If their last meeting three weeks ago is anything to go by, tonight’s NRL Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles promises to be one of the toughest and most absorbing Premiership deciders in recent memory. Join us for live scores and commentary from 7.15pm AEST.
It is often said that defence wins premierships so it is little surprise that two of the NRL’s best defensive teams clash for the right to be crowned 2013 Premiers.
The Roosters and Sea Eagles have demonstrated a defensive resolve unmatched by any team this season.
With this in mind, tonight’s decider promises to be a low scoring contest between two sides that will not give an inch.
While Manly’s defence has been superb this season, the defence of their eastern suburbs rivals has been nothing short of exemplary in 2013.
The Sea Eagles of all teams should know the strength of a Sydney defence that they failed to crack three weeks ago.
Despite dominating possession and territory, Manly failed to crack the Roosters line and eventually succumbed to a 4-nil loss in arguably one of the toughest contests of the year.
The Roosters have already defeated Manly three times this season, with each victory proving that Sydney was the real deal this season.
Despite possessing a three match winning streak against the Sea Eagles, Sydney’s quest for a fourth-straight win will be their most difficult yet.
The Sea Eagles head into their fourth Grand Final in seven seasons courtesy of a superb performance against South Sydney last week.
Trailing 14-nil early in the contest, Manly managed to wrestle momentum away from the Rabbitohs en route to securing a comprehensive 30-20 victory.
When push turned to shove, the Sea Eagles reigned supreme over the Rabbitohs and will be very difficult to defeat tonight given their strong grand final record.
Manly has a wonderful opportunity to add another cap to a dynasty that has seen them secure premiership victories in 2008 and 2011.
A victory tonight will go a long way to establishing Manly as the NRL’s best team since the start of the new millennium.
Prediction
Both teams are very evenly matched across the park and it wouldn’t surprise to see this contest go beyond the 80 minutes.
Defensively, the Roosters and Sea Eagles have proved practically impossible to crack in big matches, and with so much on the line, expect another herculean defensive effort from both teams tonight.
The Roosters should target Manly’s right-edge defence.
In a formidable brick wall, it is the Sea Eagles’ weakest side with the Rabbitohs reaping early dividends when they attacked down that corridor last week.
David Williams does have a habit of rushing up quickly when faced with an overlap, and a few timed passes from the likes of Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney could see the Roosters exploit the defensive frailties that can plague Manly’s right edge defence.
The Sea Eagles meanwhile will look to get ahead on the scoreboard in a bid to unsettle the Roosters.
In each of Sydney’s victories over Manly this season, the Roosters have played from in front, and when they do, they have proved impossible to break down for many teams this season.
When they play from behind however, the Roosters can lose their way considerably as evidenced by their late season defeats to the Sharks and Titans.
If the Sea Eagles can score first and take a six point lead, it may go a long way to putting the Roosters off their game in a match they have had little success in recent seasons.
Sydney possesses a poor record in grand finals, losing in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2010 to go along with just one victory in 2002.
A slow start tonight may very well see history repeat itself for the Roosters if they are not careful.
With so much class on show tonight however, season 2013 should conclude with a gladiatorial contest between two heavyweights that will not give an inch on the NRL’s biggest stage.
While the Roosters deserve plenty of admiration for the way they have performed under rookie coach Trent Robinson, Manly’s recent grand final record is formidable and such experience may prove decisive en route to a nail biting victory.
Sea Eagles by two.
fez montez
Guest
You don't seem to explain why jennings try was not a try!
fez montez
Guest
Mate,i played football for 40years and the adjudicators have to be nearly 100% sure the try would have been scored.The ball took a wicked little bounce to the left before Aubusson tackled him.I reckon the decision cruelled Manly as they would've got 2 points from the penalty,plus playing against 12 men for the next 10min.The way Manly execute their 2nd man 2nd man plays, they could've scored 2 or 3 tries in that period.I have to admit as refereeing blunders go,that game would be on top of the list.There is a simple solution to cut out most of the blunders,Captains Challenge and probably specsavers!
Shane Dowd
Guest
Princess - get it into ya!! Best team won (4 times this year)
Shane Dowd
Guest
How about Balin stripping JWH but not getting penalised. No - a scrum feed to Manly. How about Jennings getting taken-out without the ball (52min:20sec) after no-one plays at the ball and it ends up in the Manly in-goal. Penalty to Roosters or Professional Foul? No - the refs allow Manly to take a line drop-out. I was on the 30 m line and Manly were offside all night. And there were plenty of forward passes by the Manly dummy-halfs let go!! :)
Shane Dowd
Guest
Really really funny! The only team to regularly lose the penalty count during the past few seasons was the Roosters. Not just Hayne, but all the refs! In this game we're only hearing about refs mistakes against Manly because they lost. How about Balin stripping JWH but not getting penalised. No - a scrum feed to Manly. How about Jennings getting taken-out without the ball (52min:20sec) after no-one plays at the ball and it ends up in the Manly in-goal. Penalty to Roosters or Professional Foul? No - the refs allow Manly to take a line drop-out. I was on the 30 m line and Manly were offside all night. And there were plenty of forward passes by the Manly dummy-halfs Get over it !!! Best side won :)
Shane Dowd
Guest
Ha ha Hilarious How about Balin stripping JWH but not getting penalised. no - a scrum feed to Manly. How about Jennings getting taken-out without the ball (52min:20sec) after no-one plays at the ball and it ends up in the Manly in-goal. Penalty to Roosters or Professional Foul? No - the refs allow Manly to take a line drop-out. I was on the 30 m line and Manly were offside all night. And there were plenty of forward passes by the Manly dummy-half Get over it !!! Best side won :)
Andrew
Guest
Lyon is obviously twice the man you are.
