Manly MIA
September 30, 2007
By Adam Sutcliffe
Storm 34 d Manly 8
Grand Final 2007: Storm Player Preview
September 28, 2007
NRL Grand Final 2007
Adam Sutcliffe Previews the Melbourne Storm
Today we cast an eye over the bruised and battered Melbourne Storm 2007 Grand Final team. The dominant NRL team all season, how are their individual players shaping up for the Rugby League clash of the year:
Billy Slater
The lethal little man is carrying a leg injury; but his presence alone lifts the Storm team. Will need every ounce of speed to stop Brett Stewart’s regular blitzkrieg’s.
Steve Turner
The king of contracts has proved his worth this year and has started to erase the bad vibes around his treatment of the Titans. Deceptively quick on the flank, he has a nice in and away that will give Steve Matai nightmares.
Matt King
One of the most dominant centres in the game. Tall, rangy and difficult to stop at close range in attack - however, he is a confidence based player in defence and will need to be on his game early or risk nerves throughout the game as Manly pepper his corner.
Israel Folau
The 2007 NRL Rookie of the year has the Rugby League world at his feet. Everyone knows what he is capable of now; but it requires plenty of defenders to stop him. Carried 5 Eels over the try line last week in a mammoth display. Durability a worry after some heavy knocks last week
Anthony Quinn
Tough and passionate, a good asset in a Grand Final where desire takes a front row seat. Is prone to being baited and can give away silly penalties. If he can keep emotions in check will be a major force for the Storm
Greg Inglis
Injury and the famous second year syndrome have hampered his year in 2007. His move to fight eight has been hard; but there is no questioning his danger in attack. Can step and weave the length of the field - one of those players who can create something from nothing (a la Benji Marshall in 2005) Manly will need to watch him all day
Cooper Cronk
Yet another production line halfback that rolls off the Storm machine. Astute kicking is only rivaled by M.Monaghan and Cronk has the ability to go to the line and challenge tired forwards - a live wire that is rarely off his game
Ben Cross
A real hard head that plays an unsung hero role for the Storm. His injury concern is yet another major worry for Bellamy and Co. Fearless and tireless he hits the line hard and straight; very much in the mould of Rodney Howe
Cameron Smith
Without doubt the single key to Melbourne winning the NRL 2007 Grand Final. His proven ability to guide the team around is well known, cool under pressure and regularly stifles opposing hookers. If Smith shuts down Monaghan the Storm will win.
Brett White
A metre eating forward that is no nonsense in his approach. Is known to make the occasional error and may be suspect to the rough stuff; if he keeps healthy early expect a good showing from White
Clint Newton
The experienced former Knight is now a valuable asset for the Storm; big game experience and a hard head are just what Melbourne need. Industrious defender and has the ability to break the line when he floats wider of the ruck. Possess a good offload that will worry Manly.
Ryan Hoffman
Unheralded forward that most certainly deserves more praise. Plays well above his weight and is one of the best hole running forwards in the NRL. His defence efficiency is well known, but it’s his gap running that will have Des Hasler most worried.
Dallas Johnson
The closest thing to a robot. His tireless tackling frustrates the hell out of opposing teams. Boasts effective and punishing tackles from the kick-off until the final siren; a guy that Melbourne will fall back on heavily in the final minutes of the game if a close contest is at hand
Michael Crocker
The firebrand is much more settled these days and his work rate around the ruck is of most value to the Storm. Another experienced man at the business end of the season; his ability to slow the ruck in defence and exploit holes from 1 out of the ruck in attack are impressive.
Jeff Lima
A brutal battering ram that played a valuable role in disposing of the Eels last week. Showed raw aggression in attack and could come into his own if this game turns into a drawn out physical affair
Jeremy Smith
Similar to Lima in that he plays a physical, power punch role from the bench. He is another player that is prone to give away a penalty, but being the final game of the year his chances of getting sent off for overly aggressive play are extremely low. Expect fireworks.
Matt Geyer
The old stager still has plenty of tricks in his kit bag. Has safe hands and does the little things right. His utility value is a massive boost for the injury riddled Storm and he will come into his own when injected from the bench
Grand Final 2007: Manly Player Preview
September 27, 2007
NRL Grand Final 2007
The Grubber Previews the Manly side
NRL News reporter ‘The Grubber’ spent time inside the Manly camp this week and gives us his preview of the Manly boys heading into Sunday.
