A frantic finish to the second qualifying final has seen the Sydney Roosters advance to within 80 minutes of a grand final berth with a victory over the Brisbane Broncos at Allianz Stadium. Here are my talking points from the clash.
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Can the Broncos bounce back?
The Broncos, without their stars looked very ordinary at times in the all-important qualifying final. Normally, you wouldn’t call a qualifying final the most important game of a teams’ finals series, but on this occasion, it might be.
So long as the Storm beat the Eels as expected on Saturday, the Broncos now face a preliminary final in Melbourne. To make it there, they have to win next week first though, and that may be a challenge that Wayne Bennett’s men may not be able to overcome.
With Darius Boyd, Korbin Sims, Tevita Pangai Junior and of course, Andrew McCullough all still likely to be sitting on the sidelines, the pressure on Brisbane to improve their performance will reach breaking point this week.
Likely to be up against an unpredictable Manly side should they beat Penrith, even at home, it’s a game the Broncos may not be able to bounce back in.
The Panthers won’t be a walk in the park either, but if the Broncos play like they did on Friday night, especially early in the piece, it’s difficult to see them turning things around enough to win.
A straight-sets elimination would be embarrassing, but it’s the cruel reality Brisbane may face.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Game plans to beat the Storm, but it’s daylight second
It seems the media attention surrounding exactly how hard the Storm are going to beat has gotten to the Roosters and Broncos – more so the Roosters, but also the Broncos.
The first 15 minutes of the game feels like an eternity ago, but both teams came flying out of the blocks. It was fast-paced, entertaining and both teams were clearly trying a few things. There was a lot of side-to-side movement, fast play the balls and attempts to attack at every opportunity.
Running games from creative players were explored in what felt like every set, and the nature of the game suggested they were setting up a game plan to beat Melbourne – even if they weren’t playing Melbourne.
I’m hesitant to call it overly different for the Broncos, because it’s something they have been doing for weeks – scoring a lot of points and going on the attack at every opportunity. Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford, in particular, combining well for a running game that was unpredictable through the middle third of the park.
But the way the Roosters came out of the blocks, then kept the level up for the first half an hour was superb. There were mistakes, and that’s to be expected, but they tried something different. You are never going to win a game against the Storm by grinding – it’s simple as that.
It didn’t work as well after half an hour, and playing 80 minutes is something the Roosters haven’t done for a month. If they can play that sort of game for 80 minutes though, there’s no reason they can’t beat any team in the competition.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The Broncos need Darius Boyd back. Urgently.
Maybe the most worrying element of the Broncos’ game was their defence. While McCullough being out hurts them through the middle, it shouldn’t be the deal breaker.
He averages 48 tackles per game, sure, but that workload should be able to spread out across their bench forwards. If Joe Ofahengaue and Herman Ese’ese can’t pick it up, then something is badly wrong.
The biggest problem for the Broncos was that Darius Boyd was missing. Boyd, as much as he is maligned in the media at times is the second best defensive organisational fullback in the competition, only behind Billy Slater.
If they are going to beat either Manly or Penrith next week, they need Boyd back on the field. That, or Nikorima needs a crash course in how to run a team from the back. They looked a shambles at times, especially on their own line.
With so many attacking players (Milford, Hunt, Nikorima and Benji Marshall), Boyd doesn’t offer a great deal extra in attack, but the Broncos sure need him at the other end of the park.
Luke Keary is rediscovering his running form, and it’s dangerous
If you cast your mind back to the first four weeks of this season, you’d remember Luke Keary looking like he’d be the buy of the year for the red, white and blue.
He started the season with a bang, shredding defensive lines and kicking the ball on a five-cent piece. He was playing on the back of a dominant forward pack, sure, but he made the job of Mitchell Pearce easier.
Anyway, as history will show, Keary only showed patches of that form for the rest of the season. He showed glimpses of returning to his early season form on Friday though.
A try, a couple of line breaks, a hand in another try and it all came off the back of his running game. He picked his spots wonderfully, didn’t overplay his hand and did everything you’d assume Trent Robinson asks of him.
If Keary can rediscover the form he had in the first four weeks, he will be a dangerous asset for the Roosters in their remaining games.
Anthony Milford’s vision was sensational, but it’s not enough on its own
Milford made some strong runs and good plays during the game, but on his own it’s simply not enough to win the premiership or compete well enough in the finals.
If the Roosters had of been on their game, you get the feeling they would have ran up quite a score.
