Can the Brisbane Broncos book their first NRL grand final spot since 2006 or will the Sydney Roosters appear on rugby league’s biggest day for the second time in three years?
The Broncos and Roosters will meet at Suncorp Stadium to determine which team will be the first through to the NRL Grand Final.
Fresh off a break and a 16-12 victory over the Cowboys, the Broncos are wishing to break their eight-year premiership drought and give Wayne Bennett his eighth premiership win, and seventh with Brisbane.
After an impressive game in defence against North Queensland, Bennett will focus his team on shutting out the Roosters’ lethal attack which boasts international representatives Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings and Shaun Kenny-Dowall as well as former State of Origin centre Blake Ferguson.
Sydney’s offence is one of the hardest to stop in the NRL and will prove a challenge to the Broncos. However based on their performance against the Cowboys, they should have no problem in stopping Trent Robinson’s exciting backline.
Stopping the Roosters’ forward pack will also prove a chore, and perhaps the bigger challenge for the Broncos. They are lacking a little bit of size compared to their opponents, who are one of the biggest metre-eating teams in the competition. However, they do have plenty of experience in the middle of the field.
Bennett has named the same 17 that defeated the Cowboys a fortnight ago.
With a week’s rest, Ben Hunt will once again suit up as the key player for the Broncos with their hopes of making the grand final riding on the 25-year-old’s shoulders. Hunt was pivotal in Brisbane’s qualifying final win over arch-rivals the Cowboys, where he scored a try, made a line-break, 21 tackles and 59 metres from six runs (averaging 9.8m). If he can put up similar number the Broncos’ chances will be boosted greatly.
The Roosters are coming off a huge 38-12 victory over the Bulldogs last week, however their game was far from perfect. They struggled to hold onto the ball, completing 27 sets from 39 for a completion rate of 69 per cent. When contrasted to the Broncos’ 87 per cent completion in Week 1 of the finals, it shapes as a serious area for improvement.
Robinson’s team will be wanting to go past the Broncos and prove that they can overcome Brisbane in State of Origin-like conditions, something they failed to do earlier in the year.
Robinson and his coaching staff will, however, have to find a new role for Tuivasa-Sheck. It appears Brisbane’s defensive line will not let anyone through, after their huge defensive effort against the Cowboys in Week 1 where they completed 385 of their 397 tackle attempts for a completion rate of 97 per cent.
Mitchell Pearce returns at halfback with Jackson Hastings moving back to the bench in the only change to Robinson’s side. Matt McIlwrick is excluded from the squad.
Should Pearce play, he will provide plenty of big-game experience and may prove the difference between a grand final berth and a fun night out on Monday. The incumbent New South Wales five-eighth will probably only play 50-60 minutes in order to minimise the possibility of aggravating his injury. Hastings will take his spot off the bench unless the game is in the balance and his inclusion on the field is critical to their hopes.
The Broncos and Roosters have played each other 30 times since 1998, Brisbane have won the majority of meetings with 16 victories, compared to the Roosters’ 14 wins. Two matches have been played between the two in 2015, the first game being played in Round 6 when Ben Hunt scored a try in golden point to give the Broncos a 22-18 victory. They most recently faced off against each other in Round 24, the Roosters winning 12-10.
Prediction
The Broncos will be the first through with an inspiring win propelled by their halves. Brisbane by 4.
What you need to know
Kickoff: Friday, 7.55pm (AEST)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
TV: Nine Network, Live
Last meeting: Roosters defeated Broncos 12-10 (Round 24, 2015)
Head-to-head: 30 Played – Broncos 16, Roosters 14
Broncos last three games: 16-12 versus Cowboys, 8-15 versus Storm, 47-12 versus Rabbitohs
Roosters last three games: 38-12 versus Roosters, 18-20 versus Storm, 30-0 versus Rabbitohs
Teams:
Brisbane Broncos
1 Darius Boyd, 2 Corey Oates, 3 Jack Reed, 4 Justin Hodges (c), 5 Jordan Kahu, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Sam Thaiday, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Adam Blair, 11 Alex Glenn, 12 Matt Gillett, 13 Corey Parker
14 Jarrod Wallace, 15 Mitchell Dodds, 16 Joe Ofahengaue, 17 Kodi NikorimaSydney Roosters
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Michael Jennings, 4 Blake Ferguson, 5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 6 James Maloney, 7 Mitchell Pearce (c), 8 Sam Moa, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Dylan Napa, 11 Mitchell Aubusson, 12 Aidan Guerra, 13 Boyd Cordner
14 Jackson Hastings, 15 Isaac Liu, 16 Kane Evans, 17 Sio Siua Taukeiaho
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