Melbourne Storm Injuries Surfacing
September 27, 2007
By John Chelsea
NRL Grand Final 2007
Storm Injuries Continue to Surface
The Storm’s attempt to conceal their injury woes is seeming futile, with forward Ben Cross still not a confirmed starter after his hamstring injury and Billy Slater remains in cotton wool; confirmed to play, but certainly only doing light duties this week.
Melbourne’s preparation was further hampered by the media attention on Israel Folau and his apparent desire to return north to Queensland. The youngster reportedly home sick and keen to explore options to return home in the years ahead. Coach Craig Bellamy later angrily stating the report on Israel Folau was purely an attempt to destabilize the Storm in Grand Final week.
Folau is yet another Storm player with injury concerns; spending time in the hyperbaric chamber this week with teammates Slater, Cross and Brett White.
The likes of Folau and Slater are certain to be put under the microscope early by Manly. Anthony Watmough and Steve Matai will be like human freight trains as they run full steam at the wounded Storm men.
While Melbourne has answered every call this year; if they do win this Sunday night - it will be a massive mountain they have climbed. The full extent of their injury worries is not being reported and their away journey to Sydney is a big one. Manly have enjoyed a much easier run into the Grand Final; beating South Sydney comfortably and then getting a strong but safe run against the Cowboys in week 3. The Storm on the other hand; may have had a soft run in Week 1 against the Broncos, but had a huge test against the aggressive Eels at the Telstra Dome last week - hence the long list of injuries.
The stakes are so high for Melbourne; if they do fail this Sunday - the mental damage to players and coach will most certainly be irreparable. Losing 1 Grand Final is hard enough, losing 2 back to back will drive anyone to the brink.
Chat with Bill Harrigan
September 25, 2007
In the past few weeks NRLnews.com has been fairly critical of the video referee decisions being handed down in the NRL Finals Series. While video referee decisions have caused debate during the entire 2007 season, their impact during the NRL Finals Series obviously holds more weight - with some teams such as South Sydney being severely affected by video calls (Rogers / Orford Clash) and other decisions such as Warriors penalty try against the Eels raising plenty of eye brows.
We spoke with Bill Harrigan today in regards to some of these decisions; and as the chosen video referee for this weeks Grand Final we thank Bill for giving up his time during this busy and important week.
Looking at the two Grand Final teams, both Manly and Melbourne like to employ short and long wrap around plays featuring dummy runners. The Eagles more specifically use decoy plays regularly, with the fast Brett Stewart wrapping around a ball playing Orford or Monaghan to challenge the line out wide. We asked Bill Harrigan his thoughts on this particular play and which constitutes an obstruction.
Bill said the tries in the Manly/Cowboys game were a good guide to what can be expected from the obstruction rule. Regardless of a short or long pass, lingering/interfering players or dummy runners that collide with defenders will be penalised. (The disallowed Manly try on Saturday night, where Anthony Watmough as dummy runner, collided with Justin Smith is a perfect example of the border line play; while effective and exciting - it’s simply illegal under the current NRL rules)
An interesting point Bill makes; is that himself and the other referee’s feel a little hamstrung by the current obstruction rules set by the NRL. There are certain instances where they feel a try should be awarded, however the tight obstruction rules prevent these being awarded. (One example is the Jarryd Hayne try in the Eels v Manly regular season game, Hayne skipping inside a close quarters dummy rummer that pushes through - Harrigan awarding the try; but later finding out that this should not have been awarded under the current regulations)
It seems that’s where the problem lies for the video referees, too many ‘personal judgement’ calls are needed. Under the current rules, too much ‘grey area’ remains for the likes of Bill Harrigan and Phil Cooley up in the video box, forcing them to make calls according to their own opinion. Bill didn’t disagree, he felt there was room for the NRL to improve the laws of the game surrounding tries - making his job much simpler and removing the element of ‘debate’ from video decisions.
The conversation with Bill wouldn’t be complete without talking about ‘that’ penalty try awarded to the Warriors in Finals Week 1. The TV commentary screams of Phil Gould echoing over the airwaves over and over shouting “No, No……, No, No, No…..” it certainly made good theatre - but was it the right decision?
The penalty try rule states: “The referee may award a penalty try; if in his opinion, a try would have been scored but for the unfair play of the defending team.” In Bill’s eyes, he felt a try was certain to be scored; as Eel Chad Robinson was the only defender in sight. According to Harrigan, Witt was a yard from the line when he had finished juggling the ball and was certain to have scored if not for Chad Robinson. A fair assessment from Bill Harrigan, but a lot of the email feedback we recevied here at NRLnews.com pointed to the fact that we hadn’t seen a penalty try in a long, long time - pointing to consistency problems?