Benji Marshall starting in the halves is an interesting experiment, but one for mine that doesn’t seem to be working. Whoever Milford plays alongside needs to be an organiser, and while Marshall did that well at the Dragons in 2015 when he finished second in the Dally M Medal, he is no longer the same player.
In fact, he has never been the same since Greg Eastwood landed on his leg in the elimination final the same year. He is good in patches, and was again, nearly kicking that 40/20, but the former Kiwi captain struggles to control a game now.
If Boyd isn’t back next week, Nikorima must start in the halves, Jordan Kahu at fullback and Marshall from the bench.
Jake Friend’s kicking game was poor
Friend is generally one of the Roosters’ most consistent players, and it’s difficult to go really hard on him, because in the end, the tricolours won, but there’s no argument to be made he was ordinary.
His kicking game, usually so dangerous was poor. He had two grubbers which went dead, both of which lead to Broncos’ tries shortly afterwards.
Conceding seven-tackle sets is a momentum killer in anyone’s books. Mistakes happen, but a hooker shouldn’t be doing it twice in the same game. It proved crucial, and Friend was lucky the Broncos weren’t really on their game.
While the kicking game is what stood out to many about Friend’s performance, his whole attacking game was off. Closer inspection shows he made just a single run for five metres in the 80 minutes, which, in a fast-paced game with tired ruck defenders isn’t taking care of opportunities in the slightest.
Cameron Smith would have had a field day, and given he is the yardstick for hookers in the NRL, it’s something Friend needs to do better.
He has had a great season, but wasn’t good enough in the first week of the finals.
Roarers, what did you make of the second qualifying final? Drop a comment below and let us know.
douglas maybir
Guest
if the Roosters can play 80 min no team will beat them. fergo is the week link when it comes to try line defence. its not like its his first mistake. he makes the same defensive error time and time again. surely robbo has had a word to him. fergo works the ball out of the Roosters 20 meter line as good as any forward but he needs to think eith a footy brain a bit more. the lights are on in his brain but no ones home it seems. Melborne Roosters grand final.
Roy
Guest
Ha this is the genius who talked up St George Illawarra socks and said the Roosters are rubbish and here we are the chooks one win from another grand final. Keep writing off the Roosters, it shows how little you know. Btw East's very nearly beat the storm in Melbourne and the GF is not in Melbourne.
thomas c
Guest
As bad as it was for the broncos, scraping home against an injured, sloppy broncos side in Sydney is limited cause for celebration. But, at least it was a close game and wasn't marred in the same way as the panther/sea eagles clash.
Nat
Roar Guru
Plenty of errors, dropped balls, missed tackles "we were so far off where we should be" Bennett said and yet the chooks win by 2 points in the final 5 mins. Probably says more about the Roosters than the Broncos. You do realise the both teams have an average age of 25? Us Broncos fans will just have to take your word about the tears - we've never finished 15th before.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Nat, more talking about the Broncos celebrating Tom Turbo's injury. Making it their "play of the week". But you're right Manly will be focused on the Panthers and the Panthers only. But us fans can enjoy the thought now of a little retribution should the two collide again.
steveng
Roar Rookie
'Aaron' you poor bloke, there will be allot of tears coming for you barracking for the Broncos, wait until all the 'has been's' will retire. lol Hunt going to the Dragons, Monga to the Knights and the rest will just be filling in until they fade. Last nights game (was a fluke that they got that close) and the past Parra game will be the 'Norm' at the Broncos. Listen to Wayne's post match interview and you will get some sense of what the Broncos are facing and in what dire straights they really are.
Aaron
Guest
Can't take anything Steve says about the broncos seriously. Week after week he's on the Broncos game thread finishing about referees calls. There's a sickness there. Poor bloke.
Your kidding
Guest
Tv sport! Then the ratings would be sky high right?! The AFL smashed the NRL last night. This was a great game of league and it should of got a bigger audience at the ground and on TV. Pearce really saved the Roosters from a sneaky Broncos try towards the end. Well done. Ferguson had a brain fade there for a bit, but it all worked out okay.
Nat
Roar Guru
Seriously guys, Rd 10? Manly got away to a flyer scoring 3 tries in the 1st 10 mins and Tafua's was a forward pass of nearly 10 meters. Not a single point for 71mins after that. DCE takes a soccer dive and that levels up the penalty count to 5 each but you blame the refs! While I'm backing Manly today, you had better focus on beating the Panthers before you start worrying about any misconceived redemption stories.
