Such is the pressure of finals footy. Years of hard work from coaches and players and suddenly – we come to the realisation that one of these very good teams only has 80 minutes left of their season. It becomes about who wants it more. The Manly club have done well to recover from back office grumblings and the loss of Des Hasler just days after celebrating the 2011 premiership. But now, they stand on the brink of devastation as they face the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium in your 1st Semi Final on Friday night.
The Sea Eagles began last week's match against Canterbury
as the aggressors and dominated possession in the early going but were only
able to score 10 points in the first 40 minutes and went scoreless in the
second. Much credit should go to the Bulldogs defence, but the Eagles need to
be better with the ball to pose a threat to a potent North Queensland team. The
Cowboys have won their past 5 and averaged 35 points in attack over that
period. They are the best attacking team, statistically, in the competition and
are almost injury free.
Manly will be confident having beaten the Cowboys in
their last two meetings. Round 22 at Dairy Farmers this year, where the
reigning premiers held their hosts to 6 points in a big win; and Week 1 of the
Finals last year, where the Eagles scored 42 unanswered points in the second
half to boot the Cowboys out of the comp . This time round, coach Neil Henry,
captain Jonathan Thurston and their superstar front rowers finally turn the
tables and get the job done and the Eagles are 'two and out'. Pity that only a
few thousand people will see it at Allianz - but strap yourselves in for a
beauty.
My tip: North Queensland 20-14
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canberra Raiders
Saturday night at Homebush; where the Bunnies have an
outstanding record this season and are heavy favourites to beat the upstart kids
from our nation’s capital. The Green Machine have won their past 6 matches and
are playing with a huge level of belief in themselves and their destiny. How
this type of confidence sprang from a team under so much pressure mid-way
through season is a mystery. One more reason why Rugby League is the Greatest
Game of All.
The Raiders' have a 7-5 away record this year, which
should add to their confidence but they have only played at ANZ Stadium once. A
36-18 loss to South Sydney. Speaking of South Sydney, of the 8 teams to play
finals footy last week, Souths received the most criticism after their loss to
the Storm. Melbourne would have beaten plenty that day but the challenge now is
for Coach Michael Maguire to calm them all down and for an inexperienced
Bunnies team to bounce back.
He does, they do. Discipline will be the key to Souths
moving forward. They showed little against the Storm and if that happens again,
the Raiders will capitalise as they did against Cronulla last week. The
difference here is Greg Inglis. He won't be fumbling his way through a match as
big as this one. GI will finish off what the Rabbitohs forwards start in the
opening exchanges - which will shake the very foundations of the entire Olympic
precinct. Taylor and Papalii, Shillington and Burgess, both packs will rip in
and when the dust settles, a grind will ensue and the Bunnies win their first semi-final
since before half of this squad was born.
My tip: South Sydney 19-12
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