And then there were two.
This decider represents a changing of the guard when it
comes to the style of footy considered successful in the NRL. For so
long, the ruck tactics and defensive dominance of teams like the Melbourne
Storm and St George Illawarra were winning premierships.
The Manly Sea-Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors do it a little differently,
they simply want to score tries and bash people in defence. Do not confuse
this approach as not playing percentage and disciplined football, but patience and
control are bywords of their football philosophy, rather than the be-all and
end-all.
This match also represents the coming of age of two very
special footballers. Make no mistake about Kieran Foran and his opposite
number, James Maloney; they are the real superstars of their respective clubs
and represent a return to glory of the dominant number 6. What a return this
is. The two infant halfbacks in this match are playing out of their skin and
with the world at their feet, but they’d be lost little children without their
respective number 6’s.
Manly have been the best in so many areas across the park
this season and they bring that consistency to ANZ stadium on Sunday night as
their biggest weapon. Rookie halfback Daly Cherry-Evans has been in the
spotlight this week after a magnificent season. Not to mention a performance
beyond belief for a man so young in the Eagles’ prelim final against the
Broncos. As always, his forwards deserve plenty of credit and this is where Manly
hold the edge. They aim-up during the opening exchanges but are fit enough to
have plenty left in the tank to destroy you late, as proven in the Cowboys
match in week 1 of the semis.
The underdogs from Auckland, however, bring a huge level of belief
in their ability and confidence must be sky high in the Warriors camp after
laying waste to the premiership dreams of some big names. Benji and the Tigers?
Gone. Bellamy and the Storm? Bye bye. Now it’s Manly’s turn and if the ‘visitors’
are to be any chance, it will once again be up to their senior players to step
forward and give the kiwi youngsters a helping hand in the biggest game of
their lives so far. Mannering, Luck and Maloney will be the standouts but
Johnson and Locke will need to deliver something special for New Zealand to
take home the trophy.
In the end, it will be too much to ask for Ivan Cleary’s
men. The Eagles will have the experience and the killer instinct when it counts
in this match. The opening 20 minutes will see them dominate in defence as
Glenn Stewart comes out in a blaze of pent up anger and then the cool head of
Kieran Foran takes over to release the superior talent of the silvertails’
backline. Plenty of superstars on show in this one and on the biggest stage of
all, the Manly Sea Eagles will be last men standing in season 2011. This will
be a beauty.
My tip: Manly 25-12
Clive Churchill Medallist prediction: Kieran Foran
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