NRL Finals Week Three Preview
Jack Wighton vs Cameron Munster? Grab the popcorn.
Sharks vs Cowboys
Match Up
Paul Gallen vs Jason Taumalolo: Gone are the days of when the No.13 used to be a tackling machine and in Gallen and Taumalolo, we will be treated to two extremely powerful runners of the footy who then add their own twist into the mix as well. Taumalolo is quicker, more agile and has better footwork than Gallen which allows him to make the most of vacant space behind the ruck area, while Gallen offers an offload and a splash of skill to his powerful running game. Expect both to be up around the 200m mark and it'll be brutal through the middle any time either of these blokes is involved.
Michael Ennis vs Jake Granville/Rory Kostjasyn: Also contributing to an intriguing contest in the middle of the park, will be either team's hookers who are as crafty with their running games as they are skillful. Ennis is low key excellent in scooting out of dummy half and has a slick kicking game and he'll play 80 minutes, up against Granville who will give the Cowboys speed out of dummy half with Kostjasyn coming on to keep Granville fresh and do a solid job. The Sharks need Ennis to be up to all sorts of tricks around the ruck and the Cowboys just need the odd scoot, with crisp service to their play-makers so this is a funky stylistic match up.
Key Man
Cronulla look lethal when Ben Barba is offering his freakish attacking ability and as the Sharks should be able to maintain parity with the Cowboys through the middle, what Barba does out on the edges will be crucial. Barba has the speed to get on the outside of defenders and that, combined with his skill to assess the situation and either kick or pass accurately gives the Sharks most of their opportunities out wide. The Cowboys will know this as they've seen how important Barba is all season and they will put Barba under pressure, jamming in from the outside as well as rushing him from the inside channels.
Taumalolo, James Tamou and Matt Scott are the best middle trio in the NRL, however Tamou and Scott play around 50 minutes with Taumalolo playing around 60 minutes. Cronulla rely heavily on Andrew Fifita, Paul Gallen and Matt Prior to play big minutes which will put the Cowboys bench under pressure to keep Cronulla's big boppers under wraps. John Asiata was powerful and skillful last week off the bench while the presence of Scott Bolton and Ben Hannant on the bench is the very reason why Tamou and Scott can have a rest. Interestingly, Asiata was absent for much of the season and he was crucial in the Cowboys run to a Premiership last season so watch out for his work off the bench.
Keep An Eye On
Chad Townsend got yanked from the field last time Cronulla played and Jack Bird's more direct style in combination with James Maloney made Cronulla look more potent. Townsend has done a good job in steering the Sharks around this season and they'll need him to be at his best, going up against Jonathan Thurston and all.
Yanking Townsend was only possible because Gerard Beale was on the bench, so keep an eye on how Beale is injected into the game. He's not exactly an impact player, having him on the bench just allows Shane Flannagan to change up Cronulla's backline on the fly.
Coen Hess was also a beast last week for the Cowboys, stepping in for Ethan Lowe. He'll be up against Wade Graham and that'll be a battle to watch as both are very physical with plenty of skill as well.
Verdict
Cowboys. I can't go against such a dominant force through the middle and then the play-making spine Thurston, Michael Morgan and Lachlan Coote. We should also be slightly scared as this Cowboys team has a creepy resemblance to the team that won it all last season .
Storm vs Raiders
Match Up
Cameron Munster vs Jack Wighton: Two young fullbacks who ooze rugby league talent in copious amounts. Munster is a hot-stepper who has low key power and offers all the skills required of an NRL fullback, while Wighton is bigger, stronger and more potent in running the footy. What I love about these two is that they both play second-fiddle to their halves, hooker and even a few of their beastly forwards which means that you've really got to be paying attention any time these lads get the footy. They are extremely well-equipped to add the icing on the cake of the work done inside them.
Cheyse Blair vs Joey Leilua: Blair was a typical Melbourne bargain-bin buy, with Craig Bellamy flipping him into a consistent NRL centre after Blair was struggling for game time at Manly. Now Blair faces off against the hottest centre in the NRL and Leilua's size, speed and all-round skills (he sets up Jordan Rapana in a variety of ways) will ask serious questions of Blair's defence. The Storm will know what Leilua offers so they will have a trick or two up their sleeve, it'll still be Blair who either steps up or is made to look like a battler though.
Key Man
While I highlighted the attack lock battle between Gallen and Taumalolo, Dale Finucane is more of a defensive lock who still offers powerful carries and a touch of ball-playing. Finucane's main job though will be whacking the Raiders forwards and along with Cameron Smith, Finucane will have to slow the Raiders forwards down, keeping a lid on their momentum.
Canberra do have Josh Papalii and Elliott Whitehead on their edges though - two lads who can cause havoc down the edges if Canberra are struggling to dominate the middle. Papalii is my key man for the Raiders because he's given them a seriously ruthless presence on that left edge and he can bring the pain via his defence, while also being a menace with the footy. What sets Papalii apart though is his subtle footwork and agility for a big man, so expect the Raiders to go to him often on the left and then look to use him as a decoy.
Keep An Eye On
Melbourne have big forwards to handle the Raiders big boppers with Jesse Bromwich, Jordan McLean, Tohu Harris, Kevin Proctor and Finucane all putting the Cowboys in the shade a few weeks ago. Kenny Bromwich is the bloke to watch off the bench though as he not only gives the Storm a dose of power and skill off the bench, he's a bit smaller and is quicker which enables him to have immediate impact. Watch out for when the younger Bromwich is brought on as he'll be easy to spot with his quick feet, dynamic carries and slick passing.
I'd suggest that Junior Paulo and Shannon Boyd won't be quite as effective this week as they have been in the past. Melbourne would have noted how powerful Paulo is especially and they'll put plenty of bodies in front of him.
Verdict
Storm. That win over the Cowboys sits at the front of my mind and is a prime example of how good this Melbourne forward pack is. People often concern themselves with Smith or Cooper Cronk, but the Storm are only in this position because they have the best prop in the NRL and a forward pack that is rarely dominated.