Bill then eluded to the fact that again the NRL rule left too much to the ‘referee’s discretion’ and he makes a very good point; yet again another rule leaves too much to the personal opinion of the official making the call. Another area the NRL needs to tweak and lock down - allowing each and every decision to be based on concrete rules and laws.
Finally we left Bill with a question that he answered in true Harrigan style; “Why don’t we see more benefit of the doubt calls when video evidence is inconclusive Bill?” to which Bill Harrigan replied “When I’m doing the video referee job, you will rarely see a ‘benefit of the doubt’ call - I tend to make a call one way or the other once all the evidence has been weighed up” said Bill “But when Tim Mander’s in control you may tend to see more ‘benefit of the doubt’ calls when the evidence is in the balance” claimed Harrigan.
We should have known the answer! Bill Harrigan has always been comfortable living and dying by the sword and in the game of refereeing - confidence is usually the biggest asset. Bill continues to make calls with absolute confidence and is prepared to explain them afterwards - which is something we cannot fault.
Thanks again for your time Bill, we look forward to talking further in the future.
NRL Grand Final Teams 2007
September 25, 2007
NRL Grand Final Week, 2007
Teams announced for Grand Final
Manly and Melbourne have both named their sides for this Sundays Grand Final. Neither side giving much away, with extended squads being named in both camps. Manly will trim 3 players from their squad and the Storm will remove 4.
The Sea Eagles are expected to wipe Travis Burns, Matt Ballin and Glenn Hall from their squad - the unlucky Hall likely to miss the Grand Final after showing top form all year, only to sustain injury against the Warriors in Round 24 and while he fought hard to regain fitness, the Manly bench continues to be explosive and the likes of Adam Cuthbertson, Mark Bryant and Steve Menzies have been inspirational for the Eagles - making Hall’s recall impossible.
It’s expected Des Hasler will continue with the same team that comprehensively disposed of the Cowboys last weekend.
While the Storm are also expected to utilize their same side from last weekend after grinding out a tough win against the Eels, they have done a good job to mask the injury concerns from last weeks game. Problems for Billy Slater, Ben Cross, Israel Folau, Clint Newton and Ryan Hoffman were there for viewers to see during last weeks game. The most concerning being Slater and Cross. Slater was in obvious distress during the game and his usual confidence and speedy kick returns were non-existent in the tough clash. Ben Cross has had scans on his problematic hamstring, however results are claimed to be positive - coach Bellamy keeping Garret Crossman on standby for the talented Cross.
SUNDAY, Sepetember 25, Telstra Stadium
MANLY SEA EAGLES: Brett Stewart, Michael Robertson, Steve Bell, Steve Matai, Chris Hicks, Jamie Lyon, Matt Orford (capt), Jason King, Michael Monaghan, Brent Kite, Anthony Watmough, Glenn Stewart, Luke Williamson. Interchange: Travis Burns, Glenn Hall, Mark Bryant, Steve Menzies, Matt Ballin, Jack Afamasaga, Adam Cuthbertson (three to be omitted).
MELBOURNE STORM: Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Matt King, Israel Folau, Anthony Quinn, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Ben Cross, Cameron Smith (capt), Brett White, Clint Newton, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Jeremy Smith, Matt Geyer, Michael Crocker, Jeff Lima, James Aubusson, Garret Crossman, Adam Blair, Sika Manu (four to be omitted).
Referee: Tony Archer
NRL: Tony Archer to Referee Grand Final
September 24, 2007
NRL Grand Final Week, 2007
Tony Archer gets his shot at the Grand Final
The NRL’s best referee Tony Archer has officially been awarded control of the NRL Grand Final for 2007. Staying true to form, the NRL and referee’s boss Robert Finch have come up with the right decision here in choosing Archer to control Rugby League’s biggest match. Assisting Tony Archer will be sideline officials (touch judges): Steve Chiddy and Russell Turner and controlling video decisions will be Bill Harrigan and Phil Cooley.
Tony Archer would have been rated no chance mid-season, with the likes of Sean Hampstead, Steven Clark and Paul Simpkins all experienced campaigners and looking the only contenders to fight for the big one.
