From The Couch 2019: Finals Week 2
From The Couch 2019: Finals Week 2
Sin Bin Trigger Happy Madness: There were plenty of sin bins across the weekend. Most were deserved. The black and white nature of some though just make the game look weak and the officials look stupid. Automatic sin bins for a bit of slap or a little tickle are moronic and can turn a season. Cameron Smith should not have been binned. Neither should Cody Walker. Both were a little firey but hardly impacted the game or the image thereof. That is to say nothing of the appalling decision to sin bin Jake Trbojevic. It was not a violent act. It was not a professional foul. There was no basis for dismissing him. It only ended Manly’s season. Gerard Sutton once again managed to get himself to the centre of a story.
Ludicrous Lodge: The debacle that is the Brisbane Broncos just gets weirder and stranger and more depraved with Matthew Lodge being touted as the next captain of the Broncos. This is the same Matthew Lodge who went on a violent drug-fuelled rampage and then attempted to take the knock. Anthony Seibold needs to be committed if that’s what he manages to come up with in his review.
Brutal Beat for the Ages: Bettors who took the Sea Eagles +6.5 on Friday night endured one of the most loathsome and blood-curdling beats on Friday night. Manly led with 15 minutes to go when they got stitched with Jake Trbojevic’s sin bin. Souths ran in two converted tries to lead by six. With two minutes left, the hapless Brendan Elliot slipped on a kick return and was tackled in goal. Down by six, Manly should have been in the hurry-up. They weren’t. Daly Cherry-Evans was penalised for not kicking before the shot clock. Penalty in front. Souths win by eight. Wow.
Overachievers Runs End: Manly and Parramatta had their seasons ended over the weekend but losses did not take away from what were two very good years.
MANLY (6th): Many had Manly circled for the wooden spoon. Most had them penned in for the bottom four. So a remarkable season that saw them not only finish sixth and win a final but all but beat Souths in the second week of the finals was an outstanding year. Des could not have been more proud of what the team achieved, particularly when significant injuries took hold late to some really important players. The return of Hasler, the unearthing of some talent and some real top level stars has Manly in a good position going forward. This is a team now well and truly back on track.
Best Player: Addin Fonua-Blake
Discovery: Reuben Garrick, Manase Fainu
Most Disappointing: Kane Elgey, Api Koroisau
PARRAMATTA (5th): Off the back of a wooden spoon season, the Eels should be rightly chuffed to have played finals football, breaking the record for biggest finals win in the process. They were hot and cold over the course of the season but they unearthed the game’s next great winger in Maika Sivo, who topped the tryscoring list. They lacked genuine starpower and there are real concerns over the quality of the spine but they have some genuine gamebreakers and a pack that is starting to learn how to dominate. There is no more dangerous wing pairing in the NRL than these two.
Best Player: Maika Sivo
Discovery: Maika Sivo, Dylan Brown
Most Disappointing: Kane Evans, Tepai Moeroa, Tim Mannah
2019 Field Goal Update – 37: No field goals through two weeks of the finals.
Fun Fact #1: Canberra are currently riding the longest Grand Final drought of any team, not playing in a premiership decider since 1994.
Fun Fact #2: Cameron Smith became the first player in premiership history to kick 100 finals goals in Saturday’s 32-0 win over Parramatta.
Fun Fact #3: Three players have scored more than 15 tries in finals football: Billy Slater (23), Eddie Lumsden (17) and Brett Stewart (16).
Rumour Mill: The hottest rumour in Rugby League is that Brodie Croft is on the verge of signing a long-term deal with the Brisbane Broncos. Ryan Matterson is no hope of mending any bridges burnt at the Wests Tigers with Parramatta, Penrith and Canterbury all in the mix. Suliasi Vunivalu is expected to make a switch to French rugby. Wayde Egan has been linked to a move to the Warriors. Nathan Brown is expected to become Cronulla’s new assistant coach with John Morris in desperate need of assistance.
Random Fact of Rugby League Stupidity: Matt Prior played the most games in 2019 without scoring a try, turning out 25 times without scoring. He has scored just 14 tries in 253 games.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Des Hasler wasn’t full of a multitude of options but playing Brendan Elliot at fullback was up there with bad decisions, at least with Reuben Garrick in the team. Elliot is slow and never seems to commit to any decision. With a weak kick returns, it is not clear what he brings to the table.
The Coaching Crosshairs: The NRL referees will have a new ‘coach’ next season with Bernard Sutton reportedly set to be moved on by Graham Annesley. Sutton has fallen foul for the perception of favouritism and the lack of accountability officials are held to. Annesley has been particularly incensed at the disrespect shown to Matt Cecchin.
Beard Watch: Some of the moustaches seen this year have been next level but it is hard to go past Ryan Papenhuyzen’s for the best mo of the year. Gardner Minshew is getting plenty of love for being ‘The Mississippi Mo’ and it would not surprise at all if that was a cult-hero fate that awaited The Pap.
Correspondence Corner: CTPE, Brad Arthur was very close to Coach of the Year honours and that is an outstanding fact.
Archie, Craig Bellamy is a victim of his own success in this award unfortunately. Or he would be handed his 15th straight gong.
Davey G, strong instincts.
Scotty, both have well-known relatives.
Rock, interesting perspective. You are right in a sense … Barrett was horrible! I cannot cop Hasler but he has achieved plenty with them.
Robbo, it is one of many irritating things to listen to from Braith.
Watch It: It is preliminary final weekend and there is no better preparation that going back to what was simultaneously the greatest preliminary final and the greatest single implosion in finals history. Watch highlights from The Paul Carige Game here.
No one giving credit to Souths gutsy win, losing a winger & fullback in the 56th minute to HIA, having to chuck in a couple of forwards to fill the gap, then with 4 minutes left, they had no one left on the bench
The worst professional foul in the Souths-Manly game was Burgess taking out Parker. Not even a penalty conceded for that one.
Excellent article as usual. I would however like if you added a ‘where are they now’ section in your column which serializes the infamous characters in the history of our great game such as Paul Carige and Max Mannix et al.