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WHAT does it take in this day and age to earn favouritism?
Somehow, someway the Manly Sea Eagles are favourites for the NRL title on Sunday night which just blows my mind.
The most important statistic to look at when deciding favouritism is the record between the two sides in previous clashes. The Storm continue to show the Sea Eagles up so they tick that box.
The next thing to look at is form. The Eagles look to be in better form, but who have they played in recent weeks? They played a Warriors side who seemed to lack enthusiasm, but were obviously tired from about 13 weeks of do or die football. They did no play any other side who looked like winning a premiership.
On the other hand, the Storm played the Warriors when they were at there most dangerous and then played an in-form Brisbane Broncos before practically having a week off against the Sharks, which they needed to rest their troops. Again I would tick Melbourne in this box.
The only other real indication that matters is the injury and suspension toll of players. The Sea Eagles are fresh with no injuries, no suspensions and look great.
Melbourne has no real injuries other than Ryan Hoffman, but have skipper Cam Smith out due to suspension. So Manly get a tick in this box.
Although Cam Smith is out, that is only one player and the Storm has built a game over the years which does not rely purely on one player.
They showed last week that they are more than capable of playing great football without Mr Smith and I see no reason why they cannot do it again this week. If anything, I feel it could become an advantage at this time of year.
In the past months Melbourne has almost become predictable and the dummy half running by Cam Smith had less effect then it did two years ago. This change means other teams now will have to find a new way to shut the team down.
There is no doubt the Sea Eagles have lifted their game from last season and are in better shape than last season but to be the so called favourites is a joke.
In 10 years time, the records will show the Storm only won the minor premiership due to for and against. It will not show that they were more affected during the State Of Origin period than any other side and more or less had to forfeit three games which almost cost them the minor premiership.
Had State Of Origin not have been played they would have claimed the minor premiership by a landslide.
But no-one really cares about minor premiership and it is the big game in October which really matters.
Are the Sea Eagles a chance of winning on Sunday? You better believe it.
Should the Sea Eagles go in to the game as favourites? Not a chance.
My tip for the game on Sunday is that we will be watching Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Same teams in the final and the same result this year. Melbourne to be comfortable winners.
September 26th 2008 03:08
IT is glorious to see the Warriors in finals football, with a chance of making the grand final.
I have long thought this was a highly skilful team, which has been able to match it with any side in the competition for periods of matches.
All this talent has amounted to little though, as it has not been until the last couple of seasons in which I have thought they were a genuine chance of winning the premiership. Even when they made the decider in 2002 I never thought they were a real chance.
They have gone through a rebuilding phase though and it has never been more true that success breeds success.
The Warriors have always had the skill and ability but have never had the experience or leadership, but no team in the competition has brought more experienced men to a team.
The Warriors bought Ruben Wiki, who featured in the wonderful Canberra Raiders teams of the early 90s, Steve Price who featured in one of the best ever Dogs line-ups, Micheal Luck from the Cowboys during their most successful period and Brent Tate from a Broncos team which oozes class.
These four men alone are the driving force behind the Warriors. These four men have brought more leadership and experience to the team than ever before in its history and I believe that with these men, they will be able to beat an in-form Manly side this Saturday night.
In the other match I think Ricky Stuarts men could be little more than Shark bait this week.
Every year certain sides fly under the radar and despite finishing high on the table are not a real chance of winning the big matches. This year, The Sharks have taken this position.
On the other hand, the Storm is down and the critics have been out in full swing and why wouldnt they?
Melbourne have dominated for three years now, journalists Australia wide have been waiting for an opportunity to suggest the purple army are wilting. I too believe they are on the slide but think they will have too much for the Sharks tonight.
The Storm has not impressed in their last two games but they played a red hot Warriors outfit who are a chance of winning the title and played a Broncos team who were 45 seconds away from winning against a Storm, and then a seventh premiership.
Sorry for all you Sharks fans out there but you will not win the big one this year and will be nothing more than a Bridesmaid... again
September 19th 2008 02:10
THERE has been much written in the papers about the scandalous behaviour of the Brisbane Broncos in the past few days.
I think it was Kevin Walters who got it most right when he said players seem to be "guilty until proven guilty".
It seems that a player only has to be mentioned as being near an incident and within minutes the media are labelling these players as thugs and guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I realise that where there is smoke, there is generally fire and do not know whether these players are as innocent as they say they are.
Why though, are we so quick to judge them and blame them for something they may or may not have done?
These are the players we look up to and try to respect, yet we push each other over to try to lament them as guilty to any crime which has ever been committed.
I was not around when JFK was shot, but if there was a football player near him, then he must have been responsible for the shooting of this man.
I do not condone the wrongful behaviour of football players, but do think it was time they were given a bit of courtesy and benefit of the doubt.
The other thing which I constantly ponder about, is why the behaviour of players is so heavily scrutinised? If a player went out and had too much to drink, who really cares?
I know a lot of my friends have had too much to drink and behaved in an undesirable manner from time to time, but the antics which they have gotten up to do not appear across the papers and television.
I love football, but once the final whistle blows, it is game over. What the players do on their own time is their business and as for clubs needing to step in and order a curfew, well quite frankly that is ludicrous.
My boss doss not give me a curfew on what time I need to be in bed and neither should clubs.
Common sense needs to come more in to play, but at the end of the day, players just need to be given a break.
Perhaps if we ease up on them for five minutes, then they may, just maybe be allowed to live there lives and behave in a manner which we can live with.
THIS season in the NRL there has been several controversies with players leaving for overseas clubs and players acting up.
Watching the footy show last week, the ex-players kept talking about how players today need more help and can't cope with the pressures which come with the money and expectation.
They also had councillors and welfare officers on the show who have been working with the players to ensure they behave off the field.
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HOW would the greats of the past rate against the greats of the present?
Only the most game individual would claim that the likes of Ricky Ponting a better player than Sir Donald Bradman, but I honestly believe even The Don would be caught out in the game of cricket today.
There is no doubting Bradman was the greatest of his era but the skills of those around him are not the same of those around Ponting
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