Finals Week 1: SHARKS vs RAIDERS

[DIEHARD]

Cronulla Sharks vs Canberra Raiders

6:30pm Saturday, Toyota Park

CRONULLA SHARKS: 1. Brett Kearney 2. Misi Taulapapa 3. Ben Pomeroy 4. David Simmons 5. Luke Covell 6. Brett Seymour 7. Brett Kimmorley 8. Ben Ross 9. Isaac De Gois 10. Adam Peek 11. Luke Douglas 12. Fraser Anderson 13. Paul Gallen

Interchange: 14. Danny Nutley 15. Bryan Norrie 16. Kade Snowden 17. Terrence Seu Seu; Reserves: 18. Grant Millington 19. Blake Green

CANBERRA RAIDERS: 1. David Milne 2. Adrian Purtell 3. Colin Best 4. Joel Monaghan 5. Brett Kelly 6. Terry Campese 7. Glen Buttriss 8. Scott Logan 9. Ryan Hinchcliffe 10. Dane Tilse 11. Trevor Thurling 12. Joe Picker 13. Alan Tongue (c)

Interchange: 14. Josh Miller 15. Marshall Chalk 16. Neville Costigan 17. Nigel Plum

YOU get the feeling everyone’s second-favourite team is the Raiders.

If this team finished sixth, with a completely full roster, it would have been ultra-impressive but to do it with so many injuries and suspensions… well it’s fitting Neil Henry won Coach of the Year and Alan Tongue was crowned skipper of the season at the Dally Ms.

But Henry must have only just pipped Sharks’ coach Ricky Stuart, who transformed a team who couldn’t win a close game if their lives depended on it to a steely, clinical, defensive powerhouse that finished with as many wins as the top two sides, only pushed into third by percentages.

The Sharks finished off their regular season with an easy 28-22 win over the Cowboys; three late tries to the North Queensland side made it look closer than it was and Stuart was resting his big guns at the back end.

The Raiders played a game of touch footy with the Bulldogs, winning 52-34 – which wasn’t the best preparation for intense finals footy – but a win all the same.

The Sharks have selected the same side as last weekend and have added Grant Millington as an 18th man.

The Raiders, who need to treat this as an elimination bout, have reshuffled their side slightly.

Glen Buttriss has moved from hooker to halfback, which shifts Alan Tongue back to lock.

Ryan Hinchcliffe is now starting at hooker and Nigel Plum moves from lock to the second row.

Marshall Chalk has been named on the bench in place of last weekend’s rookie Joel Thompson.

Watch out Sharks: Canberra centre Colin Best, fresh from winning a Dally M award for ‘Winger of the Year’ (he did play plenty of wing this season), is primed to tear up his old stomping ground.

A former Shark, Best has been in career-best form and comes into the contest averaging an impressive 129 metres gained a match.

He also has 16 line breaks (fifth in NRL), four line-break assists, seven try assists and 13 tries to his name plus 105 tackle breaks (seventh in NRL).

The Raiders will look to spread the ball to him early so the Sharks need be ready.

Watch out Raiders: Sharks’ halfback Brett Kimmorley might not be the player he was when he was holding Andrew Johns out of rep teams but he is a crafty, experienced little doer who can control a game.

His kicking game needs to be rushed by the Raiders’ defence, otherwise he’ll dictate the speed of the game.

He also needs to be closely monitored when the Sharks get in striking distance.

Kimmorley has 14 try assists for the year and five line breaks of his own so you need to watch both the man and his runners.

Where it will be won: Defence.

And this swings the ledger firmly in favour of the Sharks.

Finals victories are invariably built around defence and the Sharks have the Raiders covered big time.

Over the course of the season the Sharks averaged 16 points a match conceded, the Raiders 22.

While there is no doubt the Raiders’ attack is impressive, the Sharks have shown they can shut down flamboyant teams in recent weeks and the longer they strangle the Raiders the more mistakes the Green Machine is likely to make.

The Sharks’ attack isn’t overly strong, but it is strong enough to puncture the weak Raiders’ line and as such they should come out on top.

The History: Played 50; Sharks 27, Raiders 23.

The Sharks have now won five of the past six matches between the clubs.

In their only previous encounter this season the Sharks prevailed 36-24 in round 16 at Canberra Stadium.

Conclusion: For the Raiders to win this match they’ll need to get away to a blistering start.

If they can lead by two tries early the Sharks will start to panic in attack – and that is not good for a team that can struggle to score points.

The way to do this might be playing to their strengths, i.e. shifting the ball wide early from inside their half.

If they can get some long-range Canberra specials on the board then they can certainly rattle the Sharks.

If they can’t get away early, chances are Cronulla will suffocate them out of the contest.

Match officials: Referee – Jared Maxwell; Sideline Officials – Jeff Younis & Russell Turner; Video refs – Steve Clark & Russell Smith.

