With the AFL grand final done and dusted and the Hawks recovering from their well-earned hangovers, footy fans will inevitably be left with a familiar case of Octoberitis.
You know the feeling – when all the hype and excitement of the season’s climax is suddenly ripped away and you are left with the cold, dark realisation that your next hit of sweet, sweet football is a good six months away.
There is another option, however – this Sunday’s NRL grand final.
Admittedly I had never been much of an AFL fan, only really following the game casually and staying on top of the results.
But I have made it a habit in recent years of making sure I watch the grand final and it never ceases to disappoint.
So why not extend the olive branch and invite our round-fielded friends to a cross-code feast of grand final excitement?
With that in mind, here’s everything a first timer needs to know about rugby league’s big dance between the Roosters and the Sea Eagles.
The Teams
The Sydney Roosters took out the NRL minor premiership in a final round blockbuster against arch rivals South Sydney to claim first spot on for-and-against. They then qualified for the grand final with a convincing win over the fast-finishing Newcastle Knights.
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles finished fourth on the ladder after the regular season and caused a major upset by defeating competition favourites, South Sydney, to qualify for the grand final.
The two teams last met in week one of the finals with the match ending in a 4-0 win to the Roosters.
Despite being one of the lowest scoring games in years, the game was roundly touted as the match of the year due to the quality and intensity of both teams’ attack and defence.
At this stage you may be asking yourself “But who do I cheer for?”
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Despite being two clubs with proud traditions and diehard supporters, Manly is often regarded as the league’s most hated club, while the Roosters are often criticised for having no fans (although their 2013 crowd figures suggest fair-weather fans is probably a more apt description).
Think of it being like a Collingwood versus GWS grand final, only without the fairytale factor of the Giants making the final.
Additionally, both clubs represent Sydney’s most affluent and exclusive areas in the Northern Beaches and Eastern Suburbs. Both earned reputations as ‘silvertails’ in the ’70s and ’80s by luring players away from other clubs with the promise of cash and lifestyle.
What each club lacks in likeability, they more than make up for in skill and exciting play. As their finals encounter three weeks ago proves, both clubs should put on a heck of a show.
Recent History
This will be the Roosters’ sixth grand final since 2000, in which time they’ve only won once – against the Warriors in 2002. Their last appearance was their loss to St George Illawarra in 2010.
Manly have consistently made (and won) grand finals in every decade since the 1950s. This will be their fourth grand final in seven years, having won in 2008 (against Melbourne) and 2011 (against the Warriors).
Key Players
Mitchell Pearce, the Roosters halfback, has copped a lot of criticism in recent years as the NSW State of Origin team has failed to win a series with him at the helm, though his new halves partner James Maloney has helped him form a winning combination.
He will definitely have something to prove with NSW fans calling for him to be dumped from the origin side for 2014.
Pearce will be up against his life-long bestie, Manly five-eighth and New Zealand national team captain, Kieran Foran.
At just 23 and 24 years old respectively, Foran and his halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans have already established themselves as arguably the competition’s top halves pairing.
Manly’s captain Jamie Lyon is fast earning himself a reputation as one of the game’s best leaders. His smart play and on-field leadership will be an x-factor for Manly in a tight contest.
But the most high profile player on the park will undoubtedly be Roosters second-rower Sonny Bill Williams.
Old SBW has taken a break between winning Rugby World Cups to return to the code he left back in 2008 when he sensationally walked out on his contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs mid-season to chase the big bucks in French rugby.
He’s also a boxer.
Since his return he’s been desperately trying to repair his image. He turned to Islam at the advice of his mentor, controversial boxer and former league player Anthony Mundine, and is doing his best to remain mature and respectful in Channel Nine’s countless news features about his private life.
SBW is frustrating as a player because no matter how hard you want to see him fail, he consistently disappoints by being best on ground and a naturally gifted all-round athlete.
If you do decide to check out the big dance on Sunday, you may assume that Channel Nine has some sort of creepy obsession with Sonny Bill Williams.
You would be correct.
So to summarise, this weekend’s NRL grand final promises to be a hard fought game with plenty of the hype and frivolity you’d expect from a grand final.
Give it a go and you won’t be disappointed. It’s the perfect cure for Octoberitis.
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