2007 has seen the likes of Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne claw their way to the top of the whistleblower ranks, as the experienced men reach their twilight years. Speculation continues around the future of Steve Clark, the veteran referee is apparently receiving the nudge from officials to call it a day. With Clark having controlled over 300 games, his experience will be hard to replace. Unfortunately for Clark his attention to detail can sometimes cause him to ‘over officiate’ in games - earning him the nickname ‘Terminator’ in 2007.
For Archer, his fightback has been remarkable. Spending some time in reserve grade this year, he has found form at the right time and has done well to shut out club and media distractions. The part time Police prosecutor is following in the footsteps of former referee Bill Harrigan; he too was on the Police payroll and was regularly in control of Rugby League’s biggest game.
Congratulations Tony ‘Have a Chat’ Archer - he’ll certainly be up to the task on Sunday, he not only controls the game speed well, with limited intervention needed - he also has the respect of the players; something that other talented referees struggle to match.
Video Referee Lottery
September 24, 2007
NRL Grand Final Week, 2007
Video Referee: It’s a Lottery
Video footage never lies. Right?
Well it never lies when used in criminal evidence, home movies or feature films - but somehow, when used in NRL Rugby League the tale of the video tape can sometimes tell white lies. Why is this so, how can a video lie? Well, if you find someone that knows the answer - give their details to the NRL; because they need this super sleuth to sort out inconsistencies with current video referee’s. We are only days away from a Grand Final, and yet there are still video referee concerns - how often when your team scores a near certain try do you suddenly get nervous and fear a howler call from the video referee? This should never be the case; using video evidence the result should always be black and white.
In the two NRL Grand Final Qualifiers over the weekend, their were several occasions when the on-field referee’s sent the decision upstairs to be judged by video assisted referees. In two particular cases; the Channel 9 commentary team actually stated - “This is a try; but the video referee won’t allow this.” - We hear this kind of comment, probably so often now we discard it. But think about it some more; how bad are the rules and video process when we rarely know if a try will or will not be awarded?
How can this be so? Take the Manly / Cowboys game firstly; there were several obstruction calls and in the opinion of NRLnews.com the referee’s made the correct call in all cases. There was a Manly no-try that was border-line, however Justin Smith of the Cowboys did get hit by Anthony Watmough and at no stage was Smith trying to tackle the Manly dummy runner - he was interfered with an the decision was correctly sent down “No Try”.
Regardless, we need to have the rules and decisions much more clear cut. Several commentators stated during the Manly/Cowboys game, that the try decision could go either way and they would be happy with either decision. That kind of situation simply does not reflect a professional sport. Sporting organisations in the USA and around the world would be laughing at us if they could see the state of the video refereeing rules in our game of Rugby League.
The decision on Sunday during the Storm / Eels clash in Melbourne probably left the most question marks over the video referee. While a try was correctly disallowed to Eel Kris Inu mid-way through the second half, when Inu crossed for a second time soon after - the video evidence was totally inconclusive. The footage could not prove either way if a try had been scored. The rules state that in a situation such as this; the benefit of the doubt must be awarded to the attacking team. For some reason this rule was not enforced and once again the viewing public and spectators were amazed.
It seems in some instances the rules of engagement might be the problem and certainly need review and alteration by the NRL; improving the this area would allow the video referee’s to follow a much clearer process and remove the need for their personal judgement.
However at other times, it seems the video referee is making the wrong call and refusing to follow the limited existing guidelines set out for them in the rules. Is it nerves? Does the pressure get too much in the video box? Why is there not more official scrutiny on these decisions that sometimes seem mind boggling? In this day and age of wagering on Rugby League - it’s even more reason to get things absolutely black and white. The only person needing to employ personal judgement during an NRL game is the on-field referee.
We need to take away personal opinions from all video decisions; because as they say - “Video’s Don’t Lie” and the result should be pure process driven formality.
** The NRLnews.com team would like to pass on their condolences to the family and friends of legendary League caller Frank Hyde who passed away at the age of 91 yesterday. The former Rugby League player and commentator for 2SM for many years had a huge influence over Rugby League fans and will be remember by many for his classic catch cries such as “‘it’s long enough, it’s high enough …’.”
NRL Power Rankings - Round 1, 2008
September 23, 2007
The Grubber is hard at work on his ‘Power Rankings’ for Round 1 of the 2008 NRL Premiership.
Following the completion of Monday Night Football each week, on Tuesday the Grubber provides his Power Rankings and tells it like it is. The whole Round reviewed and discussed.
Find out where your team came in and how they performed; along with the Grubbers personal comments.
VisionBedding.Com - Childrens Bedding
September 23, 2007
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