Nat
Roar Guru
Come on, Really? Better judges than you and I have Boyd as the 2nd best fullback in the game, only behind Slater. Hence he has been the Qld and Australian FB in Billy's absence. Even the author pointed this out in the article. There is a lot more to being a good FB than flashy tries. He is an organiser in attack and defence and rarely misses the mark in putting the winger over or defusing opposition attacking raids. Why do you think all the commentators have made such a big deal of losing him? If you ever get to see him play live (and you understand the game) you will get to appreciate how good he is. Yes Mitchell is a freak with Inglis-like qualities. But he is not Inglis. Mitchell is 20yo and can do some freaky things but also a defensive liability and even dropped to reserve grade this year. Inglis at 19yo, was a Grand Finalist, Qld Rep (series winner) and Australian Rep (Tri Nations Winner). At 20yo, he was a Premiership Winner and Clive Churchill Medalist (at 5/8) - Game Over.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yeah that is fair enough, but Ferguson is a very experience player and he should have known better!! So what if it was a 40/20? He should have realised that Gordon was on the other side of the field and had no chance of getting to that ball, sure we are all geniuses in hindsight but, Ferguson is a very experienced player and should have known much better!!! Because, if the Roosters would have lost, he would been made to look like a 'Goose', if he wasn't already.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Correction, that should be 'crowds' don't know why the spelling mistake came up?
Benny
Guest
Roosters beat the Sharks two weeks ago, and much more convincingly than the scoreline would suggest (just like all other Roosters games this year)
steveng
Roar Rookie
The Melbourne crows are more loyal than the Sydney crows, full stop. The promotion, contest and structure of the AFL is better and has always been in comparison to the NRL. Last nights game was a game between 2 powerhouses of the AFL, the Tigers fans are one of the die hards of the AFL as are the Cats fans, its embarrassing to make a comparison) between AFL crowds and NRL crows in 2017. AFL total crowds exceed 6.5 million and the NRL crowds are a dwindling mob (I don't have the exact figures) but I'm sure that the totals hasn't reached 1 million this year, and if they have its just over that for the NRL comp. Just as a note, the SOO series 'mid season' is killing the NRL comp and the sooner the NRL realises this the better it will be for everything NRL and club loyalty!!!
Wascally Wabbit
Guest
Ferguson didn't have the best of games, but I think criticism of his 40/20 flick back is a bit harsh. I'm sure players train to do what he did last night and instinct kicked in. He had very little time to make a decision. Had a Roosters player been back there to take the ball, Ferguson would have looked like a genius. But there wasn't, and replays showed several Roosters literally walking back as the ball rolled towards touch -- only starting to motor when it was too late. If I was Robinson, the lack of support for Ferguson would be more of an issue than his "brain snap."
Marco
Guest
The Roosters have never been big crowd pullers. Channel 9 really turned up the volume of the small audience, the tv broadcast was quite good I thought. It was a good game. It's a tv sport these days. That's what they want.
Albo
Guest
I agree the Roosters should have easily put the Broncos away last night. But we have seen the same capitulation from big winning positions from them all year. I am not so sure they are going to the GF on that form again. They got out of jail in the end last night through a bit of Mitchell brilliance. Remember it is quite likely they may be playing the Sharks next up, a team that has generally had the wood on them for a while. Whilst I initially thought it may be a Storm v Roosters GF this year, after last night, I am now thinking it may be a repeat of last year with Storm v Sharks.
Big Daddy
Guest
Scott, Apart from the roosters winning one of the main talking points has to be the size of the crowd. All season the live crowds have dropping off and last night's mediocre attendance proves the popularity of rugby league is dropping off and yet we never hear anything from NRL administration. 95k in Melbourne last night and today swan's will be a sellout. What on earth is going on.!!!!
steveng
Roar Rookie
Boyd wont make a difference to the Broncos, he's done nothing this year and the Broncos will just fade in the next game. The Roosters are a worry that being 14-0 up and so dominant that they allowed the opposition to get back into the game and just win by 2 points. But how good is Latrell Mitchell the bloke is a powerhouse, I would rate him more than GI at this stage of his career.
Jara W
Guest
Don't want to take anything away from Keary. He was good last night. But his try was all Milford. He simply shadowed him over the line. As soon as Keary got the ball Milford had no intention of affecting a tackle in the field of play. Being a liability is one thing. Not trying brings the whole team down.