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A Mini or a Lote: Which one holds the key to the NRL grand final?

25th September, 2014
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106 years on, the 2014 grand final will include at least one foundation club. Digital Image by Robb Cox ©nrlphotos.com:
Expert
25th September, 2014
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The two oldest players on the field will get the biggest workouts at ANZ Stadium tonight and the result could rest heavily on how Anthony Minichiello and Lote Tuqiri handle it.

Minichiello is 34. Tuqiri turned 35 on Tuesday. They are each still capable of playing a great game, but it has also become clear that they can struggle sometimes at the back end of their careers.

Sydney Roosters fullback Minichiello has a had a few issues under the high ball recently.

He’ll never shirk the responsibility and stop going for them, but to spill the ball a few times has to damage your confidence.

Then there was that awful pass from Minichiello on his own line against North Queensland, which led to a Cowboys try.

Minichiello is, of course, in the final stage of his career. He has made the right decision to retire at the end of the season and has one or two games left, depending on the result of tonight’s game against South Sydney.

Sometimes, a veteran player can prepare the same as he does every week and go out and have a bad game for no apparent reason. It’s called being old – at least in football terms. You’ve got no control over it – it’s just the way it is.

We’ll have to wait and see if Minichiello is on his game or not tonight, but one thing for sure is that if he is going to get something positive out of the game Souths will make him earn it.

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Their forward drive will ensure they get into position to bomb Minichiello, and when they put the ball up the runners will chase with that extra bit of enthusiasm as a result of what they’ve seen on video.

Minichiello might go out there and catch everything that falls, but the bottom line is that he’ll be forced to work under extreme pressure, and in what is likely to be a tight game any big mistakes at the back could prove catastrophic.

Tuqiri has looked great when the Rabbitohs are powering along. He has turned the clock back with some of his efforts in attack. But the fact remains he can be a liability when his team is under the pump.

When opposition teams move the ball quickly towards his wing and the threat of an overlap develops, he can get caught in two minds about whether to come in or stay out.

Sometimes, the result is that he will end up stuck in the middle, creating an opportunity for the opposition to draw and pass for the try.

The Roosters are very good at moving the ball swiftly along the backline and using cut-out passes from their halves – James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce – to speed up the process. They are going to put Tuqiri’s judgement to the ultimate test.

Tuqiri can also struggle to turn around quickly and chase little kicks that are put in behind him.

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Maloney and Pearce each have the ability to put precise grubber kicks in behind the opposition centre and towards the corner for their wingers to chase.

If Tuqiri hangs too far back in defence, the Roosters can run the ball. If he’s too far forward, they can kick in behind him. He has to ensure his positional play is spot-on.

I’m tipping the Roosters. I tipped them to win the premiership at the start of the season, so I can hardly not tip them in a preliminary final, but starting afresh I’d still tip them anyway.

There may not be much in it, but I just think they’re a bit better than Souths.

I’m tipping Penrith in Saturday night’s game. I think they’ll be too smart for Canterbury.

Last weekend, the Bulldogs almost gave up a win to a Manly side that entered the game severely weakened in the forwards. That form isn’t good enough going into a preliminary final.

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