The Battle of Britain! That is how the Australian media is already describing next Sunday’s NRL Grand Final.
In the blue corner former St Helens prop James Graham. In the red (and green) corner the Burgess brothers, led by soon-to-defect Sam.
This follows the victories by Canterbury and South Sydney at the weekend for a place in the Homebush encounter to decide the 2014 Premiers.
Graham was took Man of the Match honours as the Bulldogs won a dour struggle with Penrith Panthers, while Sam Burgess was a stand-out as the Rabbitohs came back from a 12-0 deficit to give Sydney Roosters a 32-22 pasting.
Bulldogs fans are hoping Graham reverses the trend when it comes to Grand Final appearances. He lost all five in which he appeared for St Helens in Super League and was also a member of Canterbury’s beaten outfit two years ago.
This article originally appeared in this week’s edition of League Express newspaper. Click here to download the digital version to your computer, smartphone or tablet
It will be the first Grand Final appearance for Burgess. But he is hoping to make history as he takes to the field for the Rabbitohs’ first decider since they won their most recent Premiership 43 years ago.
And he has promised to do his utmost to help the Rabbitohs to victory as a thank you to the club and its fans for what they have done for him, his three brothers and mother Julie.
“I feel like I owe this club a Premiership,’’ he said.
“No doubt. And that’s what I plan to give them.”
“Personally I owe this to certain people,’’ Burgess told the Sydney Sunday Telegraph.
“There are people that have just changed my life.
“But it is not just them. It is also the fans. I’d like to think that I play for the club every week and give my all regardless of the result. I play with pride but it has been a long time for them and it would mean so much.
“We’re not there yet. We are one win away. And I will be giving my all to get it done.”
Meanwhile Graham has denied that he will target Burgess more than any other Souths forward next Sunday.
This article originally appeared in this week’s edition of League Express newspaper. Click here to download the digital version to your computer, smartphone or tablet
“I reckon honestly, there is not as much in it as people say,” Graham said.
“He plays in the middle, I play in the middle. It’s only because we tackle each other.
“I have to do my job for my team and stick to the game plan.”
The NRL is anticipating one of its biggest Grand Finals ever after about four million people watched the two qualifying semi-finals over the weekend.
More than 12 million TV viewers have already tuned in to the eight NRL finals series games, including about two million for each of the weekend’s games.
Almost 100,000 people attended the two games, with finals crowds up by 18 per cent on last year.
And the Rabbitohs v Roosters clash on Friday night was the most-watched Premiership game in history, excluding Grand Finals.
During the week Sydney Harbour Bridge will be lit up each night from tonight until kick off on Sunday, with NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres switching on the southeastern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to reveal a slide-show 80 metres high of the two Grand Final teams.
