The Roosters Are Not Done, The Sharks Certainly Are: There was one stark difference between winners Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters over the weekend: one team fell on their laurels while the other had the killer instinct.
The Sharks had their foot on the throat against the Cowboys but in true Cronulla fashion nearly threw it away by going into their shell, not respecting the ball and hoping they had enough points on the board. The Roosters did not stop against the Sea Eagles even with the game all but over, led by James Tedesco. It was inspirational leadership and it dragged the entire team along.
Combined with a tougher matchup this week, the Sharks are dusted. Penrith are not beatable and the Sharks are not the team to test that.
While the Storm are deserved favourites, the Chooks are not done. They can win the wrestle and if Tedesco plays like he did on Saturday, it is game well and truly on.
NRLW Finals Preview: A wonderful NRLW regular season has come to a close – way too quickly mind – and we are down to four. Of the six that missed out, the Titans were the most disappointing. Considering the talent they have, they were downright dreadful and are going nowhere until they find a decent half to pair with Loz Brown or a decent hooker. The Eels and Cowboys both improved too.
It is finals time though and one team with a foot virtually in the decider is the Broncos. They meet a Sharks team coming off a horrid loss to the Wests Tigers and are arguably the most fraudulent team in the NRLW. They have been so poor at patches across the last month that they will be fodder against the Broncos, who have won seven straight and topped 38 in four of those. The Broncos are the team to beat. They play fast and they play direct and the reemergence of the NRLW’s first powerhouse really has been the story of this season.
The Sydney Roosters’ run has been remarkable considering their injury toll. Corban Baxter, Jess Sergis, Tarryn Aiken and Jayme Fressard all missing serious time and now Isabelle Kelly set to miss the finals with a dislocated elbow. Fressard is back and Aiken looks likely to
return but the Knights are healthier and deserve to be favourites. Tamika Upton remains the best player in the game and they have won the last two premierships.
The Broncos win easy, the Knights roll the Roosters and then Brisbane win it all.
The Centre of Attention: Ashley Klein’s premeditated decision to put his whistle in his pocket and not blow penalties in Friday’s final between the Sharks and Cowboys was as infuriating as it was moronic. Klein did not have a poor game on Friday. He nailed a tough penalty try call early. He let the game flow. He did not blow his whistle. All that would be fine if he generally officiated like that – except he does not. He has pulled this stunt in Origin before, trying to win acclaim. It is infuriating that he cannot just find a middle ground and find consistency with his refereeing. He continually gets appointed to major games and when it gets to the business end he pulls garbage like this.
Manly Off Their Heads: Manly endured a shocking start to their final against the Sydney Roosters when the first two tackles resulted in serious head injuries to Sea Eagles players. Tolu Koula was remove from the playing field immediately and ruled a category one but Jake Trbojevic was remarkably/ridiculously cleared by the Manly trainer to play on. The independent doctor rightly called down for him to be removed immediately but to the surprise of nobody after the initial assessment, Trbojevic was cleared. Clubs do a pretty good job at protecting their own players but that seems to go out the window with important players in big games. I am no doctor but it was a terrible look for the game that Trbojevic was allowed back on the field in such murky circumstances.
Never Change Blocker: Steve Roach is without question the least prepared, least tolerable caller on the Fox NRL slate. He continually outdoes himself with his lack of knowledge of the rules, his reliance on cliched humour, his inability to grasp the importance of moments and so much more. He really outdid himself on Saturday night though when he questioned whether Tom Trbojevic should be playing with his injuries because he lacked pace picking up a loose ball. It was Lachlan Croker who picked up the ball. Roach went on to double down on his hilariously inaccurate point the next day.
2024 Field Goal Update – 27: No field goals to speak of in a weekend of blowout/pseudo-blowout matches.
Fun Fact #1: In week two of the finals, the Top 4 team is now 17-5 across the last 11 years coming off a loss.
Fun Fact #2: The four teams left in the preliminary finals have combined for the last eight premierships.
Fun Fact #3: Balmain international Pat Devery holds the record for most premiership finals without a loss with nine. The NRL era record is held by Pat Richards, who played six finals without a defeat.
Betting Market of the Week: Chances that the following people could pass a certain Sydney club’s HIA, if necessary:
- $1.50: Muhammad Ali
- $1.80: Lizzie Borden’s parents
- $2.00: Anne Boleyn
Rumour Mill: Josh Addo-Carr is expected to be sacked from the Bulldogs with the Dragons and Knights his most likely destinations. Ben Hunt has been tipped to join the Bulldogs next season with the Dragons unlikely to stand in his way. Brodie Jones has been linked with a move to the Dolphins. The Titans are favoured to win the services of Reagan Campbell-Gillard.
The Coaching Crosshairs: The North Sydney Bears face an incredibly unique situation this weekend when they play in the NSW Cup Grand Final – against Newtown, in a repeat of the famous 1943 decider – after moving on from their coach throughout the season. Head coach Pat Weisner was suspended until 2026 and had his coaching accreditation torn up for betting on matches, a charge he did not fight. It is not the first controversy Weisner has come across, leaving a club car at the airport that cost the Barrow Raiders plenty. He did kick three field goals on his international debut for Ireland though so all can be forgiven. He has been replaced by Kieran Dempsey – ironically the last premiership coach of the Bears.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: It has been written time and time and time again this year – team’s cannot overcome early injuries to backline players if they don’t have a back on the bench. Anthony Seibold rolled the dice on that front and lost on the first play of the game. Rugby League has evolved. Edge backrowers who could once do a job now can’t. Ben Trbojevic did his best but was no match playing in the centres, particularly defensively.
Watch It: With Newtown and Norths squaring off in the NSW Cup decider this week, it is apt to reflect on the one and only Frank Hyde. Hyde is most renowned for his commentary but played for both the Bluebags and the Shoremen, skippering the latter in their final Grand Final in 1943. Watch this fabulous tribute to him from the 1982 Dally Ms that is, shall we say, of its time. Watch it here.