2007 NRL GRAND FINAL
Sunday 7:00pm AEST, 30th September 2007, @ Telstra Stadium, Homebush.
V
#1 MELBOURNE STORM
1-13: B Slater, S Turner, M King, I Folau, A Quinn, G Inglis, C Cronk, B Cross, C Smith (c), B White, C Newton, R Hoffman, D Johnson.
Bench: Jeremy Smith, M Geyer, M Crocker, J Lima, J Aubusson, G Crossman, A Blair, S Manu.
Coach: Craig Bellamy.
#2 MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
1-13: B Stewart, M Robertson, S Bell, S Matai, C Hicks, J Lyon, M Orford (c), J King, M Monaghan, B Kite, A Watmough, G Stewart, L Williamson.
Bench: T Burns, G Hall, M Bryant, S Menzies, M Ballin, J Afamasaga, A Cuthbertson.
Coach: Des Hasler.
NSC SAYS: STORM BY 24
Quick Spin:
As good as Manly has been this season – particularly defensively – I just can’t see them touching the Storm in this one. Melbourne dominate the ruck with whatever tactics you want to call them – but they do it so well against any team that relies on their go-forward to give their backs room to move. And if you’re thinking ‘well that’s basically every team’ then you’d be spot on – Melbourne have devised a way to nullify the game-plan of nearly every club in the competition.
That’s quite a feat Mr Bellamy… no matter how close to the borderline of assault those tactics come.
Manly’s outside men love depth and you can only get depth in attack if you have a strong presence going forward and get quick play the balls. If the Storm play as they normally do and slow the play the ball down at an increasing rate throughout the game – the Manly backs will barely see good quality ball.
Melbourne on the other hand have players in their backline that don’t need quality ball to make a break – see Greg Inglis and Billy Slater. If Cooper Cronk and the likely Clive Churchill Medallist Cameron Smith can find some rhythm in their play off the back of some solid forward drives – the Storm will cut the vaunted Manly defence to ribbons.
Predictions:
Melbourne 34 def. Manly 10
Cameron Smith: Clive Churchill Medal
Steve Turner: 1st Tryscorer.
_________________________
Warrick Nicolson
E: wdnicolson@optusnet.com.au
P: 0402851485
dude, you were only an inch off the mark there in your predictions.
Storms, yeeeah!