From my experience as both a player and a coach, I can tell you that ANZAC Day games are traditionally one of the bigger events of the year for NRL players.
It’s always a emotional game to be a part of.
The pre-game activity is inspiring, with the choppers and the soldiers, and the intensity on the field always seems a bit higher as a result.
The two matches we have today shape up as classic ANZAC Day encounters.
Both the Roosters and the Dragons are looking solid this year.
The Roosters, under Brian Smith, are one of those teams that are only going to get better as the season goes on.
The complexities of Smithy’s attacking structures can take some getting used to. He does things a little differently.
So Smithy coached sides generally start a bit slower before finding their rhythm.
But once the team clicks, they’ll be very hard to beat.
I like the way the younger guys have come into the side this season and really stood up. There’s a lot of improvement in them as a team, and while they’re currently sitting at 4 wins and 3 losses, this could be the game that kickstarts the rest of their season.
Likewise, the Dragons have had a very promising start, apart from one or two games. Their performance against the Tigers, in particular, was as good as I’ve seen them play in a year or so.
They’ve lost some big-name players in the off-season, and had a few more unavailable due to injury. But aided by the talented youth they’ve brought into the side, they’re playing some very solid footy.
They’ve also changed their tactics a bit under new coach Steve Price. Most noticeable is that Hornby and Soward have swapped sides and there’s been more lateral movement with the ball as a result.
The Dragons are traveling as good as any side in the competition.
In the other match, the Warriors started off with probably the best game I’ve seen this season against the Sea Eagles, but things haven’t been quite as good since.
My sense is that they’ve been a little too lateral with the ball rather than using their big men more up the middle.
But in their win against the Rabbits, it looks like they’ve made some adjustments to what they’re doing and they’ll give Melbourne a tough game today.
The Storm are just a well-oiled machine.
They appear to be moving the ball a bit more at the back this season and getting the ball out to their centres.
But as I’ve pointed out in a previous column, they’ve been able to do that because of the hard yards being won up front by the likes of Ryles and Bromwich.
If they had a weakness last season, it was with getting good field position. This year, that hasn’t been such a problem.
And, as always, the Storm’s defence is very hard to break.
The Warriors have a massive pack and they’re good at grinding out the yards, but it’s hard to bet against the impact that the Storm’s 1, 7 and 9 will have on the match.
Either way, it’ll be a great day of footy. The emotion of the occasion always brings a good crowd. And it’s obviously a very significant day for a lot of Australian families.
Players from all the teams involved will long remember being a part of this ANZAC Day battle.
OldManEmu
Guest
I was there with my two little Roosters - no choice for them unfortunately. If the NRL could guarantee that "product" every week, it would be Rugby League first and daylight second and third in this country. I have not felt as I did yesterday about a game of Rugby League for a very long time. Doubtless the ANZAC Day spirit added to the spectacle but it was a great game of footy. Just a bloody awful result! And I would have to supplement the comments of Nathan Brown, with my view that a Smith coached side can be very hard to stop once it buys into his ideas, to wit the Dragons of 1992,93 Parramatta in 2001 and the Roosters in 2010. The Roosters yesterday attempted to play a second and third and fourth phase type style that really tested and wore out the Dragons defence. The only thing I think they need to improve in their attack is for Pearce and Anasta to run straight at the line a bit more. It was very noticeable that the Roosters halves ran across the field that in turn denied space to the Roosters runners. Kenny Dowell, Guerra, Aubusson, Leilua are all players who can do something in a one on one contest and too often they got the ball yesterday with the Dragons slide defence all over them. Nothing wrong with cross field running by the ball carrier if there is someone to straighten up but that was not happening yesterday. So memo Coach Smith - work out a way to maximise one on ones for our runners and the Roosters will outscore most teams.
M-Rod
Guest
sadly the NRL are puppets to Channel 9... 3 w/end games and only 1 live; no live coverage of NRL Internationals; no FTA coverage of Anzac Day games; Channel 9 wanting to bump TV coverage of NRL rounds for 1-day cricket; forcing NRL to schedule Bronco matches Friday night, poor Melb TV coverage...yet Channel 9 promote themselves as the flagship broadcaster for the NRL !!! as if !!!
The Link
Guest
Well the lack of FTA coverage helped with the crowd, 40k is the biggest crowd in Sydney this year for any football code
Dagmar
Guest
Couldn't agree more with comments about how disappointing it is that Anzac Day Games are only on Pay tv. Many Rugby League Louvres without Pay tv are right now watching collingwood v essendon because it's on!
josh quinn
Guest
This is out of order, Anzac Day, and we cant see the footy on tv, I just changed channels to 9, and there is that kids show on, totally unacceptable, who wants to watch nitro? i want to see the rugby league, 9, get your stuff together, and fox shove it, poor covergae and commentary
Jitter
Guest
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Jitter
Guest
Comparing the sacrifices of war with a fictitious sports code war is disgraceful! Wake up to yourselves and get some perspective! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Michael Hitchcock
Guest
And they are worried about AFL taking market share in sydneys west........ Denying us the free to air game is a good start!!! ................Idiots
gary dwyer
Guest
what ajoke why doesnt channel 9 give the footy to someone else 3 games on a weekend and get one live no anzac day game fed up
oikee
Guest
All the anzacs in the old people homes have only AFL to watch. What a damm injustice this country is doing to our war heroes. Tell you what, things had better change in this country. or else.
oikee
Guest
Get ready for the record tv veiwers for AFL toomoorow. When is this country going to start promoting other codes, having all your aggs in one basket is so unhealthy. Plus they are making a mockery of Anzac day, anyone would think only AFL players went to war.
eagleJack
Guest
All I can say is thank GOD for that! We actually get to watch both games today LIVE. A concept very foreign to our friends at Channel 9.
andrea dyson
Guest
Could someone tell me why the Anzac day match between the Roosters & Dragons is not on free to air tv. It is disgusting on a day like today that only pay tv gets it It isn't advertised anywhere so money wins again.