Ignore the final score. Whether the Roosters had claimed a 21-20 victory off the back of a freakish Latrell Mitchell field goal or the men in purple had pinched the game at the other end from the boot of Cameron Munster, it makes little difference.
The Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm confirmed they are well and truly the benchmarks of the NRL competition when they did battle on Good Friday.
The Chooks are the reigning premiers, sit second on the ladder and have looked the most polished unit over the first five rounds.
The Storm appeared hot on their tails; undefeated after Round 5, despite some of their opponents’ form looking somewhat questionable. Their victims thus far have shown increasingly patchy form and when the Roosters jumped them early at AAMI Park last night, there appeared to be some validation of the questions around some of their early season opposition.
It began with a flurry for the tricolours. Tries to Mitchell, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and James Tedesco helped establish a 20-0 lead for after just 31 minutes. A converted try to Josh Addo-Carr and a late penalty goal brought some hope for the southerners as the teams entered the sheds.
In true modern rugby league fashion, momentum swung immediately after the break, with Rooster errors and Storm composure shifting the balance. From a 20-8 deficit, the Storm were back on level terms after converted tries to Tui Kamikamica and Curtis Scott after 54 minutes.
From that point, the match became the archetypal grind, with neither side willing to concede ground or take unnecessary risks. Despite some frantic moments, there was to be no heroic feat in regular time and the dreaded golden point scenario was once again used to split two teams who potentially both deserved a point.
The freakish Mitchell added another moment of excellence to his resume with a 39-metre drop goal that silenced the crowd and sent the Chooks to within a for-and-against point of the top of the ladder.
It began as a red, white and blue domination, then morphed into a Storm comeback and, in the end, became a nail-biting golden point victory for the Roosters.
Logic suggests there could very well be a clash between these two teams in the finals. If there is, I suggest we all buy a ticket.
A Roosters-Storm rematch? Yes please. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The traditional Good Friday clash at ANZ Stadium between the Bulldogs and the Rabbitohs played out as another tough and uncompromising encounter, with South Sydney victorious 14-6.
It was another courageous effort from the Bulldogs and a performance that further confused those studying form and attempting to gauge their chances in 2019.
The ‘rocks or diamonds’ Bulldogs are proving impossible to read; with horrendous losses to the Warriors and Dragons juxtaposed with a slick win against the Tigers and a brave 16-18 loss to the Storm.
After the poor performance at Kogarah in Round 5, the Bunnies loomed as a stern test for the blue and whites. Early on it looked ominous for Canterbury as a brisk start by Souths led to a mountain of possession and territorial advantage in the first half.
The 14-6 score at the break was a deception. In reality, Souths should have led by 20, with their 70 per cent share of possession, some dubious decisions and the bounce of the ball all keeping the Dogs’ scrambling in defence throughout the half.
Damien Cook schemed relentlessly inside the red zone, creating numerous opportunities and the Rabbitohs will be disappointed that they were not able to extend their lead further in the opening 40 minutes.
To their credit, the Bulldogs hung on grimly. I’m not quite sure how they did so under the Bunny bombardment, yet the eight point half time deficit was something of a win for them.
Despite a continuation of their error riddled game early in the second half, the Bulldogs dug in once more and miraculously, looked most likely to score late in the match.
Possession leveled up somewhat during the second term and only handling errors prevented the Bulldogs from capitalising on their increased share of the ball.
In the end, the final 53 minutes played out without a point being scored. The Rabbitohs will be furious that a dominant first half performance didn’t translate into greater scoreboard pressure.
As for the Bulldogs? Well, I’m not sure what they are.
Roy
Guest
Hahaha a typical sounds fan, bitter and twisted til the end.
steveng
Roar Rookie
I agree on most points Albo but, Sam has (scored one try this year) to me, because of taking on more responsibility with being a captain and with all the dramas at the Bunnies, it must have had some effect on him and the boys, as it had on the structure of the team. There are not too many teams in the comp, that have had their backline either injured or a marquee player like GI retire. Bennett will have some shuffling to do and/or sign a top centre for the Bunnies to have any chance IMO. I hope that when Braidon Burns and Adam Doueihi return the Bunnies will improve and especially sort their ¾ out, with Burns in the centres and even Doueihi returning somewhere there as a utility player, as the kid can play anywhere. Bennett will have a dilemma in getting this squad sorted without GI there! The Bunnies have looked ordinary in some games but, they are still winning ‘Just’ lol and for how long this will last, only time will tell, I hope that uncle Wayne can get things sorted lol
Albo
Roar Rookie
The Chooks are very good, because they have a bunch of match winners right across the park with their "big 4" and are well managed by Cronk & Keary out on the field. Souths just got very fortunate in meeting them early in that round one match in the wet at the SCG. Even without Friend , Taukeioha & Manu they had enough depth to account for the full strength Storm at their home. At full strength they look awfully tough to beat and to take away a rare back to back title.
