Will lightning strike twice for the Sea Eagles?
October 1st 2008 10:20
A 2008 season filled with player departures, sex scandals, whinging and its fair element of terrific football has made the NRL's centenary year one that will not be easily forgotten. Manly and Melbourne are the two sides left standing as they once again seek to fill another chapter in their battle for Rugby League supremacy.
NRL Grand Final - Melbourne Storm Vs Manly Sea Eagles
The stage is now set for another Grand Final tussle of epic proportions. Both the Sea Eagles and the Storm will draw curtains on what has been one of the most memorable (otherwise forgettable) seasons on record.
Despite the effort from Cronulla, the potency from the Raiders and the flair from the Warriors, Manly and Melbourne have outshone all their rivals this year with a brand of football that has been unmatched.
Whether it was the Storm's merciless home ground advantage or the Sea Eagles constant pressure in both attack and defence, opposing teams could ultimately do little to deny a repeat of last season's NRL decider.
Although 2007 was practically all Melbourne, the Sea Eagles have taken a fair chunk out of the dominant Storm pie this season.
Manly finished on equal competition points with Melbourne this year, sharing 36 each.
Indeed the Minor Premiership was decided on Sunday evening when the Storm defeated the Rabbitohs by more than 26 points to crown themselves Minor Premiers for the third year running.
Although the seasons experienced by both Manly and Melbourne have been identical in many ways, the Storm still hold the psychological barrier over the Sea Eagles.
Manly have lost their past three matches against the Storm, including the round 22 blockbuster at Brookvale 16-10.
That loss in particular clipped the Sea Eagles hard. Melbourne managed to beat the home side at fortress Brookvale in front of a capacity Manly crowd.
One man still having nightmares about that encounter is Manly captain Matt Orford.
His performance on that Friday night was not up to the standard that crowned him the game's best player this season.
No doubt Orford will be primed to deliver against a team that has had the better of him in recent seasons.
Despite the poor form against the Storm, Orford is in career best touch at the moment and so are the Sea Eagles.
Although they will play their chances down against Melbourne, deep down the men from the peninsula know this is their best chance for Premiership glory.
The Storm are still without their captain and the NRL's best hooker Cameron Smith. Although the Sharks failed to capitalise on his loss, the Sea Eagles are a better team than Cronulla and should make the Storm suffer up the middle of the park.
This is where Manly forwards Anthony Watmough and Glenn Stewart have to dominate.
Watmough in particular has established himself as the most damaging forward in the NRL this season, making 115 tackle busts. The best among the big men.
Sea Eagles prop Brent Kite can acclaim himself to being the main go forward man in the NRL, making 387 hitups for a massive 3221 metres. That's over three kilometres of yardage running at over 100 kilogram bodies.
Indeed if Manly can dominate the battle of the big men, fullback Brett Stewart will have his opportunity to atone for the knockout blow he suffered at the hands of Michael Crocker in last years decider.
Although Stewart could not remember much from the incident, at least he hasn't forgotten his way to the tryline, scoring 22 four pointers this season. The most out of any player in the NRL in 2008.
Of course if Stewart is to dominate, his forwards have to contain the menacing threat that is Storm fullback Billy Slater.
If it was not for a few feisty cuffs on Dragons winger Jason Nightingale, Slater would be the game's premier player this season.
He has dominated in all the areas that make a fullback so dangerous. Slater has made the most line breaks (24) and tackle busts (124) in the NRL this season, making him the go to man in the potent Storm backline.
If Orford's kicking game is off, Slater will make the majority of ANZ stadium suffer big time.
Although the absence of Smith will hurt the Storm on Sunday, halfback Cooper Cronk has a golden opportunity to complete the transition from consistent first grade footballer, to masterclass player.
Cronk is the most responsible player in the competition, having a hand in 34 of the Storm's tries this season. It is a testament to how well Cronk is able to fit into a team structure and act accordingly to their strengths.
The crystal ball prediction
No doubt the Storm will turn up with their best football against Manly. The pressure is indeed on the Sea Eagles to perform now after experiencing a below par loss to Melbourne last year. If Manly play their best, they will emerge as champions but will we see it?
The Sea Eagles by 1
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