What a game.
The Cronulla Sharks have won the 2016 NRL grand final 14-12 over the Melbourne Storm, and the Shire couldn’t be happier about it.
All the wash-up from the NRL grand final:
» LORD: Gallen leads Sharks into history books
» PRICHARD: 13 extra seconds, but the Sharks did it
» Ten best tweets from the match
» Sharks player ratings
» Storm player ratings
» Match report: Sharks’ wait over
» Re-live the match with our live blog
There’s no doubt a little bit of syrup will flow for the success-starved fans in the South of Sydney tonight. Who could begrudge them?
Here are my five talking points from a monumental grand final.
Sheer Shark dominance
The first half felt like there was only one team playing.
All the metres, all the football, all the repeat sets were going the Sharks’ way. It’s a complete marvel they didn’t stack on 20 points, but put it down to some great desperation from the Storm, and a little bit of absence of execution on the other side.
Matt Prior, Andrew Fifita, Wade Graham and Luke Lewis were terrific for the first 20 minutes, and when Jason Bukuya and his fellow reserves came on they kept up the energy in the trenches.
It was a rare moment where a team was able to simply play through the Storm. The plan was simple but effective, and it rattled the out-of-towners. Not many sides would be game enough to play as the Sharks did, but it’s even more impressive that they executed it.
Melbourne don’t fire a shot… but then they go bang bang
We didn’t see Melbourne for the first half. It was as simple as that.
Two of the biggest in the game, Jesse Bromwich and Jordan McLean, were confronted with 90 metres to the opposition line every single time they found themselves with the ball in their hands.
Which wasn’t very often, as James Maloney and Michael Ennis forced repeat set after repeat set with their pinpoint kicking game.
And then the Storm were in front.
Two tries, one to McLean and one to Will Chambers, who would have had good claim to the Clive Churchill Medal had the result been different, suddenly saw the Melbourne hit the lead.
Sure, they’d looked gassed, and had done all the tackling, but great teams absorb pressure and heap it back on their opposition.
They’d done precisely that, and looked like premiers with 15 minutes to play. People could scarcely believe it, as I’ll go into in our final talking point.
To annoy Cronk, the Sharks must be doing something right
All the talk all week about how Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith were going to win it with the Storm, being two of the most poised and experienced players in the competition.
Cameron Smith displayed plenty of that tonight, bringing assurance to his side with every touch of the footy.
But Cooper Cronk looked like he was in a rush. At 8-0 down and with plenty of time on the clock in the second half, the Storm had a penalty. Cronk tried to rush a kick into touch.
Cameron Smith came over, took the ball off him, and calmly booted it out. I’m not sure whether words were offered, but it was a message to Cronk and the rest of the team.
“Just settle, we’re still in this game.”
And they were.
The Sharks ran at Cronk all night, with Wade Graham, in particular, making him a target.
Whether it was that, or his rivalry with James Maloney, or Michael Ennis just generally needling the whole Melbourne side, Cronk was off. His kicking game was off. He wasn’t executing their block plays with any great purpose. He was just a little off.
And that’s a rare thing for Cooper Cronk in any game, let alone one as big as a grand final.
Ennis signs off in style
Michael Ennis is a grub.
I hate that word.
Seems lovely off the field, but on it he’s a pest, a menace, a grub; any of those will do, and I’m sure people on the field have offered a few choice adjectives about his behaviour.
One that has never been said about Ennis is that he’s a premiership winner. Until now.
An excellent runner early in his career, Ennis has developed into a worker, a leader and a bastion of creativity through the Sharks’ middle.
He did everything that he’s done all year tonight – tackled, led the team, directed traffic and made a complete nuisance of himself.
From the first 20 giving Cameron Smith a back slap to tick off Jordan McLean, to the final 10 packing down in the Melbourne Storm scrum as they attempted to halt the clock, he was a complete grub.
But a winning grub.
