Product disclosure: I’m a Manly fan and have been for 40 years.
Those who’ve read previous articles would know that. Born and bred, watched the highs and the lows, the great years and the desperate times post the ill-fated Northern Eagles venture when the club was on the brink of extinction.
Safe to say then, that the last few years have been wine and roses for Manly fans.
While this year’s decider won’t add to the wine or the roses, what unfolded was easily the best grand final since Roosters-Panthers in 2003, and before that, the 1997 Sea Eagles-Knights match.
Maybe that’s the answer – the great grand finals need Manly or the Roosters!
Also no doubt that the better team on the night won.
The Roosters were magnificent right when they needed to be, with the Sea Eagles up 18-8, albeit with a long time to play.
And the man who stepped up was the man who has been talked about, usually by his initials, for most of the season.
Sonny Bill Williams might have made some first half errors but he stamped the SBW imprimatur on the game with a last-quarter display that turned the match in favour of the minor premiers.
His slipped pass to James Maloney which led to Shawn Kenny Dowall’s try to level the scores was a hark back to the off-loading forwards of yesteryear.
But there is nothing “yesteryear” about SBW.
Supreme athlete, a mobile giant who seems capable of just about anything.
There might be an element of ‘hired gun’ about the way he juggles his various sporting endeavours but, possibly outside of the Bulldogs, there’s not a team in the NRL who wouldn’t jump at signing him.
The other Williams has been one of Manly’s best in 2013.
David ‘Wolfman’ Williams’ 20 tries, including a freakish effort in the preliminary final against Souths, is one of the reasons Manly were in the grand final in the first place.
However, he will have nightmares about a leaping Daniel Tupou until he gets a chance to put it right in 2014.
Found wanting under the pinpoint accuracy of the Roosters’ halves kicking game, Williams was bailed out a few times by an overworked Brett Stewart.
Yet all would have been forgiven if he’d been able to hold a difficult pass from Jamie Lyon and gone in to score with the game at 20-18 to the Roosters in the last 10 minutes.
That would have been an interesting momentum shift in a game that already had it all.
Refereeing decisions always add spice to post-game arguments and Maloney’s pass to Anthony Minichello in the lead-up to the Shaun Kenny-Dowell try looked forward to the naked eye.
But that was sitting in front of a TV screen, not chasing the play and making a split-second decision in the course of a breathlessly quick and hard game.
And you got the impression that even if that had been called back, the Roosters were still coming at the Sea Eagles, proven by Michael Jennings’ freakish grounding of the ball to seal the game with five minutes to go.
The only player who could have spoiled the occasion with his stupidity was Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has not put a foot wrong in his preparation and tactics for this season, but all of that could have been undone by Waerea-Hargreaves idiocy in head-butting Justin Horo in the first half.
Having been sent off against his former club once already this season, Waerea-Hargreaves seemed intent on testing the boundaries of grand final law (it’s pointless arguing that certain standards are not relaxed on grand final day).
With his size, strength and aggression, JWH should probably take a leaf out of SBW’s book, and Robinson might be having a quiet word with Waerea-Hargreaves once the celebrations cool at Bondi, letting him know that the big man is no use to the team sitting in the sin bin, or worse, getting an early use of the stadium showers.
In a season where the NRL has been tainted by the ongoing ASADA investigations, it was a relief to put that aside and watch the two best teams of 2013 put on a show that will long be remembered.
apaway
Roar Guru
Thanks for the complement Bearden. In defence of the Manly fans, there are a few who see things through a prism not tinted maroon! :)
The eye
Guest
I'd love someone to compile a Tuivassa Scheck highlights reel and put it up,because apart from that one run where he beat half a dozen players thru the centre of the ruck mid year,what's he done ?Taumatai Toga will be pushing them both for his spot back next year.
