1. The news that FoxSports leading colour commentator Laurie Daley has signed a five-year deal with Channel Nine is an interesting coup by the free to air network.
Daley who has served alongside play by play man Warren Smith for most of this decade as the Pay TV station’s top commentary team will begin with Channel Nine in 2008 and cited a desire to be involved in the coverage of Finals Football as a compelling reason to switch organisations. Of course plenty of zeroes on his contract would have also been a factor but Daley’s stated desire to cover the 4 weeks in September should be a ringing endorsement for the post-season in the NRL.
When a great of the game like Daley endorses Finals Football like that you would hope the game’s administration would take a closer look at the playoff format and come to their senses and revert back to the Top 5 format that was so successful in the 1980s and early 1990s. If we want quality football throughout September then the game simply must drop the Top 8 McIntyre System and truly reward those teams that qualify for the Finals – instead of allowing teams that play under .500 football over 24 rounds make the big dance.
2. Where do Brisbane and South Sydney go to from here now their 2007 seasons are over?
Both teams face a key off-seasons for different reasons. The Broncos face a lengthy rehabilitation process for most of their top players and in all likelihood won’t be able to work on their structure until early 2008 when Darren Lockyer starts running again. While the Bunnies need to spend all of their summer months on their structure particularly in attack with the addition of Craig Wing a massive boost to their creative ability.
Brisbane were gallant in just making the Finals this season but the team that took on Melbourne could’ve been beaten by any of the 8 teams that missed the Finals this year – and the Broncos can hopefully look forward to better luck in the injury stakes in 2008.
Souths made the Finals for the first time since 1989 and deserved to make it – but only because a Top 8 exists. They would’ve fallen short of September action under a Top 5 format but the motiviation heading into the off-season would’ve been potentially greater than it is now. I wish the Rabbitohs all the best in 2008 but you have to wonder if the side can rally to the Finals again in the face of even greater expectation next season.
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Warrick Nicolson
E: wdnicolson@optusnet.com.au
P: 0402851485
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