Sun 6 Oct: NRL Grand Final: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders (Merged Threads)

[John Drake]

Discuss the NRL Grand Final: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders here.

[DavidM]

I’ll be rooting for Canberra but I feel the Roosters just have a bit too much for them. They have most bases covered , strong attacking options and GF winning defence , and they’ve the key advantage of been there seen it done it . Should be a cracker though 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Green Machine all the way! 

[bobbruce]

Hoping for a Canberra win but think it will have to be their best performance of the season to get a grand final win against this Roosters team. 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

Hope its Canberra but Roosters heavy favourites. I suspect experience will be the difference, particularly in the halves as I can see the packs cancelling each other out.

[Clogiron]

Would like to see the Raider's win but alas the Rooster's will just be too strong and methodical for them.

[morley101]

This could turn into a very 1-sided game...

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Not bothered who wins as dont like either team. I feel the Roosters have too much Grand Final experience and players that can create something out of nothing, like Cronk, Cleary, Tedesco and Mitchell. They also have a great defence, as shown in the Storm game last week.  Raiders have the advantage at the dummy half with Hodgson, but the Roosters Halves and Backs are better and not liable to drift in and out of games as much as the Raiders can do.

Its a shame Sutton and Cummiins are reffing. I dont think either have earned it. Checcin for me is the best but seems to be overlooked for the big games. Sutton seems to get the big gigs due to his brother. Last week again he made a number of errors including failing to put Jahrome Hughes in the Bin foor a Professional Foul and also Luke Keary for the swinging arm and hair pull.

[Davo5]

Hoping for a Roosters win,but this is a very dangerous Raiders team who are playing some great rugby that could get the win.

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, Lounge Room Lizard said:

Its a shame Sutton and Cummiins are reffing. I dont think either have earned it. Checcin for me is the best but seems to be overlooked for the big games.

Agree with this . The Sutton fascination is beyond me . All I can think of is what you suggest . He makes as many if not more errors than other refs and for all his experience is just as loath to back his decisions . It just seems whatever he does he gets the big gigs, which you’d think would rub a few refs up the wrong way who may rightly think performance should be rewarded . I agree about cecchin but they seem to have it in for him since he broke ranks last year 

 

[Bleep1673]

Is this game being streamed anywhere? I know it's on Sky Arena, but I can't get that.

[Harry Stottle]

I hope for a Canberra victory and there are a few match to relish not least Joey Leilua v Latterel Mitchell who's rugby skills I admire greatly but he's an arrogant so and so and I wouldn't mind seeing him took down a peg or two, John Bateman also playing out wide right next to Joey could make Mitchell's night somewhat harder.

[Harry Stottle]

Is JWH back from suspension this week, if he is the two best props for mine in world rugby league opposing each other then, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Josh Papalii.

[Mushy]

The results of the vote on NRL.com is the mirror of ours! Raiders to win (just) for mine, Hodgson to be man of the match. 

[newbe]

Is Hall still in oz

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

Featherstone  Oh hang on, wrong thread

 I reckon Canberra but it's going to be a very close game I reckon, I've no favour for either team so as long as it's a good game I'm not fussed who wins.

Good luck to both teams

 

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

11 hours ago, Mushy said:

The results of the vote on NRL.com is the mirror of ours! Raiders to win (just) for mine, Hodgson to be man of the match. 

I reckon Hodgson won't even be on the pitch at the end of the 80mins, just a feeling about him, hope he has a good game mind.

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

On 02/10/2019 at 17:55, Harry Stottle said:

Is JWH back from suspension this week, if he is the two best props for mine in world rugby league opposing each other then, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Josh Papalii.

Aye, that could be a battle royale.

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

On 02/10/2019 at 16:48, Bleep1673 said:

Is this game being streamed anywhere? I know it's on Sky Arena, but I can't get that.

Jokerlivestream is usually fairly reliable, you can try the drakulastream also. 'Catsap' on the english commentary is fairly decent in terms of actually connecting.

[Manfred Mann]

The English connection is getting a lot of play among the pundits in Australia (I watch NRL Tonight and NRL360 on my WatchNRL.com stream, which is a great value subscription). That is because Josh Hodgson and John Bateman are highly respected stars in Australia. Elliot Whitehead does not get as much attention as the other two, but everyone still recognises that he is a very good player. Probably Sam Burgess has got  a little more publicity than the Canberra Englishmen this year. But it is interesting to note that although Sam Burgess played second row for most of 2019, it was John Bateman who won the Dally M medal for best second row in the NRL this year.

The Canberra Raiders have several outstanding players -- Josh Papalii, Josh Hodgson, John Bateman, Elliot Whitehead, Jack Wighton, Nikola Cotric, Jordan Rapana, Charnze Nicol-Klokstadt and Joseph "BJ" Leilua when he is not breaking the rules.

However the Sydney Roosters have even better players in key positions: James Tedesco (Dally M player of 2019), Latrell Mitchell (Dally M centre of 2019), Joey Manu (NZ rep), Luke Keary (Australian rep) and Cooper Cronk (former State of Origin and Australian rep) in the backs. The Roosters also have a lot of quality in their pack. Former Penrith and Australian half back Greg "Brandy" Alexander (who is an intelligent commentator) estimated last night that the Roosters team was the best he has seen in many years.

So it is hard to see Canberra winning. On the other hand, in the fierce tension of a Grand Final, the Canberra Raiders could cause an upset if certain bounces of the ball go their way. 

Anybody who loves rugby league should be watching this game.

[DavidM]

I did think the ( lack of ) interaction between Ricky and Robinson was fascinating . Both at the head to head and teams photo Ricky never even looked anywhere near Robinson’s direction ! To say it was ice cool would be an understatement 

[CiderWire]

Hoping for a Canberra win purely because of the Brit connection and that they were the team that put the Bunnies out. I also hope that Papalii steamrollers JWH at some point....... I feel the Roosters have an arrogance about them that he portrays better than most of his team mates.

[Dunbar]

The first 20 minutes is critical for me. The Roosters have been there done that; reigning champions and full of quality players. They will be looking to get a fast start and put the game beyond the Raiders before they know what's hit them.

If the Raiders are in the game after 20 their confidence will grow.

Despite that, while the two teams are fairly every matched but the Roosters bench looks stronger. I am hoping for a Raiders win because of the English connection but I think the Roosters will be too strong. Just hoping for a tough close game and not a blow out.

[DiH68]

So heartbreaking. We’re all with you Josh!

"I want to win the grand final with my wife and kids in the stands and Nathan looking down over his little brother, proud as ever," he wrote.

“Then I'll take the trophy back to England where he is laid to rest, crack open a beer, sit there with him and say, 'I did it, mate.'

"I promised myself I would do everything in my power to make it a reality."

 

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/grand-final-canberra-raiders-josh-hodgson-reveals-motivation-from-brother/9ac996bf-8ac6-4c7c-a2cf-26d59e2ccc86

[DiH68]

Anyone just see the state championship final curtain raiser - Newtown v Burleigh? Wow, what an incredible finish. Gutted for Burleigh but that was brilliant