Finals Week 1: Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos

[PROMETHEUS]

Awesome, your going for the Broncos....i was scared that you would bring bad luck to the Storm if you went for them.

If you think me going for melbourne would make them lose you musnt have much faith in their ability.

[jenny]

Storm's Newton just focused on Broncos

September 5, 2007 - 5:30PM

Melbourne's mid-season recruit Clint Newton will attempt to put aside his uncertain future as he prepares to take on Brisbane in the Storm's NRL qualifying final on Sunday.

Salary cap restrictions are likely to force in-form Newton out of the club he joined in late May after his shock acrimonious departure from Newcastle shortly after his 100th game.

Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron said the minor premiers wanted to keep the 26-year-old backrower, who has been in the best form of his career since moving south, however at this stage it appeared unlikely.

"The way things stand at the moment we can't offer his true market value so it's a matter of trying to work out how to keep him," Waldron said.

"He's in a difficult position because he came to a club where things are tight.

"If there's some movement in the next month we might be able to keep him but at the moment we're all in a holding pattern."

Newton, who was named in the Storm starting side to take on the Broncos in place of Michael Crocker, said the only thing decided about his future was that it was going to be with Melbourne or an English club.

"I've pretty much ruled myself out of going to any other NRL clubs, I don't have a tremendous amount of passion to play anywhere else," he said.

"I wasn't prepared to sign with a rival NRL club due to the fact that Melbourne had thrown me a lifeline and I was hoping to repay them with a couple more years of service.

"I'm still trying to work things out with Melbourne but the end case scenario is either here or heading overseas," he said.

Newton, the son of Australian golfing great Jack Newton, said it had been difficult to keep his focus on playing football with his future unclear but the situation had been helped by his contentment in Melbourne.

"I think that I'm pretty content with life at the moment and I have a pretty strong belief that if you stay positive, positive things will happen," he said.

"I'm just trying my very best to play some good footy for Melbourne and hopefully keep the team winning."

The Storm will earn a week off if they can eliminate eighth-placed and reigning champions Brisbane at Olympic Park in a grand final re-match, but know they face a tough contest after being forced to scramble to a 14-6 win last month in a physical, spiteful encounter.

Without injured key players including Test skipper Darren Lockyer, fullback Karmichael Hunt and utility Shaun Berrigan, the Broncos are huge underdogs, however Newton said the pack was still Test quality.

He said players like stand-in captain Petero Civoniceva, Dane Carlaw and Brad Thorn were "big game players".

"With their experience and size their pack is one of the most formidable in the game," he said.

"I don't think there's a bigger pack than Brisbane and a lot of their wins have been on the back of their forwards so I think they should take a lot of credit for how they have made the eight.

"I think most teams wouldn't have made the eight with the injury concerns they've had but their forwards have definitely played extremely well and they deserve every little bit of respect that they get."

? 2007 AAP

[HodgoBerro]

Craig Frawley is returning to the broncos side after 2 weeks off with a hamstring strain.

Source - Trad McLean Broncos Media Manager

[Capital_Shark]

Craig Frawley is returning to the broncos side after 2 weeks off with a hamstring strain.

Source - Trad McLean Broncos Media Manager

Its cold in Melbourne, hope his failure in Canberra taught him to wear some leg warmers under his skirt when it gets chilly.

[HodgoBerro]

sorry he didn't wear his tutu today!

[jenny]

Storm confident Crocker will be fit

Stathi Paxinos | September 6, 2007

MELBOURNE Storm is confident Michael Crocker will play in Sunday's qualifying final against Brisbane after the injury-prone back-rower pulled up with a sore knee during yesterday's training session.

Crocker felt some pain in his troublesome left knee during running drills. He tore the lateral ligament in the knee during the preliminary final last year and missed the grand final as a result. The 27-year-old had the knee checked yesterday by Storm high-performance unit manager Mary Toomey and completed the drills at half pace but moved freely during ball-work drills.

Crocker has had a shocking run of luck in the past two seasons, with suspension and injury limiting his playing time to only 20 games ? albeit all victories. He has played three games since returning from shoulder surgery in May.

But Toomey yesterday said she expected the knee to settle down within the day and Crocker should be fit to play.

"It's got good strength, good function. I'm not sure what he has done with it but it seems very minor. I'll check him again (this morning) but I don't think we're going to worry about it," Toomey said.

"From time to time he tweaks a little bit of scar tissue around that knee and it's very likely to be the same thing, which is it hurts a little bit when it happens but it settles within 24 hours and doesn't cause him any on-going problem. I'm sure, at this stage, that it will be OK."

