Its the final regular season round of the year, 2009 has flown by for NRL fans with new pace setters the Dragons stumbling in recent weeks, the Bulldogs losing their key man Brett Kimmorley and new breed Titans fans are quietly confident of taking out an early Premiership after only a few years in the competition.
It’s not something to be taken lightly, the Cronulla Sharks have been trying to win since 1967 and have never, ever broken through. The Dragons and Eels fans have been waiting over 20 years to taste success again and recent top guns the Storm and Manly are shadows of their former-selves.
It’s anyones game from here.
Here’s the teams and squad lineups for Round 26, 2009:
FRIDAY
WESTS TIGERS v BULLDOGS at Sydney Football Stadium, 7.35pm
TIGERS: Tim Moltzen, Blake Ayshford, Dean Collis, Chris Lawrence, Rhys Hanbury, Benji Marshall, John Morris, Todd Payten, Robbie Farah (capt), Keith Galloway, Gareth Ellis, Danny Galea, Chris Heighington. Interchange: Dene Halatau, Corey Payne, Alan Schirnack, David Gower, Rhys Pritchard (one to be omitted)
BULLDOGS: Luke Patten, Hazem El Masri, Josh Morris, Jamal Idris, Bryson Goodwin, Ben Roberts, Daniel Holdsworth, Ben Hannant, Michael Ennis, Michael Hodgson, Greg Eastwood, Andrew Ryan (capt), David Stagg. Interchange: Jarrad Hickey, Chris Armit, Yileen Gordon, Gary Warburton.
Referees: Jared Maxwell, Steve Lyons
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS v PARRAMATTA EELS at WIN Jubilee Oval, 7.35pm
DRAGONS: Darius Boyd, Brett Morris, Beau Scott, Matt Cooper, Wendell Sailor, Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby (capt), Justin Poore, Dean Young, Michael Weyman, Matt Prior, Ben Creagh, Neville Costigan. Interchange: Dan Hunt, Jeremy Smith, Nathan Fien, Jarrod Saffy, Jason Nightingale (one to be omitted)
EELS: Jarryd Hayne, Luke Burt, Krisnan Inu, Joel Reddy, Eric Grothe, Daniel Mortimer, Jeff Robson, Nathan Cayless (capt), Matthew Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh, Ben Smith, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Kevin Kingston, Feleti Mateo, Joe Galuvao, Tim Mannah.
Referees: Tony Archer, Gavin Badger
SATURDAY
WARRIORS v MELBOURNE STORM at Mt Smart Stadium, 7.30pm
WARRIORS: Wade McKinnon, Kevin Locke, Lance Hohaia, Patrick Ah Van, Aidan Kirk, Joel Moon, Stacey Jones, Sam Rapira, Aaron Heremaia, Evarn Tuimavave, Lewis Brown, Ukuma Ta’ai, Micheal Luck (capt). Interchange: Ian Henderson, Russell Packer, Jacob Lillyman, Ben Matulino
STORM: Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Will Chambers, Greg Inglis, Dane Nielsen, Brett Finch, Cooper Cronk, Brett White, Cam Smith (capt), Aiden Tolman, Adam Blair, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Hep Cahill, Ryan Tandy, Wairangi Koopu.
Referees: Ashley Klein, Alan Shortall
MANLY SEA EAGLES v GOLD COAST TITANS at Brookvale Oval, 7.30pm
SEA EAGLES: Brett Stewart, Michael Robertson, Ben Farrar, Steve Matai, David Williams, Kieran Foran, Matt Orford (capt), Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Chris Bailey, Glenn Stewart. Interchange: Heath L’Estrange, Adam Cuthbertson, George Rose, Glenn Hall, Vic Mauro, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (two to be omitted).
