Here are the talking points looking ahead to the second week of the finals.
Bronco bounce back?
Let’s be honest. The Broncos were horrible last week. It was only the Roosters’ inability to play out the 80 that meant they didn’t get beaten by 30. Their defence was leaking like the Titanic, and the unforced errors were diabolical. With saviour Darius Boyd unlikely to make it back for the Panthers game, can Wayne Bennett mastermind a turnaround to beat a Penrith team that will have its tail up? He has started by stubbornly naming the same line up that failed so spectacularly in the first 20 minutes against the Roosters, but which team will actually run out on Friday night is anyone’s guess. For Anthony Griffin, the question will be if the Panthers can back up their big performance last week with another huge effort. After being given next no chance against Manly, they will be backing themselves to cause another upset, but it is difficult to see them mustering the same effort in front of a big, parochial Brisbane crowd, against a Broncos team that will be smarting from last week. Brisbane to live on for another week.
The north or the west?
Saturday’s clash is an intriguing one. Both Parramatta and the Cowboys have been lauded for their performances last week, despite differing results. Brad Arthur will be worried that the praise has gone to the heads of the Eels, as seemed to happen when they went down the Knights recently. This will be a big test of his ability as coach to make sure their minds are on the job against a Cowboys team that will be full of belief after knocking off the reigning premiers. Michael Morgan is running this team like an old pro, and Jason Taumalolo is the most damaging forward in the game. By all rights, they should be enjoying their offseason right now, but Paul Green’s men won’t go without a fight. This will be a cliff-hanger, and the 8 point line for the Cowboys looks really tempting. In fact, Morgan’s big game composure might just be enough to get the North Queenslanders home against the unproven Eels halves. Can’t wait for this one.
Time to grow up
The game desperately needs a weekend that doesn’t feature a refereeing controversy, if only to keep the coaches quiet for a change. Todd Greenberg produced his finest moment in the job this week when he said the game needs to grow up. Shane Flanagan’s refusal to let the issue die, days after Cronulla were bundled out in a performance riddled with errors by his team, was petulant and disappointing. At least we haven’t heard from Trent Barrett this week, perhaps because his complaint about the Tyrone Peachey try was proven to be wrong. Rugby league does need to grow up, and move away from this culture of blame. It is old, it is tired, and it seeps into every level of the game. I hope for the referees’ sake they can stay out of the spotlight this weekend, but they are there to make tough, 50-50 calls in the heat of the moment, and someone will always be on the receiving end of those calls. We all just need to learn to live with that.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