Andrew
Guest
Whilst a Manly fan, hats off to the roosters, you were the best team all year but not on the big day. It was unfair to boo Cherry for the Clive Churchill, but all roosters fans should be ashamed for booing Manly when they went on stage. It wasnt just the referees that caved under pressure, we also had a player who put in one of the worst individual performances you will see in a big game. Apart from him the level of the p[layers is 1st class, the level of the referees is simply terrible. They are the worst officials of any professional sport anywhere in the world. If they are the best referees we have than what is the point of trying to be the best you can be when a referee is so bad it turns everything into a flip of the coin or a 50 50 chance of getting it right. For years we have been saying they will ruin a grand final and nothing was done about it, now they have ruined a grand final will there be anything done now? I highly doubt it because they have no idea how to fix it. The PC brigade has taken to much control and there is so much negativity towards the game now. You cant shoulder charge, you cant punch, (which was always illegal anyway.) Why are they concentrating on bringing in these rules, when they dont know how to police the rules already in place? Why are they not trying to fix this problem 1st? why are they not listening to the true fans of the game? The people running the game have stopped listening to the true fans of the game and now we are ruled by angry mothers who are scared their little johnny might get a fat lip. As a professional sport, rugby league is run very amateurish, and for this reason, i see no end to the referees ruining games and therefore ruining the dreams of players who play in them, and fans who love watching them. As a fan of a team on the wrong end, i wouldnt want any other supporter to have to sit through it, but unfortunately some fans no doubt will.
Hans Kristjansson
Guest
Well put. You left one more out. The Toopou try. The other winger knocked the ball forward into Matai, before Maloney eventually kicked.
Observer 303
Guest
It's quite simple ,... With any other referee but Shane Hayne - Manly win. It's a disgrace and slap in the face to the game ... Tough ,courageous champion side cut down by the biased and vindictive nature of a referee who is clearly amateur .
john badseed
Guest
definitely an easts fan
belrose eagle
Guest
funny the only rooster junior on the field played for manly u bought a trophy good for u I might go buy one tomorrow and call myself the champion of 2013 doesn't make it true I don't blame the roosters for winning but u do understand your team was handed it fact is the roosters have given away minimum of 8 penaltys every game until last night where they gave 2 nothing fishy there huh
belrose eagle
Guest
quick of to SMH and DT with ur comments someone is missing out on ur opinion of how good the roosters are without
belrose eagle
Guest
hey dan why post the same exact comment on 3 different sites SMH DT AND NOW THE ROAR me thinks u protest to much I know it feels hollow cheating to win but u live with it
Luke
Guest
As a Manly fan myself I don't believe it is right to blame the referees for the result of the grand final. However, Dan, you are one of many supporters who is completely ignorant. It's funny how you comment on this telling Manly supporters to "suck it up" when we all know you would be the first one to jump on the wagon if the shoe was on the other foot. For me Lyons try was the least controversial of all the decisions made. The referee basically had one of two options, you either send him off and award a penalty or go for benefit of the doubt and award, what was rightfully deserving in my eyes, a penalty try. It makes no difference whether he milked it or not, the fact of the matter is that it was a professional foul. The roosters were deserving being the best side all year but if you cannot agree that the match was somewhat officiated appallingly then you are blind or ignorant. The penalty count alone with plenty of news reports even suggests so. I agree with Pelican though they are the deserving side however the poor refereeing has taken some of the shine off of the premiership title
uPelican
Guest
Yep, I think the Roosters have been the best team all year. As a Manly supporter, I don't begrudge them another good win over the Boys, so they are deserving premiers. But another dismal performance from the referees takes the shine off it for them, which is a shame. They're a great side and don't need the leg-up. There's no doubt that poor calls by officials are now the dominant problem with the game. Its got to be fixed. It might be that more recourse needs to be had to the video ref at the instigation of the captain of a side, with maybe a limit on how many requests can be made. This will inevitably slow the game, but where teams are evenly matched on the day, the bounce of the ball and not a bad call should be what separates them. Well done Easts
Dan
Guest
Are you a masochist or something mate? Hahaha can't believe you put yourself through a replay of your boys blowing the GF. Suck it up son, Manly copping the wrong end of a few refereeing decisions is just a dose of well deserved karma for you lot (I love how you completely failed to see all the dodgy crap that favoured Manly too). Anyway, Roosters have now beaten Manly 5 times straight this year if you include the pre-season trials, so I think it's fair to say that the Roosters have established themselves as the better of the two sides and now are deserved premiers ;-).
Dan
Guest
Just watched Lyons "penalty try" on the replay today, and WOW! Seriously, with clear eyes and more attention to detail that has to be one of the biggest dives I've see since Australia lost to Italy in the soccer World Cup on back of similar ludicrous milking of a minor touch. Seriously, Lyon is a total scum bag cheat and I'm glad him and his Manly boys lost.
Michael
Guest
Yes the Warea Hargraves head butt on Horo and he gets penalty for his team! WOW!!! Robinson too him straight off after that before he really would have got the Roosters into trouble. And then the forward pass by Maloney - what a classic. Don't worry about it ha. And Jamie Lyon being tacked so as to stop him scoring a CERAIN TRY, not 99.9% certain. Roosters player should have received a sin bin for professional foul as a minimum.
Huggo
Guest
Lol Wonka Rolled