TITANS: Preston Campbell, Kevin Gordon, Sam Tagataese, Jordan Atkins, David Mead, Mat Rogers, Scott Prince (capt), Luke Bailey (capt), Nathan Friend, Matthew White, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Michael Henderson, Will Matthews, Luke O’Dwyer, Josh Graham, Selasi Berdie (one to be omitted)
Referees: Shayne Hayne, Bernard Sutton
CRONULLA SHARKS v SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS at Toyota Stadium, 7.30pm
SHARKS: Mitch Brown, Blake Ferguson, Ben Pomeroy, David Simmons, Luke Covell (capt), Blake Green, Scott Porter, Kade Snowden, Corey Hughes, Luke Douglas, Grant Millington, Anthony Tupou, Paul Gallen. Interchange: Ian Donnelly, Matt Wright, Jak Afamasaga, Terence Seu Seu
RABBITOHS: Nathan Merritt, Jamie Simpson, Colin Best, Junior Vaivai, Chris McQueen, John Sutton, Chris Sandow, Luke Stuart (capt), Issac Luke, Scott Geddes, Ben Lowe, Eddy Pettybourne, David Fa’alogo. Interchange: Craig Wing, Shannan McPherson, Dave Tyrrell, Jaiman Lowe.
Referees: Matt Cecchin, Gerard Sutton
SUNDAY
SYDNEY ROOSTERS v NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS at Sydney Football Stadium, 2pm
ROOSTERS: Anthony Minichiello, Iwi Hauraki, Mitchell Aubusson, Sam Perrett, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ben Jones, Mitchell Pearce, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Riley Brown, Lopini Paea, Sia Soliola, Nate Myles, Craig Fitzgibbon (capt). Interchange: Stanley Waqa, Willie Mason, Shane Shackleton, Jake Friend.
COWBOYS: Ty Williams, Michael Bani, Ashley Graham, Willie Tonga, Donald Malone, Travis Burns, Johnathan Thurston (capt), Shane Tronc, Anthony Watts, Matthew Scott, Carl Webb, Scott Bolton, Luke O’Donnell. Interchange: Ben Harris, Steve Rapira, Steve Southern, Manase Manuokafoa, James Tamou, Antonio Kaufusi (two to be omitted).
Referees: Steve Lyons, Chris James
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS v PENRITH PANTHERS at EnergyAustralia Stadium, 3pm
KNIGHTS: Kurt Gidley (capt), Akuila Uate, Junior Sau, Adam MacDougall, Cooper Vuna, Scott Dureau, Jarrod Mullen, Mark Taufua, Isaac DeGois, Chris Houston, Steve Simpson, Zeb Taia, Matt Hilder. Interchange: Wes Naiqama, Marvin Karawana, Richie Fa’aoso, Danny Wicks, Cory Paterson (one to be omitted).
PANTHERS: Jarrod Sammut, Junior Tia Kilifi, Michael Jennings, Brad Tighe, Michael Gordon, Wade Graham, Luke Walsh, Matthew Bell, Paul Aiton, Frank Puletua, Trent Waterhouse (capt), Frank Pritchard, Luke Lewis. Interchange: Nathan Smith, Joseph Paulo, Maurice Blair, Adam Woolnough, Tim Grant, Gavin Cooper (two to be omitted).
Referees: Ben Cummins, Gavin Badger
BRISBANE BRONCOS v CANBERRA RAIDERS at Suncorp Stadium, 7pm
BRONCOS: Karmichael Hunt, Antonio Winterstein, Israel Folau, Justin Hodges, Jharal Yow Yeh, Darren Lockyer (capt), Peter Wallace, Nick Kenny, Andrew McCullough, David Taylor, Tonie Carroll, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker. Interchange: Lagi Setu, Joel Clinton, Ashton Sims, Alex Glenn
RAIDERS: Josh Dugan, Daniel Vidot, Jarrod Croker, Joel Monaghan, Phil Graham, Terry Campese, Josh McCrone, Dane Tilse, Alan Tongue (capt), David Shillington, Joel Thompson, Bronson Harrison, Josh Miller. Interchange: Trevor Thurling, Travis Waddell, Troy Thompson, Joe Picker
Referees: Jason Robinson, Brett Suttor
Bring back the hookers and the scrums. The game is a joke compared wioth yesteryear, rules. I think peop;le are swithching to airial pingpong by the thousands.