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I am confident Canterbury will claim their ninth premiership on Sunday, but it is going to take one heck of a performance from Des Hasler’s born-again Bulldogs.
They will have to meet and beat Souths’ big and hungry pack in a clash many thought an impossibility just a few weeks ago.
The Dogs have the game to match and ultimately subdue the Rabbitohs in what could be the most physical grand final we’ve seen in more than a decade.
This game will be won and lost in the middle of the pitch.
Souths will try to impose themselves through their giant pack and challenge the Dogs to go with them. That won’t be easy – the Rabbits bludgeoned the Roosters into submission last week. One could have sworn they went out there wielding baseball bats.
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But the Canterbury boys are no strangers to mid-pitch confrontations. History shows they love a physical scrap more than most and they have the artillery to succeed.
Sammy Burgess versus James Graham! What a match-up in any game, but this is the grand final and the two Englishmen will be immensely important to their team’s chances. These guys are great mates when they represent Great Britain but on Sunday night it will be a two-man war in footy boots – neither will leave anything in the tank.
I cannot wait to see them go at it. Both players get huge minutes from their coaches, each is the spearhead of his pack. The fans will be talking about this duel for years to come.
This title decider might well see an Englishman win the coveted Clive Churchill Medal for the first time.
It is Sam’s last game for Souths, his last in rugby league for some time, and he will be primed to do whatever it takes to end the Rabbitohs’ 43-year premiership drought.
Front-rower Graham has been very good all season for the Bulldogs but he has been great in this finals series as Canterbury has powered back to form, eliminating Melbourne, Manly and Penrith in successive weeks.
Roarers will probably say I’m tipping the Dogs to win this game because I’m a former player but that is not the case. They have more attacking variety than Souths, especially through their ball-playing forwards. Secondly, they have many players with grand final experience, compared with Souths who only have Lote Tuqiri and Greg Inglis to call on for first-hand advice.
The same scenario applies to the opposing coaches Des Hasler and Michael Maguire. Hasler has trodden the grand final road many times as a player and coach, whereas ‘Madge’ has yet to experience the enormous pressure of NRL grand final week.
This won’t be an expansive game for the backs by any stretch of the imagination, but the respective kicking games by both teams will be a telling factor. Canterbury has an edge here with their Origin combination of Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds.
Nerves can play a huge part in games of such magnitude. The Dogs won’t have so many, they should be able to settle into their rhythm earlier than the opposition.
I am not writing off the Bunnies as possible champions. They are a fantastic team and richly deserve their place in the big one, but I suspect they might have to wait a little longer to realise their dreams.
On a sad note, I don’t think we’ll be seeing hookers Mick Ennis or Issac Luke play in the game of the year. Mick’s injury looks to have beaten him, whereas I cannot see Luke beating suspension for his above-the-horizontal tackle on Sonny Bill Williams last Saturday.
This game will be a beauty. Even if you don’t follow either team, do not miss a moment.
My guess? Bulldogs by 18-12.
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