Albo
Roar Rookie
My thoughts as an impartial observer: 1. They miss a lot of direction when Cam Murray is off the field. He should be playing 80 minutes for mine. 2. The Burgess boys are hot and cold so far. Has Sam made a break this year ? 3. They are missing some spark in the backline without Inglis and Burns, 4. Reynolds has a great kicking game but creates little else in scoring opportunities outside of the kick. So it is up to Walker & Cook to create scoring opportunities. If the rucks are slowed down like the Dogs were allowed to got away with, then Cook is nullified out of dummy half, so the Dogs only had to keep Walker in check which they did, to restrict the Bunnies scoring. 5. The bunnies still have enough class to get them home in a lot of matches, but they will need to improve a lot to take the title ( despite the round one win over the Chooks).
mushi
Roar Guru
Really Rellum, why. Do we want to hamper scoring from passing?
mushi
Roar Guru
I'm fine with it. We covered the concept of momentum in year 10 science. If that's beyond the grasp of the rugby league community as a concept then I fear for our literal survival.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
It's the same thing. The ball going backwards in relation to the person passing the ball is passing backwards from the hands.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
This would stop players passing the ball when running. The wind can cause a ball to float forward and it's legal. There is nothing wrong with the forward pass rule as it is the direction of the ball form the hands and this is a precise moment direction is judged.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The game doesn't deserved anything but a team that doesn't win after 80 minutes doesn't deserve 2 points. If you walk away with an empty feeling after a draw don't watch teams you don't care about as 1 point could be the point that gets you into the finals. It is a valid result no matter how sad it makes some people.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Yes a team that doesn't win shouldn't get two points like the teams who earn their two points. It's a contest for table position and GP is a distortion of the true table positions.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Spot on, I just gave a few examples there in one dude.
Bernie
Guest
More close finishes in the NRL and mighty 2nd half comebacks wow but then I thought the Roller Game and WWE were fair dinkum too
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Don't waste your time steveng, chooks are incapable of understanding logic or using reason. They have small brains. LOL
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
I'm a South Sydney junior myself and I played for the Chelsea Eagles for most of my time in the juniors. I played for the Redfern All Blacks with Nathan Merritt's dad for my last 2 years though. The Roosters didn't just pinch Elwyn Walters and Ron Coote from Souths they also stole Michael Cleary, Terry Fahey, Terry Hermansson, Craig Wing, Sean Garlick and via the Bulldogs Braith Anasta. More recently they have taken South Sydney juniors Nat and Egan Butcher, Paul Momirovski, Grant Garvey, Brock Gray AND Angus Crichton (THAT should get a bite from the Roosters fanatics). LOL In exchange, Souths got stuck with Bryan Fletcher and Michael Crocker who came to Souths for a retirement payout instead of a willingness to bleed cardinal and myrtle like Sam Burgess and John Sutton. I'm happy to see that you survived the Easts junior comp steveng, just like "penso" (a close mate of mine from Zero Tackle) and went on to support the Rabbitohs. Proof that the cream does rise to the top! ;-)
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yes, the Chooks will be like the Dragons were, half yearly premiers! Lets see how they pan out come finals time?
steveng
Roar Rookie
John, just look at the Chooks roster since the mid 70's and then you will understand and realise??? If you haven't so far, that the Chooks have always bought their premierships! Just go to the link that I've given above of their 1975 side and then you will understand! Here is the link again: http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1975/eastern-suburbs/summary.html
steveng
Roar Rookie
PS, I played in the Easts comp all my life, I started as a junior playing for Bondi United and then played for a few other clubs in that comp, in those days (the 70’s) the Chooks were the same, they were importing players from allover the place! Its been this way for a very long time and if you look at the Easts junior comp ‘its been none existent’ for a very long time, its been combined with the Souths comp. Have a look at their 1975 side here (http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nswrfl-1975/south-sydney/summary.html) when they were coached by Gibson (who was an import also) and got the Chooks on their mighty premierships runs and that unbeatable side, this is just an example of what the Chooks have always done!!! In 1975 they had Walters and Coote, who were Bunnie legends and Beetson was from the Tigers etc etc nothing has changed at the Chooks, its always been ‘lets buy a premiership’!
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"Nearly poked my eye out!" You mean you got the cone as well as the nuts? Oh dear!
AE47
Roar Rookie
Roy , still funny
Mycall
Roar Rookie
2 wrongs don't make a right. Once the refs made it abundantly clear to the Rabbitohs that they were not giving ruck penalties, of course they would do the same thing. Taking the moral high ground doesn't deliver you the 2 points. A game where the 10m weren't enforced and the ruck could be slowed down by both sides was going to benefit the doggies more that souths. If both teams were penalised for off-side and holding down, then the Bunnies would have probably benefited more.