The gripping clash between Melbourne and North Queensland was as intense as it gets in the NRL, and I believe it won’t be the last time they meet in the finals series.
It is a recurring theme in recent years for two teams to meet in the both the first week of the finals and the grand final. Sydney Roosters and Manly did it in 2013 and Brisbane and North Queensland last year. And it’s set to happen again.
The Storm-Cowboys clash was the best of the four games on the weekend. It wasn’t spectacular, end-to-end football, but it was relentless as two top-class teams went at each other at high speed and full power.
Now that the big end-of-season games have arrived they looked like the best two teams in the competition and now it is up to the Cowboys to regroup and survive Week 2 of the finals by getting straight back into winning mode.
They should be able to do that at home against Brisbane on Friday night, which would give them a crack at Cronulla in the preliminary finals for a place in the grand final.
The Sharks showed tremendous resilience to beat Canberra in the other qualifying final. It was another very entertaining game and while it didn’t quite reach the quality of the Storm-Cowboys clash, both of the qualifying finals were better than the elimination finals.
Some bad officiating marred the game between the Broncos and Gold Coast and even though the Broncos won they weren’t as good as I thought they would be.
They are obviously not without a genuine chance on the road against the Cowboys, but if the Cowboys are on their game then the home-ground advantage should do the rest.
The one concern I’ve got about the Cowboys is that they have a six-day turnaround after a game that would have taken a lot out of them. They had to travel back to Townsville from Melbourne on Sunday and now they have to get themselves right again quickly.
The Broncos had the relative luxury of being able to play on Friday night and that extra day of recovery and preparation, even though it is off-set slightly by the fact they have to travel this week, means something.
But it’s not as if NRL teams don’t get plenty of practice in dealing with these type of scenarios, so you’ve got to trust the Cowboys’ brains trust, led by coach Paul Green, to get this week’s process right and have the players as fresh as they can be under the circumstances.
Penrith were too good for Canterbury in the other elimination final, as they were always likely to be. They fell behind early, but there was no sign of concern and even though they were still slightly behind at halftime it was already the Bulldogs who had more to be worried about by then.
The Panthers got better and better as the game went on, in line with the fact they are a mostly young group of players with little finals experience.
They face a difficult challenge on the road against the Raiders on Saturday night, but while the Raiders at their best are an explosive attacking unit the Panthers have performed well in defence recently.
Going backwards from their win over the Bulldogs, the Panthers have conceded 12 points, 6, 14, 10 and 6 in their last five games.
The Raiders-Panthers game is a tough one to pick, taking into account Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson is tipped to be out because of injury and that they are hoping to get five-eighth Blake Austin back from injury in time.
But for a couple of desperate Sharks tackles that stopped Raiders players just short of the line, the Raiders could have had that game won in the first half.
Now it is a case of how well they can regroup after having a winning streak that had stretched to 10 games brought to an end.
The home-ground advantage is obviously important, but if Hodgson is out then it becomes critically important that Austin is fit to play so they are not without both of their attacking king-pins.
The in-form Panthers are not the sort of team you want to go in against missing your two most creative players.
If the Raiders can at least get Austin on the field, I’d be tipping them in a close one, but this really is anybody’s game.
Griffo
Guest
Coming up for the game on Friday, BJ? We'll give you a nice warm welcome. I've got my tickets. It'll be nice to say I was at Corey Parker's last ever NRL game.
Agent11
Guest
The Raiders lost their hooker, aka best attacking player, aka possible dally m player of the year midway through the first half which may have affected them just a little bit perhaps.
Casper
Guest
Because the storm had the Broncos measure prior to the 2006 GF and choked under pressure from a hard working and well coached side. Cowboys are capable of the same, given the convenient penalties and fifty-fifty calls, the Storm weren't that superior and the GF is on neutral turf (doesn't look like Sydney will be represented).
Casper
Guest
Interesting first week of finals. Broncos won by heaps yet are being lambasted everywhere as being lucky to win, reckon they always had the Titans covered and probably thought that too. Different kettle of fish this week. Cowboys were a bit stiff, the 'dropped' ball that led to the Storm eventually scoring was definitely a strip which went forward off another storm player, bad call that should have been six again. Big turning point in those conditions and Storm got all the fifty-fifty calls. Agree this could end up a rematch in the grand final. The Raiders got a bit excited at 12-0, blew a few chances and then got stage fright. Can't see either of those teams making the GF if they lose any of their starting teams. Panthers looked fantastic but the Bulldogs made them look better than they are. Their positive is pace, they've got size and speed across the park but Moylan backing away from high kicks was a worry, only committed to the deep kicks with no chasers. Bulldogs were pedestrian, wouldn't beat the Titans in a playoff for 7th. You may be right Greg, just hope the cowboys can stay healthy because the Storm are beatable away from home.
Agent11
Guest
a couple of wingers and thaiday make the Broncos a 40 point worst team? haha ok
AD
Guest
Looking forward to Cowboys vs Broncos. All of their clashes in the last 18 months have made for fantastic viewing and they epitomise the positive brand of football played in Queensland with much less emphasis on the niggle and wrestling approach employed in the respective states south of the border. Agree with all comments that at the end of the day it's up to the NRL and referees to decide how much of this they want in our game and the fact that the Storm don't get penalised suggests that it must be within the rules.
Fish
Guest
Yes I agree. It's not the footy I grew up to love, but nonetheless it is part of our game at the moment.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I really enjoy these kinds of critiques. Thanks.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Good comment rakshop and if my Panthers are lucky enough to meet them in two weeks I hope they do what you suggest. But you shouldn't be surprised that people whinge because if it was as easy to nullify as you suggest they would lose more often. Point taken they should deploy different tactics to avoid their wrestling but teams don't seem to be able to do it. The refs also don't help because they allow an eternity in the tackle. The refs need to penalise them when they continue to work the player over in the tackle and when a third man comes in late to add to the melee. The Storms are masters at the third man coming in just before the ref is going to say "too late, a flop". The Storm could wrestle a bar of soap in a hot tub and stop it slipping away.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
And that's fair enough, its not their fault. The NRL choose to let that style of play dominate games by how they referee and maybe the fault is there. Regardless of where the fault is, I hate watching their wrestling, rushing purple blanket defence that chokes games to death. The rolling around or standing up waltzing is coma inducing. Bellamy has done the NRL no favours with his approach.
Fish
Guest
Good critique!
Fish
Guest
The Broncos jagged a referee that cracked down on th wrestle. Storm had to actually play some football, and found it difficult. Would be interesting to see how many times the Storm get Cummins and Sutton?
Fish
Guest
The Storm is not to blame. They only do what they are allowed to. Like every other team they look for advantage and their biggest asset is the wrestle. I didn't see too much trying to keep the ball off the ground while working the player, but then again Cummings didn't care. He allows it and every team knows this. The Cowboys have to learn to also base a game plan around the referee. As sad as that is for the game.
Muzz
Guest
They won't meet again! Cowboys to be reamed by the game managers.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Well said dude
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I admit to being a little pleased that he's unavailable too, we'll see how javid bowen goes in the centres. That's assuming Greeny plays him there.
Bigj
Guest
Does such a thing exist? if so please give an example
The Barry
Roar Guru
I'm more interested in finding out when it was you said something high brow...?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yes B-J I really believed that you have a personal assistant spending her days reading you five sentence posts on a spots blog. You mean it's not true? Wow, you got me good with that stunning ruse. I should have known only a dolt like you could come up with the sentence "she is has degree is business management"
Bigj
Guest
Seriously Barry you believed that, I was going to say something low brow but I went with the assistant story