Meanwhile, former Brisbane star Shane Webcke said the injury-ravaged Broncos could produce a boilover by exploiting the Storm's self-belief.

He said the Broncos still had some firepower on the back of a forward pack that will include Petero Civoniceva, Brad Thorn, Sam Thaiday and Tonie Carroll. He said he expected star back Justin Hodges, who is battling a corked quad, to play. "Realistically, we're right up against it, but remember this, we've pretty much got a forward pack scattered with internationals and origin players. You can't win a football game without a decent forward pack going forward and that's one thing we will have and they will get the job done, I've every confidence of that," Webcke said.

"Then it comes down to our backs and what they are going to do and that's a bit of a mystery, but if they just string together a bit of combination and if Justin (Hodges) is playing well and he's on his game, we can get these guys, don't be confused about that. We do know how to win still and we've got the right attitude within the forward pack at least to make that happen, so I look forward to the game with anticipation. I think we can do something special ? sometimes. I wouldn't say over-confidence, I don't think they (Storm) will be that, but sometimes that self belief can hurt you ? sometimes you don't see the threats coming until it's too late."

However, Bellamy, who spent five seasons as Wayne Bennett's understudy in Brisbane, said he knew not to underestimate the reigning premier. "I know they've had their problems with some injuries but we know the history of that club," Bellamy said. "I was there myself for a little while, so I know what a proud club they are and what a mentally tough club they are and we've got no doubts that they will be here ready to play."

■The Bulldogs received a boost when forward Sonny Bill Williams was successful in having his striking charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary last night. Williams will now be suspended for one match, Saturday's qualifying final against the Cowboys in Townsville. He had been facing a three-game ban if the appeal against the initial two-game suspension had not been successful.
AAP

[Super Cronk]

I hope he plays, with him on the field we are 100%!

But even with-out him im confident we can do the job.

[jenny]

Cronk to wear 'kicking boots'

By Dave Donaghy
September 07, 2007

MELBOURNE halfback Cooper Cronk vowed last night to bring his "kicking boots" to the finals in a clear indication the minor premier will continue its aerial onslaught against Brisbane on Sunday.

Storm, with a significant height advantage, is set to test the Broncos in the air at Olympic Park.

Melbourne has scored 28 of its 113 tries this season from kicks, almost a quarter of its total and more than any other team.

Cronk has set up 14 of Israel Folau's 21 tries this season - seven coming from kicks.

Folau (190cm), Matt King (190cm) and Greg Inglis (195cm) have been the constant targets for Cronk's deadly accurate right boot.

"No matter what side of the field, you've got Izzy (Folau) and King a target on the edge," Cronk said.

"Then you've got GI (Inglis) and Billy Slater that want to chase a chip kick or a grubber kick every second tackle because they're just excited and have plenty of energy."

Melbourne's prowess in the air had emerged from the amount of time it spent perfecting the tactic at training, Cronk said.

"The strength of our team is not only the kicking but also the boys being able to catch," Cronk said.

"We've done a lot of hard work, and the more hard work we do on the training paddock the more chances you're going to get during a game.

"It is obviously one of the areas that becomes very vital and very important, especially in a big game, so you've got to have your kicking boots on during the finals series. Teams always come up with ideas on how to pressure kickers."
Fox Sports

[jenny]

Brisbane learn from Roosters: Dowling

Former forward enforcer Greg Dowling says Brisbane must duplicate the Roosters' blueprint and keep Melbourne on the back foot to pull off a massive NRL qualifying finals upset at Olympic Park on Friday night.

Never guilty of taking a backward step for Brisbane, Queensland and Australia, Dowling believes Brisbane will have more success with a committed kick-and-chase game than trying to lure Melbourne into a brawling contest.

It won't take much to ignite emotions on Sunday.

Both clubs have sniped at each other since Melbourne claimed Brisbane was lucky to beat them in last year's grand final.

The street corner talk is Brisbane will resort to some old fashioned style football to goad Melbourne's pack into some early fireworks in the hope they lose the plot.

Brisbane had some success with physical tactics the last time they met even though they lost 14-6 with a depleted side.

"You have to try and do something to upset them because if you let them dictate terms, they'll win, they're great at it," Dowling told AAP.

"But I don't know if tactics like that (biff) would do it because the guys they have in their pack, Brett White, Michael Crocker and Dallas Johnson, they're not guys who'll buckle or take a backward step."

"I don't think the Broncos are a side to play like that. Maybe the Bulldogs or Manly or the Warriors, teams like that, but the Broncos aren't like that.

