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Sun 25 Oct: NRL Grand Final : Penrith Panthers v Melbourne Storm KO 8.30am (UK Time)


DavidM

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I thought this was worthy of its own thread here . What do we think ? I’m tipping the Storm , as much as I’m rooting for the Panthers . I think the Storm are peaking and are steeped in GF experience . It hasn’t always gone their way but nothing will be a surprise for them on the big day , their players will be comfortable in the environment . Penrith to me looked a little edgy last week and didn’t play their best most fluent game , so it’ll be interesting how they go . I think the start will be important , and I think the Storm will be looking to dominate early . Hopefully I’m wrong and the Panthers can get out the blocks and play their game . I think their up against it personally but here’s hoping they put the full stop on a great season and lift the trophy . We’ll see , looking forward to it anyway 👍

Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Brent Naden 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. James Tamou 9. Apisai Koroisau 10.James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Tyrone May 15. Kurt Capewell 16.Moses Leota 17. Zane Tetevano 18. Mitch Kenny 19.Dean Whare 20. Matt Burton 21. Spencer Leniu

Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3.Brenko Lee 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6.Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Christian Welch 11.Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenneath Bromwich 13. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 14. Brandon Smith 15. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 16. Dale Finucane 17. Nicholas Hynes 18. Tom Eisenhuth 19. Paul Momirovski 20. Tui Kamikamica 21. Ryley Jacks

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Fully agree with your analysis John  and also your hopes for a Panthers victory, hopefully having Kikau back will make a difference.

This is the first season I’ve watched the NRL games and I’ve been amazed at the levels of both the fitness and skills on show. In a way it’s sad that I’m looking forward more to this final than I did for the CC final, it should be a cracker😀

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Penrith will have to play better than in their last match or they have little chance. On the other hand, if they play at their best they are one of the few teams that can take down a full strength Melbourne. In the crazy world of 2020, I'm going for a last minute drop goal from half way by Nelson Asofa-Solomona to win it.

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Heart Panthers, head Melbourne.

All that experience in the Melbourne team should count in a game like the GF. But hope that youth wins out. Go the Panthers.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

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I am going for the Panthers.  They were due an off day and they had it against Souths but still managed to get the win.

They have been electric in attack this year but it is their defense that is underrated and they were the best team in the NRL in defense this year.  They also kept the Rabbits to 16 when the three weeks previously they had scored 60, 46 & 38.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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Looks like we have a widespread case of "heart says Penrith, head says Melbourne". And I am no exception.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Has a Grand Final ever had so many international players outside the big 3 Nations? I’m aware some player may not be selected in the match day 17, but we could have the following Nations represented in the Grand Final.

Samoa - Luai, Leota, Leniu, To’o, Fa’asuamaleaui, Leutele, 

Tonga - Watene-Zelezniak, Kaufusi, Vete, 

Fiji - Kikau, Koroisau, Kamikamica, Vunivalu, Lumelume, 

PNG - Olam

Cook Islands - Tetevano 

Lebanon - Mansour 

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Melbourne for me, I think experience in these sort of games is absolutely massive. It will be interesting to see how Penrith cope if things don't go their way, I can see them buckling. 

It reminds me of the Castleford v Leeds final in 2017. Castleford absolutely exceptional throughout the season and won the league leaders shield but just fell short against Leeds who had 4 or 5 seasoned grand final winners in their side. 

2 outcomes in the match, Cleary guides the team to victory and goes on a similar path to Jonathan Thurston, Andrew Johns ect or Smith gets his fairy tale ending. 

Man of the match that year was Danny McGuire who was in his mid thirties. I expect something similar on Sunday to write the fairy tale. 

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6 hours ago, RSN said:

Melbourne for me, I think experience in these sort of games is absolutely massive. It will be interesting to see how Penrith cope if things don't go their way, I can see them buckling. 

It reminds me of the Castleford v Leeds final in 2017. Castleford absolutely exceptional throughout the season and won the league leaders shield but just fell short against Leeds who had 4 or 5 seasoned grand final winners in their side. 

2 outcomes in the match, Cleary guides the team to victory and goes on a similar path to Jonathan Thurston, Andrew Johns ect or Smith gets his fairy tale ending. 

