It's a marketers dream. The pride of the league looking for their first grand final victory since the glory days, pitched against the best supported team in rugby league.
(pic credit - www.sportal.com.au)
After victories over the weekend to Souths and Canterbury the hottest ticket this century is the one to ANZ stadium next Sunday.
The games played out this weekend were contrasting to say the least. The Friday night match-up was like a grand final with intensity and execution at its best. The Rabbitohs started slowly after having the week off, but once they clicked into gear they dominated on both sides of the ledger with their defence just as clinical as their attack. They regularly pinned the Roosters in their own end, then complementing by snatching back metres with their solid ‘D’. In the end the big bodies of Souths grinded away at the Roosters, allowing them to score some simple tries through the continual bombardment.
The resurgence mid-way through the first half coincided with Ben Teo's introduction off the bench and he terrorised James Maloney down the Roosters left edge. It shows the depth Souths have at their disposal with both him and Chris McQueen starting on the bench. No other team has the luxury of being able to introduce 2 Origin players off the bench. Credit must go to their coaching staff with the Rabbitohs having all their players available for selection. This is an art in itself and requires a bit of luck, but without meticulous and comprehensive planning and structures this would not be the case. Without doubt, this game had you enthralled the entire 80 minutes which was in stark contrast to the night after, where there was a lack of intensity coupled with poor execution of structure.
The big stage definitely had its impact on the Panthers in particular, with their attack anything but fluent the entire match. They looked like they had played the game before they got out on the field. That being said, it takes away nothing from their season, which can only be described as sensational and surely will mean Ivan Cleary is rewarded by being named Coach of the Year for the 2014 season. Penrith’s transformation should inspire others who are currently treading water, to realise if you get your top end in order then the rest flows down from that. Plenty of high profile people in the organisation were cut adrift when Gould and Cleary took over; you want your leaders to have a voice, but more importantly you want them to represent the culture you are trying to implement. It was seen by those that mattered at the Panthers that some leading players and high profile management were not going to have those attributes so they had to go. You then have to get results, and the proof is definitely in the pudding out at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Their battle now is similar to what they faced last night, where the landscape has changed; the reality is that they’ll be seen as genuine high achievers, with the expectations bound to be on the rise in 2015.
The same can be said this week for the Rabbitohs, who’ll carry the expectations of generations of fans who has never seen them lift the NRL trophy. The large percentage of media this week will centre around them, which in usual circumstances could work in the favour of the Bulldogs, but the Rabbits have players like Inglis and Burgess who actually thrive on expectation. They will lead the way in keeping things calm throughout the week; this side has a considerable amount of young players in their camp, so their calming influence will be as important as their performances out on the field next Sunday.
The other sub plot is that both teams could be without their number 9’s, with both Isaac Luke and Michael Ennis in danger of missing the match. If Micheal Ennis doesn't play, then the Bulldogs are no hope. Yet I think that Souths can handle the prospect of not having Isaac Luke if he is suspended. I would use Keary in that role and play with 6 forwards, with Sutton dropping into the halves in attack, meaning they could then start with Ben Teo on an edge. However the scenario plays out, I think the Bulldogs have achieved all they could out of the season by making the Grand Final and I can't see anything but a Rabbitohs victory. They have too much speed and the Bulldogs will not handle them defensively, with Souths big men being able to continually get forward with speed and agility freeing up space for Inglis and their edge men to convert. Whatever the result rugby league will be seen at its best with an atmosphere that will rival that of anything in world sport if the match in the preliminary final 2 years ago is anything to go by.
Cheers until then,
Andrew