Well done Michael Ennis. The game will be less interesting without you.
I have no idea how that just happened
71 tackles.
That’s how many Cameron Smith made over 80 minutes of football.
That is unbelievable from one player, verified by my conversations with master NRL statsman Tim Gore.
And thanks to Tim, some statistics for you.
1657 to 1391 metres: Sharks win.
408 to 312 tackles: Sharks win.
Melbourne had 32 sets in possession. That’s a good number. The Sharks had 40. This speaks to the pace of the game, and the fact that both sides completed at 90% speaks to the quality of it.
The Sharks had over 40 tackles in the Storm 20-metre area, yet only came up with 14 points.
This was an astonishing game of football.
How one team can take that much punishment in the possession and territory and only lose by two points is truly remarkable.
How one team can apply so much pressure in one game of football is equally remarkable.
Something didn’t feel right when the Storm hit the front with 20 minutes to play.
But then Andrew Fifita happened. The Sharks won. That felt like the right result.
So congratulations to the Sharks on their first win in half a century, and a huge commendation to the Storm for making it as close as it was.
monday QB
Guest
44-28...it was a nail biter...if only it wasn't for the refs the titans would have won for sure! thanks for illustrating my point in reply to my post.
bigJ
Guest
um i thought we were talking about AFL not soccer? And just beacause NSW cant win at SOO to save themselves, is no reason to get nasty, and your maths proves nothing, at best it is a poor attempt to look smart, and double heads are Tasmanian (sorry to any out there) not Queenslanders (well maybe Mount Morgan people). So dont drift off topic with figures when you lose an arguement. Qlders are the best players and make up the best team (Storm, Cowboys,) so once again keep your little trophies for this year and will take the back next year with 25% interest.
Matthew and Son
Guest
Chadly - the Fox was Nine pictures but Fox commentators who at least commented on the more bizarre ref decisions instead of completely ignoring them...(eg Storm clear knock on that was let go)
Matthew and Son
Guest
Is the Burleigh bears aligned to any NRL club
sad for the game
Guest
My 2nd post! - that covers your first point. The penalty was a slap on the wrist and a lenient one at that, I'll move on, and the sport can, when the convicted cheats are no longer a part of the sport. What would be a darker day for a sport then to have a club, its coaching staff, and large group of players convicted for a systematic performance enhancing drug regime? (If you would say the storm salary cap rort, then re-read your own post, and mine, and apply both to yourself ..)
armchair expert
Guest
I really enjoyed the 10 minute ad break after full time. I didn't know what was coming up as it was only the 4th time I had watched that channel all year. Now I know why I keep Foxtel the whole year round.
armchair expert
Guest
Sour grapes from a one post wonder I feel. The penalty for that was handed down, I think its time to move on. It was hardly the darkest day for sport.
sad for the game
Guest
It is disappointing for the code to have had convicted drug cheats win the big one, sours the whole league.
harambe
Guest
haha, now that's some rose coloured glasses! Sharkies have been the worst for being offside all year, and for the record, both were offside regularly in the GF and the ref'ing of the 10m and ruck was horrible - for both teams - but at least consistently not penalising? That's what everyone wants isn't it, consistency?
V.O.R.
Guest
I'm not a Bronco's fan if that was directed at me.
V.O.R.