Sleemo
Guest
Would getting a haircut and asking Channel 9 (who by the way are not the only people to call him Wolfman) to stop calling him Wolfman really be the catalyst for him magically improving his game? Even if it would be, he's been the Wolfman for over five years now. Cam(eron) Smith asked Channel 9 to stop calling him "Cam" after they did it for about half a season and "Cam" never really stuck anyway, Gillett's name was mispronounced for a season or two and it wasn't hard for the correction to be made. Williams' story is completely different from those two. Planking - he mentioned it in an interview a couple of years ago and celebrated a few tries by planking. I hardly think that's a huge detriment to his performance. Other crap - like doing a few impersonations of Geoff Toovey, modelling, being a general larrikin on and off the field? If anything the game needs people i.e. characters like him to spice things up. It's not all to blame for Sunday night's bad performance - it hasn't negatively affected him for most of his career so we can't say it's all to blame for one bad game. The "best ten wingers" debate could go on forever. That's why I said "on his day" he is one of the best ten wingers. On consistency and regular form, probably not. But when he turns it on, for sure. The best game he can offer is among the ten best games current wingers in the NRL can produce. Don't know Mata'utai and Nabuli so can't comment but what I have noticed is that there are a lot of Polynesian/Kiwi/Islander "power wingers" that seem to be all the rage in the NRL at the moment, much like John Hopoate was in the mid to late 1990s (and to whom Jorge Taufua bears an uncanny resemblance).
Sleemo
Guest
Don't get me wrong, I agree Hiku could be...but a lot will depend on the next couple of years and especially how much of a chance he will get in 2014. What I do REALLY like about Hiku - and this is not something I can say about the Wolfman - is that he is very good under the high ball. In fact, his defensive game is very sound in all aspects save for the obvious i.e. lack of experience. He doesn't offer as much in attack as say Brett Stewart but that will improve in time. And his kick returns - wow. He'll get more of a chance next year and if Williams (or Taufua, for that matter) are injured or fall out of form, I'm sure he'll take it with both hands. In any case we have some good depth in the backs with Hiku, Gutherson and Farrar all worthy fill-ins.
BA Sports
Guest
Sleemo He could get a hair cut and ask Channel 9 to stop calling him Wolfman - Cameron Smith said stop calling me Cam, Gillet asked them to pronounce his name properly. it can be done. I admit I don't know how much stuff he does with Ch 9 these days as I don't watch the Thursday Footy Show or frequent the Manly website but I think he got swept up in a lot of the attention (which is fair enough) and then he started with all the planking and other crap. You're a grown man and a professional focus on your football. As for the ten best wingers in the comp, that's an interesting debate as just about all of them have flaws. If I was picking a new team to play next year from the current crop of players I would probably take; Tupou Tuivasa Shek Uate McManus Duffie (when fit) Gordon Waqa Hoffman Vatuvai Mead Knightingale Morris Dylan Walker Nofoaluma Reece Robinson Gordon Feki Edrik Lee Taufua before David Williams. I know some on that list like Vatuvai and even Taufua have mistakes in them so those sorts of guys are close. But I would even go to NSW Cup and grab Chanel Mata'utai and Nabuli as players with tons of potential.
Mr snrub
Guest
Wolfman is just soft. Talent may be there. But he just isn't wiling to put his beard on the line when it counts. Must learn to catch a ball and tackle occasionally
katelyn
Guest
Oh man pls don't get me started on him...
The eye
Guest
You've got a good case,Sleemo,I just feel this Hiku could be something special.
Jimme
Guest
SBW should have won man of the match. He was more influence in the outcome of the game than dce. When champions play any sport, they make more mistakes because they think outside the box and want to create opportunities for there teams. It's natural, I remember Andrew johns throwing his mouth guard many times in disguised because he tried and failed many times to win games. That's what champions do. I'm proud of SBW for playing this year and helping the roosters win the comp, how's that for a bloke who all ex legends and media for that matter who wrote him off, and then to play a strong role for the team in 2013 and win the GF. Sucked in. If SBW doesn't off load when he did, to set up one try, then makes an awesome line beak to set up the next try, the roosters loose. So he should have won the CC medal. Sorry but when you team losers even if you played great whole game you are still not entitled to win that gong. Funny though if I were to pick the best player on field for the eagles it would K Foran. Believe that, I watched the game 3 times now. But SBW was the that should have CC medal. If SBW signed for 3years he would have won the dally M, second rower of the year easy, but the powers that be would never let that happen, to not be in the top 20 performers this year is the real conspiracy.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Feel for the Wolfman, a great season however saved his worst game for Sunday. I think the Lyon flick pass was poor and he should have done a better job distributing, it was very tough ball to nab at pace. That said the Wolfman's biggest error came at the other end of the field. Manly up 18-8 with 25 to go. Roosters on the attack, up goes the high ball to Wolfman's wing and he let's it bounce, Chooks recover and Guerra goes over a few plays later. If Wolfman nabs that kick they get out of there. $BW was very ordinary in the first half but was immense in the second spearheading the comeback. He will be back in Rugby.
