NRL title to head South in a bruising encounter

 
Steve Kaless Roar Guru

By , 2 Oct 2009 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru

Tagged:
 , , ,

11 Have your say

Related coverage



Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy overseeas a training session in Melbourne, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Melbourne Storm will play the Parramatta Eels in this weekends NRL Grand Final. AAP Image/Julian Smith

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy overseeas a training session in Melbourne, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Melbourne Storm will play the Parramatta Eels in this weekends NRL Grand Final. AAP Image/Julian Smith

Every NRL Grand Final stands alone as an exclamation mark to its own season. However, the 2009 version has the opportunity to set itself apart from the norm.

A glance through the team sheets becomes a headline writers dream. It’s hard for the victory not to have a fairytale element to it given the scope for a Grand Final victory to be career defining.

Start from the top with the clubs.

Parramatta’s ascent from basket case to premiership contender has been so sudden their fans would be excused for having altitude sickness.

Meanwhile, it is hard not to marvel at the ability of Melbourne, in the era of the salary cap, to compete in their fourth straight Grand Final.

The Eels fans have stood by and watched plenty of their Sydney rivals lift trophies as they wrote off another disastrous season. How a title would soothe those many heart breaks!

You’d even forgive Sterlo, who normally hides his allegiances under a bushel, to let it all out on the final whistle.

It’s a contrast of styles, as well.

The Storm’s structure against the ad-lib Eels. Every Eels forward plays like a frustrated halfback, while the Storm’s total off loads can often be counted on one hand as they drive forward before unleashing their backline on a defensive line struggling to retreat.

The individual match-ups provide more intrigue and drama than a Hollywood Blockbuster.

Will the cast offs, Brett Finch, or Daniel Mortimer return to haunt their former employers?

Greg Inglis finished last season regarded by many as the world’s best player. Jarryd Hayne is the heir apparent to that title. A Clive Churchill medal or victory to either could well settle an off-season debate or two before they begin.

And while we are on Hayne, his battle with Billy Slater for the Australian fullback should be epic.

It’s hard to imagine a player as good as Slater not being selected to represent his country at the end of the season, but he does seem destined to join that long list of players to tell the grandkids that he was behind so and so.

Then there are the captains.

Cameron Smith stands to become one of the best hookers of the modern era. A second Grand Final ring would certainly be just reward for a player who seems to define the phrase “model professional”.

But while Smith will win over his fair share of neutrals, it would take a cold heart to deny Nathan Hindmarsh a premiership.

A workrate that would shame a Chinese factory, Hindmarsh is the embodiment of the tough bush footballer who doesn’t know when to stop.

He’s an eighty minute player who would probably play 800 if it was needed.

And what of the game itself?

For the Storm, it’s all about stopping the Eel’s offloads. There is a reason Parramatta have won 10 of their last 11 matches, and it’s down to the fact that their opposition haven’t been able to stop them moving the ball until they find the gap.

The Eels’ task is to stop the drive of the Storm, which would then restrict the space for Inglis and Slater.

The Storm haven’t had the points in them that they have in past seasons, and if the Eels start well, they may have difficulty chasing them down.

That being said, the last thing the Eels want, if they do go in front early, is to change the way they have played over the last few months and suddenly go into their shell. It’s the sort of mistake many runners up have made.

In the end, I’m going to predict a bruising encounter, played at a frenetic pace, the lead will change a few times, but in the end the title will head south.

But, please no video ref controversies.

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.

Get a daily rugby league email

Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it.

We value privacy. More.