Guest
Not sure what game you are supporting but knocking the ball into your own hands is not a knock on. For the decision to be correct Vinavalu would of had to knock the ball forward into Feki. This however was impossible. When you watch the 'ball' frame by frame in slow motion it is always traveling in the direction of the Storms try line. Of course this makes perfect sense as well. With the momentum of the two players challenging the football, Vinavalu would of had to hit the ball in a raking motion for the ball to be knocked in the opposite direction to which he was running and in the opposite direction to which the ball was traveling at speed. But he didn't make any such motion. Again it was a very quick decision by the Bunker with plenty at stake. It is unbelievable that they could have a howler like this on the big day. It's amateurish at best. Perhaps it is the NRL who are kidding themselves.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Tell me this Rob, let's say it wasn't a knock on from big Vani. Feki was making a play at a kicked ball, had he knocked it on fair and square no problem. But when an opposing player touches the ball with absolutely zero time to react to that touch, how can you honestly say that Feki played at the "dropped" ball from Vanivalu? It was a split second and he had zero chance of doing so. So if you want to have a whinge about the double knock on call that made it a drop out, then the call could easily have been at straight up try after Cronulla grounded it.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
While I disagree with V.O.R. With Cameron Smith's Storm team consistently getting away with murder by referee's including last night, the Titans were absolutely robbed by the refs and most certainly cost them the game.
JVGO
Guest
Vinavalu touched the ball with his right and then the ball travelled forward to touch his left hand. It was a straight forward initial knock on. You are kidding yourself.
SewingMachine
Guest
I've read many of your comments ..I've had a few run ins with you..nothing memorable ..As an Ennis fan..Ive taken more notice of your comments over the last couple of years . I've got to hand it too you..You have called it from day one that this was the year for Cronulla..due to the arrival of good halves..even last year when they were going well it was this year you were looking more forward too..this really stuck in my head.. So I thought you deserve congratulations on your prediction..and as a true Sharkies fan enjoy the win..it's been a long time coming.. And just a side note.. The Menace is a man of many parts..People say he's a grub..But he goes and does this.. When Smith kicked the conversion of the try that put Melbourne in front..12-8..the kicking tee flew towards the Sharks as they were running to restart play.. Smith went to retrieve the tee..Ennis got to it first..bent down picked it up and handed it to Smith.. Go figure.. I say he's just a fierce competitor..
Renegade
Roar Guru
Haha in regards to your question... Just having a little banter with some of the Broncos fans on the site mate, nothing sinister.
monday QB
Guest
agree that more often than not coaches, players and (especially) fans don't seem to be able to accept a loss without sticking it to the ref. It gets tiresome quickly. Most recent example is the Broncos vs Titans game from earlier in the finals series...yes there were a couple of bad calls (Roberts kick etc) but nothing that would have changed the outcome of what was quite a comfortable win for the Broncos. Post-match (and particularly because it was the Broncos) you'd have sworn the refs had changed the score after full time the way many people were carrying on. Refs were fine last night, although there were a couple of clearly fwd passes in the second half that should have been pulled up. Didn't impact the game. Broader issue (and a hobby horse issue for me) is the way in which refs seem to turn a blind eye to fwd passes across the NRL. Line ball calls I'm all for giving the benefit of the doubt, but there are often passes the travel 2 or 3 metres forward that don't get called. Can't be that hard...can it? Also, i'm obviously missing something here, but what have Broncos fans got to do with anything in the context of last night's game? surely they're shedding as many (or as few) tears as anyone else?
Matthew and Son
Guest
The Sydney figures are interesting - more people are home Sunday night that's why Nine have the GF on Sunday night rather than Saturday arvo when they are out (beautiful day in Sydney) which is why the NRL abandoned Saturday arvo footy for over a decade. Besides they know they will get a close game with the NRL (wink, wink). Still RL is the big game in Sydney - one day they will play a RL Test match there.
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
So what Big A? Rugby, league, and soccer were all developed in England - what's that got to do with modern day success? Nothing that's what. Only small minded, double-headed, fiddle loving folk such as yourself would rate winning an annual three series SOO a greater achievement than your local team winning a 30 week National Competition. The SOO is a two horse race with a 50% chance of victory. The NRL is a 16 horse race with just a 6.25% chance of claiming the top prize. Do the math banjo boy.
chadly
Guest
my thoughts - NINE coverage was brilliant - the FOX coverage was a NINE replay - interesting Sydney TV figures - AFL 534.000 - NRL 1,005.000 Shows that after all these years the SWANS are still a very long distance from acceptance