Sleemo
Guest
Tony Williams...three months of good footy (end 2011) out of a seven-year career and he gets a 600k-a-year multi-season deal. Where can I get me some of that!
Sleemo
Guest
1. Some parts of his game are average, some parts of his game are very good i.e. his finishing ability and his upper-body strength. He's better than average. 2. It's not exactly easy to get rid of a nickname you've had for 5+ years. Believe me, I've tried. 3. His performances haven't tailed off over the past few years. This has been his best and most prolific year. 2008, his debut season, was also brilliant. 2009 was injury-interrupted but still fruitful. No footy in 2010. Injury ruined his 2011. 2012 was promising until injury again cut the season short. He's been up and down, sure, but he hasn't tailed off over the past few years at all...in fact throughout most of 2013, the odd bad defensive read aside, he's been in career-best form. 4. What "TV crap" does he do? Apart from the occasional interview, gee-up stunt or news piece for the Manly website? Not much really. He's no Beau Ryan who basically has a job on the side. Word is Wolfman is an incredibly dedicated trainer and was inconsolable after Sunday night's game. TV crap or not, he's focused on his game. 5. Although I've mentioned above that he's had bad moments during the season, Williams deserves respect for what he is: a premiership-winning, former Australian representative who does his bit and more for the team, was in career-best form over the latter half of 2013, has had an injury-interrupted career (his tryscoring strike rate is around Brett Stewart's, wonder how he would have gone had he not missed a couple of seasons' worth of games owing to injury) and on his day is one of the better ten or so wingers in the comp.
Sleemo
Guest
Agreed.
The eye
Guest
This isnt about one game.If Tooves thought he was any good he would have had his contract extended a long time ago..he scores plenty I'll give him that,but his hands aren't reliable,he's a burden in defence and that blast from Snake behind the line seemed a season of pented up frustration..Hiku's time has come.
turbodewd
Roar Guru
Didnt SBW run thru DCE near the end of the game thus setting up the groundwork for the Jennings try? His knock-on was Foran skillfully knocking the ball from his arm.
Bluebag
Guest
Could be worse, you could be Tony Williams
Dr NRL
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, everyone's different. To me it looked like the Roosters were playing uphill and only just hanging in on the scoreboard. I know how that sounds given the Panthers didn't pull away until the 66th minute, but that was my impression watching. It may well have changed things if Todd Byrne wasn't channelling Rod Wishart a bit eariler... I do remember Morley being everywhere though. Now if they just gave CCMs to losing players ...
Dan
Guest
I'm a roosters fan, but I always remember '03 as being a true classic. Roosters were big favourites going in, so the result was a bit of a fairy tale result for the Penrith boys The game had almost flawless skills with an incredibly low error rate in the face of awful weather, at 6-6 in the second half the Roosters looked like they were going to take the lead after a breakout by Burne, only for him to be dragged into touch by Scott Sattler (a freaking forward running down a winger). It was very close until the last 6 minutes, when the Panthers score their last try. As a Roosters fan I thought it was an incredible match, even if we were on the wrong side. And we were certainly in it till near the end.
BA Sports
Guest
"Wolfman" is an average winger who has good moments - aided by the fact he has some pretty talented players setting him up. The best thing he could do would be to get rid of the moniker, cut back on the TV crap and focus on his career and playing football. His performances have tailed off over the last few years with the unnecessary focus (although this year was slightly better than last) which could have coincided with doing less TV (I don't know I don't watch the Thursday Night Footy Show these days)
Dr NRL
Roar Rookie
You're right, he didn't have a good game and turned out to be the Steve Mavin of the Grand Final, which is unfortunate because he has been a stellar performer all year. Brett Stewart giving him a gobful doesn't auger well for contract speculation though ... Now, what's this about the 2003 Grand Final? I seem to recall the Panthers being in control the entire match, with the Roosters having less penetration than Samantha's ill-fated boyfriend on Sex & The City. Remind me of its credentials as one of the great Grand Finals?