Man of the match that year was Danny McGuire who was in his mid thirties. I expect something similar on Sunday to write the fairy tale. 

That seems a very plausible parallel. Like Cas the Penrith Panthers have been riding a wave all season but if they don’t start well in the final I think they might find it tough to shift the momentum as the Storm are such outstanding front runners with the supreme game manager in Cameron Smith.

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19 hours ago, Moose said:

This is the first season I’ve watched the NRL games and I’ve been amazed at the levels of both the fitness and skills on show.

 

Honestly, the fitness level of the panthers is not ”normal”. I dont know the substance they are taking, nor the amount of substance, but you can tell the difference between them and any other team after 30mn of game. They just never slow down… until the 70th mn. They better be in front of the storm before the 70 th mn imo

Regarding the ”issue” of lacking experience in GF, I honestly think the panthers will not be affected at all. I agree to say that their 2 last games were not the most dominant, but they were against the roosters (very experienced in the final) and the rabbitohs (which I tipped the GF winners, since they picked exactly at the right time). If you compare to the Storm, the raiders offered the victory in the SF, they were only the shadow of what they could have been…

 

The panthers have displaid everything  this season: not only dominance, but patience, determination..  I do not fancy them (becuase of the doubts that I have about their incredible fitness), but they do have the mindset and the talent to be champs imo.

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50 minutes ago, Fabou said:

Honestly, the fitness level of the panthers is not ”normal”. I dont know the substance they are taking, nor the amount of substance, but you can tell the difference between them and any other team after 30mn of game. They just never slow down…

Not sure what you’re getting at there ?

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I’m tipping Melbourne, but for those that are bugging up the Storm GF experience, you should well know, they have lost two of three GF in the previous four years. To the Sharks (extremely little experience amongst the squad) and the Roosters (had one GF win in 16 years).

Im tipping the Storm, because I think Melbourne give you the same professionalism each year and I don’t think Panthers play the type of game to disturb, nor possess wise heads required to upset their structure or rhythm.

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  • John Drake changed the title to Sun 25 Oct: NRL Grand Final : Penrith Panthers v Melbourne Storm KO 8.30am (UK Time)
  • John Drake pinned this topic
2 hours ago, Fabou said:

 

Honestly, the fitness level of the panthers is not ”normal”. I dont know the substance they are taking, nor the amount of substance, but you can tell the difference between them and any other team after 30mn of game. They just never slow down… until the 70th mn. They better be in front of the storm before the 70 th mn imo

Regarding the ”issue” of lacking experience in GF, I honestly think the panthers will not be affected at all. I agree to say that their 2 last games were not the most dominant, but they were against the roosters (very experienced in the final) and the rabbitohs (which I tipped the GF winners, since they picked exactly at the right time). If you compare to the Storm, the raiders offered the victory in the SF, they were only the shadow of what they could have been…

 

The panthers have displaid everything  this season: not only dominance, but patience, determination..  I do not fancy them (becuase of the doubts that I have about their incredible fitness), but they do have the mindset and the talent to be champs imo.

You're French, you have to be, 😁 any top athlete or team is on drugs according to French people, the all blacks, Barcelona etc unless of course the team/sports person is French 

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51 minutes ago, barnyia said:

You're French, you have to be, 😁 any top athlete or team is on drugs according to French people, the all blacks, Barcelona etc unless of course the team/sports person is French 

ahahah

I just notice a difference between them and the rest in term of fitness

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20 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Has a Grand Final ever had so many international players outside the big 3 Nations? I’m aware some player may not be selected in the match day 17, but we could have the following Nations represented in the Grand Final.

Samoa - Luai, Leota, Leniu, To’o, Fa’asuamaleaui, Leutele, 

Tonga - Watene-Zelezniak, Kaufusi, Vete, 

Fiji - Kikau, Koroisau, Kamikamica, Vunivalu, Lumelume, 

PNG - Olam

Cook Islands - Tetevano 

Lebanon - Mansour 

That's fantastic. Assuming those 17 make it into the match day squads, 50% of players will be outside the traditional big 3 nations.

Very promising for the international scene

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