"I can't see them doing it. I can't see Wayne Bennett telling them it could be their last game and to go out and take some heads off or create some mayhem, he won't."

Dowling says Brisbane must adopt the same bustling tactics employed by rookie Roosters coach Brad Fittler when they shocked Melbourne in late July.

"You have to try and pin them in their own half, keep turning them around like the Roosters did," he said.

"The Roosters showed everyone how to beat the Storm.

"They love to dictate terms to you - go and dictate to them.

"Every side that has done that has beaten them."

While Dowling had nothing but plaudits for Brisbane's courage in recent weeks before last weekend's collapse to the Eels, he can't see them beating the Storm at Olympic Park where they've won 29 of their last 30 games.

"They'll still be shell shocked and gun shy after last week, that would have cut them," he said.

"After they scored that try just after half time last week, that was it ... they put the cue in the rack - they had nothing left after that.

"They're missing a few strike weapons. They'll miss that young (David) Taylor. The forwards will do their job, they just need a bit of help in the backs.

? 2007 AAP

[Super Cronk]

I hope Cronk brings his kicking boots, when his kicking game is on he usually produces some awesome attack.

[PROMETHEUS]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...006066,00.html By Dave Donaghy

September 08, 2007 12:00am

THE war of words between bitter rivals Brisbane and Melbourne continued to bubble along yesterday, with Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer suggesting that sledging and "personal attacks" by Storm players would help motivate the injury-ravaged Queenslanders.

A day after Broncos football manager Andrew Gee labelled the Storm "sore losers" - referring to last year's grand final - Lockyer added a further barb about the 2006 decider ahead of tomorrow's fourth qualifying final in Melbourne.

"Their record would be pretty good against us in recent years, except for the most important game the two clubs have played against each other," Lockyer wrote in his Courier Mail column. "It's probably why they genuinely dislike us."

The Storm were refusing to get drawn into the argument yesterday, despite Gee's accusations the Melbourne club had deliberately sabotaged a planned Brisbane rehab session on Sunday night.

Lockyer said the Storm players were noted sledgers.

"Sometimes as players we need a reason to put it all together properly," Lockyer wrote.

"Usually the Storm give us a reason with its sledging.

"I wasn't on the field in the most recent Broncos-Storm game in Melbourne, but I'm told a number of our players were sledged by the Storm and some of the insults were personal attacks on our players.



"I don't want to say what was said, except that some of it questioned the ability of some of our players.

"They have a habit of sledging."

[SuperCliffy#01]

Melbourne by 24 points.

[jenny]

Broncos words have 'no impact' on Storm

September 8, 2007 - 9:46AM

Winger Steve Turner says the Storm needs no added motivation to beat Brisbane in their qualifying final on Sunday, with the NRL title enough.

Broncos football manager and 255-game veteran Andrew Gee launched a stunning attack on the minor premiers ahead of the Olympic Park clash, labelling them poor losers.

He also took aim at popular Storm trio Matt King, skipper Cameron Smith and prop Brett White.

But Turner, who is no stranger to personal sledges after a lengthy contract wrangle with Gold Coast prior to this season, said it had no impact.

"There's obviously been a bit said but we don't take too much of that stuff into account, we just concentrate on the processes we've got to do to get the outcome that we want," he said.

"I'm sure the 13 guys who take the field on the weekend aren't going to be too worried about what's been said in the papers."

The two teams have built a healthy rivalry over the past few years, fuelled by Brisbane's upset win in last year's NRL decider.

While Melbourne have downplayed the revenge factor, they would no doubt take immense pleasure from eliminating the eighth-placed reigning champions and earning a week off.

During their last encounter last month, which the Storm won 14-6, a melee erupted after King took exception to his opposite Justin Hodges standing over Turner after dragging him into touch.

Hodges is set to take his place after battling a leg cork, however their starting backline remains a mystery with Hodges named at fullback rather than in the centres and a number of players running in different positions throughout the week.

"It doesn't affect us too much, we'll just prepare for the Brisbane Broncos of old," Turner said.

"They're always a tough game and I'm sure the team that (coach) Wayne Bennett puts on the field, it's starting backline will be out to prove a point and I'm sure they won't let him down."

The in-form speedster was just happy to be in the side after undergoing knee surgery just three weeks ago, which he injured against Brisbane.

It was initially thought he wouldn't play again this year.

"It's pulled up pretty well and I was pretty happy when I got the news a couple of weeks ago that my season wouldn't be over," he said.

? 2007 AAP

[Super Cronk]

damn straight....we will give em a belting no matter what they say.

[PROMETHEUS]

Yeah,Hodges made him look like a little girl.