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Penrith chase some history while Brisbane look to squeeze their way around or through that Panther wall of defence. Who ya got? Here come your midweek talking points for the biggest game of the year.
Much talk has been around New Zealand’s Andrew Webster and the way he’s turned the Warriors into a properly functioning rugby league club, there’s been a groundswell of support for Wayne Bennett winning nine games with a club that didn’t exist a year ago and Kevin Walters has really changed the way he’s viewed after instilling a tough edge to Brisbane’s defence to go with their flourishing attack, finishing second on points differential.
Nathan and Ivan Cleary after the 2021 Grand Final win. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
All reasonable calls, but it just has to be Ivan Cleary, doesn’t it? Penrith have timed this season better than any of the previous three where they made Grand Finals. They’re in better knick than they were in any of those three, and after losing more players than they had in the previous three.
Penrith are a finely tuned machine who spends the early part of a game conducting a full audit of their opponent’s plan, before adjusting their own to maximise weakness and enhance their own strengths.
They approach games with supreme confidence in their system, preparation and talent. That cannot happen without the best of the best in the coaches box.
Tonight is awards night, with the men’s and women’s Dally M medals announced and the team of the year announced by position. Payne Haas led Nathan Cleary 30 votes to 27 when the count went behind closed doors from round 12, but it’s the nomination criteria for the position awards that stood out this week.
Players who get suspended for two games can’t be selected in the Dally M team of the year and this rules out names like Reece Walsh, Corey Horsburgh, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Jahrome Hughes, Scott Drinkwater, Valentine Holmes, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Marata Niukore among many others.
Reece Walsh. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
You can argue the merits of each player’s chances at winning a spot or not, but two matches seems a harsh cutoff.
(I’d also suggest Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is a worthy shout to be in the hunt for fullback of the year, instead it’s James Tedesco, Dylan Edwards and Kalyn Ponga.)
This is niche, but bear with me. Life duties last weekend meant I was driving during the first half of both preliminary finals. I logged into the NRL mobile app trying to find a radio broadcast to listen to and was bemused to discover the game’s official mobile app doesn’t actually provide access to radio broadcasts of games.
Like I said, niche. But I’m not the only person who wanted to listen to the radio coverage – lots of people prefer a radio call team over the TV crew from Nine and Fox League. It’s weird to me you can’t have what’s a pretty simple functionality for fans. The AFL does it, other sports do it, why can’t the NRL? It would make life easier for us fans of the wireless…
It’s Penrith, it’s Brisbane, it’s the vibe, it’s two successful yet not entirely embraced teams. Neither of these two would successfully lay a claim to being ‘the people’s team’ for this contest.
Jarome Luai. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
But it’s shaping as a great game. The best ranked attack and defence against the second best ranked attack and defence. Penrith’s relentless system and pressure against Brisbane’s tough forward pack, blistering attacking speed and unpredictability with the ball.
A shot at redemption of sorts for Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds, last seen in a Grand Final wearing a South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey and missing a tough late conversion before going down 14-12 to Penrith.
Brisbane own the historic head-to-head 35-24-1 but the Panthers have won five of the last six between these two. They’ve split their 2023 contests one win apiece.
I love Grand Final Sunday. Games all day, anticipation building, and usually a game that suits the occasion. Last year Parramatta were cooked from going the long way, then overmatched by a rested Panthers squad. This year Brisbane are a worthy challenger who will take the game to the premiers.
It shapes as a fantastic night for rugby league fans.
Congratulations to the referees selected for the game too. Adam Gee is in the middle for his first Grand Final. Chris Sutton and David Munro are the touchies, while everyone’s favourite Bunker Review Official Ash Klein will be watching the screens and hoping he doesn’t have to do anything.
Newcastle’s NRLW team are in the Grand Final against the Gold Coast. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
What’s got you talking ahead of the weekend, Roarers?