Televised: Channel Nine – Live 6.30pm; Fox Sports 2 – Delayed 9.30am Sunday.

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[goldcoastitans]

i really want Raiders to win just for the sake of us screaming 42 YEARS OF NOTHING next season hahahaha

[Paul]

Go the green machine

[DIEHARD]

Sharks v Raiders Preview
Toyota Stadium Saturday 6.30pm

YOU get the feeling everyone’s second-favourite team is the Raiders.

If this team finished sixth, with a completely full roster, it would have been ultra-impressive but to do it with so many injuries and suspensions… well it’s fitting Neil Henry won Coach of the Year and Alan Tongue was crowned skipper of the season at the Dally Ms.

But Henry must have only just pipped Sharks’ coach Ricky Stuart, who transformed a team who couldn’t win a close game if their lives depended on it to a steely, clinical, defensive powerhouse that finished with as many wins as the top two sides, only pushed into third by percentages.

The Sharks finished off their regular season with an easy 28-22 win over the Cowboys; three late tries to the North Queensland side made it look closer than it was and Stuart was resting his big guns at the back end.

The Raiders played a game of touch footy with the Bulldogs, winning 52-34 – which wasn’t the best preparation for intense finals footy – but a win all the same.

The Sharks have selected the same side as last weekend and have added Grant Millington as an 18th man.

The Raiders, who need to treat this as an elimination bout, have reshuffled their side slightly.

Glen Buttriss has moved from hooker to halfback, which shifts Alan Tongue back to lock.

Ryan Hinchcliffe is now starting at hooker and Nigel Plum moves from lock to the second row.

Marshall Chalk has been named on the bench in place of last weekend’s rookie Joel Thompson.

Watch out Sharks: Canberra centre Colin Best, fresh from winning a Dally M award for ‘Winger of the Year’ (he did play plenty of wing this season), is primed to tear up his old stomping ground.

A former Shark, Best has been in career-best form and comes into the contest averaging an impressive 129 metres gained a match.

He also has 16 line breaks (fifth in NRL), four line-break assists, seven try assists and 13 tries to his name plus 105 tackle breaks (seventh in NRL).

The Raiders will look to spread the ball to him early so the Sharks need be ready.

Watch out Raiders: Sharks’ halfback Brett Kimmorley might not be the player he was when he was holding Andrew Johns out of rep teams but he is a crafty, experienced little doer who can control a game.

His kicking game needs to be rushed by the Raiders’ defence, otherwise he’ll dictate the speed of the game.

He also needs to be closely monitored when the Sharks get in striking distance.

Kimmorley has 14 try assists for the year and five line breaks of his own so you need to watch both the man and his runners.

Where it will be won: Defence.

And this swings the ledger firmly in favour of the Sharks.

Finals victories are invariably built around defence and the Sharks have the Raiders covered big time.

Over the course of the season the Sharks averaged 16 points a match conceded, the Raiders 22.

While there is no doubt the Raiders’ attack is impressive, the Sharks have shown they can shut down flamboyant teams in recent weeks and the longer they strangle the Raiders the more mistakes the Green Machine is likely to make.

The Sharks’ attack isn’t overly strong, but it is strong enough to puncture the weak Raiders’ line and as such they should come out on top.

The History: Played 50; Sharks 27, Raiders 23.

The Sharks have now won five of the past six matches between the clubs.

In their only previous encounter this season the Sharks prevailed 36-24 in round 16 at Canberra Stadium.

Conclusion: For the Raiders to win this match they’ll need to get away to a blistering start.

If they can lead by two tries early the Sharks will start to panic in attack – and that is not good for a team that can struggle to score points.

The way to do this might be playing to their strengths, i.e. shifting the ball wide early from inside their half.

If they can get some long-range Canberra specials on the board then they can certainly rattle the Sharks.

If they can’t get away early, chances are Cronulla will suffocate them out of the contest.

Match officials: Referee – Jared Maxwell; Sideline Officials – Jeff Younis & Russell Turner; Video refs – Steve Clark & Russell Smith.

Televised: Channel Nine – Live 6.30pm; Fox Sports 2 – Delayed 9.30am Sunday.

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[curly_11]

Im with you guys.....GO THE GREEN MACHINE!!!

[Flanker/5-8]

I've said before how much of a joke Maxwell is. To not even go to the video ref on that 'forward' pass? What was he thinking? He's cost us countless games before, and he's already doing his best in this one.

[TITAN PETE]

I've said before how much of a joke Maxwell is. To not even go to the video ref on that 'forward' pass? What was he thinking? He's cost us countless games before, and he's already doing his best in this one.

He can't go to the video ref on a forward pass

[Supergoose]

I feel sorry for the Raiders, putting in their worst performance in their final game and then to have the Warriors knock them out. If only the Dragons could've won then the Roosters would be also crying in their soup.