2016 Grand Final Fever: Battles Across The Park
There are battles across the park in the NRL Grand Final between Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks, starting with Cameron Munster vs Ben Barba at fullback.
There are battles across the park in the NRL Grand Final between Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks, starting with Cameron Munster vs Ben Barba at fullback.
Jesse Bromwich will lead Melbourne Storm's raid through the middle against Cronulla on Sunday, thus winning them the Grand Final.
Issac Luke copped criticism from all corners of Aotearoa this season, despite kinda just doing what he did at the Rabbitohs. The New Zealand Warriors also have some funky depth at dummy half, leaving Stephen Kearney with some interesting decisions to make.
Sosaia Feki has never really put a foot wrong at Cronulla and now he's helping them get to a Grand Final. There's also some sympathy for those who don't ensure that they enjoy Jesse Bromwich's greatness.
Wade Graham's got all the skills down Cronulla's left edge, as does Luke Lewis down their right edge. Using these blokes and some mobile forwards up the guts is how Cronulla Sharks will put some points on Melbourne and snap up Premiership glory.
The NZ Warriors forward pack is so big and strong and skillful and .... yeah, so, about that. They are kinda big, yet the NZ Warriors props weren't very good this season.
It's Monday of Grand Final week so let's reflect on the two preliminary finals from the weekend, with a focus on North Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders. How would you wanna lose?
Joseph Tapine will come off the bench for the Raiders in probably the biggest game of his life, while there's a mighty contingent of kiwi lads reppin' Burleigh Bears in Queensland's Intrust Super Cup Grand Final.
So yup, Kieran Foran's joining the New Zealand Warriors next season and the Warriors are officially chasing a Premiership asap. Don't good things take time?
David Kidwell is the new Kiwis coach which is a great sign for the NZRL as the plan has been put into action, now it's Kidwell's time to lead this team into a slightly new era.
Jack Wighton and his Canberra Raiders comrades will head to Melbourne for Cooper Cronk's 300th game, only after we're treated to some Cowboys vs Sharks first though.
Jason Taumalolo showed why he's the Players' Champion this season, doing what he's done all season long on the biggest stage. There's also Kalyn Ponga, Jordan Rapana, Joseph Tapine and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Shaun Johnson had a tough season, as you'd expect to be honest as he's yet to enjoy a consistent buddy in the halves for our New Zealand Warriors.
Mitchell Moses enjoyed a breakout 2016 NRL season and along with the rest of the young Wests Tigers squad, there's plenty of improvement left.
Starting with the outside backs, the Doc will run through some swift individual player debriefs. A guy like David Fusitua was good in 2016 but the loss of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck hampered his progress (the best is yet to come!)
A game of NRL Finals footy in Townsville and one in Canberra has given us 24 hours of rugby league awesomeness.
Otahuhu's Watson Heleta starts at fullback for Wests Tigers as they face off against Mounties, peep the round up of our Reserve Grade Kiiws in Finals footy.
Kalyn Ponga will make his NRL debut tonight (omg!!) so the Doc serves up a Kalyn Ponga mixtape. Wests Tigers also re-signed Junior Kiwi Esan Marsters and Manu Ma'u is the mantis.
Forget Benji Marshall, Gareth Widdop and Josh Dugan. The Dragons couldn't do much with a reasonably average forward pack this season.
James Fisher-Harris will face off against Josh Papalii and there's a few more epic encounters with the kiwi flavour. We've also named another Kiwis team just from the six teams still in the NRL Finals.