3) Metres: 4,475 (186.5) Line-breaks: 15 Try Assists: 14 Offloads: 26 Tackles: 115 (4.8) Missed Tackles: 24 1 FULLBACK As one of the two marquee signings for the Roosters, Tedesco has not disappointed. The New South Wales fullback is reliable under the high ball and has tricky footwork that can dance around any of his opponents. This may be Tedesco’s first grand final, but he’s no stranger to big games. DANIEL TUPOU Age: 27 DOB: June 17, 1991 Height: 196cm Weight: 105kg Previous NRL Clubs: Nil First…

You’re into you first NRL grand final – how are you feeling? I’m stoked. I don’t know what to think of it because I’ve never been in a position like it. I’m so happy to be in the grand final, but I don’t think I’ll be happy unless we win. I’m going to sound like any other player that’s done this before, but playing in a grand final is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a young kid. I never thought I’d ever be in this position, especially this early in my career. I don’t want to take it for granted so I know I’ve got to give it my all when the game starts. I’m really looking forward to the lead up to the big match. There’s going…

THE NRLW grand final will be a battle between the most consistent te m in the competition and a side who barely pdn h d drwit a star-studded line-up capable of an upset. The Broncos enter the grand final as clear favou ites after comfortably winning all three round robin matches. They opened their campaign with a 30-4 triumph over St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium as fullback Chelsea Baker scored two tries and booted five goals from six attempts. They continued their winning ways with 10-point win over the Roosters in Round 2 thanks to tries to Ali Brigginshaw, Teuila Fotu-Moala and Meg Ward. They kept their perfect record with 32-10 win over the Warriors at AAMI Park. Heading into the match, they were all but assured of a…

The Broncos have looked the goods from the get-go, so how did it feel to see a well-worked set play come off against the Warriors? Every team has got their set plays, but it’s just a matter of reading the defence. We’ve got some elusive wingers in our side with plenty of speed, and it just so happened that we decided to run one of our scrum plays against the Warriors. Everyone did their job, and Julia Robinson was good enough to finish off the try. She’s known for her speed, and she executed it beautifully. You shifted to the halves midway through the second half How was that experience? I play in the halves back home, but fullback is my preferred position. We had a plan to rest some…

MASON CERRUTO DOB: January 22, 1996 Junior Club: Camden Rams Height: 190cm Weight: 95kg 1 FULLBACK JOSH BERGAMIN DOB: May 5, 1996 Junior Club: Cabramatta Height: 185cm Weight: 86kg 2 WINGER MORGAN HARPER DOB: August 28, 1998 Junior Club: Ngaruawahia Panthers Height: 187cm Weight: 92kg 3 CENTRE JOHN OLIVE DOB: November 4, 1996 Junior Club: Kingsgrove Colts Height: 186cm Weight: 99kg 4 CENTRE JAYDEN OKUNBOR DOB: March 2, 1997 Junior Club: Milperra Colts Height: 196cm Weight: 103kg 5 WINGER JOSH CLEELAND DOB: August 19, 1996 Junior Club: Westend Bulldogs Height: 180cm Weight: 92kg 6 FIVE EIGHTH FA’AMANU BROWN DOB: December 24, 1994 Junior Club: Hornby Panthers Height: 183cm Weight: 90kg 7 HALFBACK RENOUF TO’OMAGA DOB: June 25, 1995 Junior Club: Porirua Vikings Height: 190cm Weight: 110cm 8 PROP ZAC WOOLFORD…

Appearances: 14 Points: 178 Tries: 13 Line-breaks: 16 Tackle-breaks: 57 Offloads: 8 Goal-kicking accuracy: 75.9 per cent AT just 19 years, Kotoni Staggs has proved he has the talent for a long and illustrious NRL career. The powerful centre – who can also play back row – has had a season to remember, making his NRL debut and going on to play eight more games for the Broncos. Staggs’ NRL debut didn’t come easy, with plenty of talented outside backs around him, but he leap-frogged Redcliffe team-mate Tom Opacic to claim a spot in first grade. His season for the Dolphins has also been nothing short of spectacular, with Round 24’s performance being a particular stand out. The young gun scored four tries, made five line-breaks, had two try assists…

CANBERRA Mal Meninga Medal: Josh Papalii Rookie of the Year: Emre Guler NRL Coaches Award: Nick Cotric Clubman of the Year: Michael Oldfield Career & Education Award: Joe Tapine Junior Representative Player of the Year: Jack Murchie CANTERBURYBANKSTOWN Dr George Peponis Player of the Year: David Klemmer Jersey Flegg Player of the Year: Kayne Kalache Terry Lamb ISP Player of the Year: Lachlan Burr Steve Mortimer Rookie of the Year: Lachlan Lewis Les Johns Clubman of the Year: Aiden Tolman Women’s Premiership Player of the Year: Elianna Walton NRL Coaches Award: Josh Jackson GOLD COAST Paul Broughton Medal: Ryan James Coaches Award: Michael Gordon Rookie of the Year: AJ Brimson Members’ MVP: Anthony Don Try of the Year: Phillip Sami MANLY WARRINGAH NRL Roy Bull Best & Fairest: Jake Trbojevic…