Preliminary Final Roosters v Knights

[TITAN PETE]

ROOSTERS V KNIGHTS - 28TH SEPTEMBER, 7:45PM, ALLIANZ STADIUM | #NRLFINALS

Roosters

1 Anthony Minichiello
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Michael Jennings
4 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 James Maloney
7 Mitchell Pearce
8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9 Jake Friend
10 Sam Moa
11 Aidan Guerra
12 Sonny Bill Williams
13Frank-Paul Nuuausala

Interchange
14 Daniel Mortimer
15 Mitchell Aubusson
16 Isaac Liu
17 Luke O'Donnell
18 Dylan Napa
19 Martin Kennedy

Coach:Trent Robinson

Knights

1 Darius Boyd
2 James McManus
3 Joey Leilua
4 Dane Gagai
5 Akuila Uate
6 Jarrod Mullen
7 Tyrone Roberts
8 David Fa'alogo
9 Danny Buderus
10 Willie Mason
11 Robbie Rochow
12 Beau Scott
13 Jeremy Smith

Interchange
14 Matt Hilder
15 Chris Houston
16 Neville Costigan
17 Alex McKinnon


Coach: Wayne Bennett

[TITAN PETE]

Rookie Robinson facing supercoach Bennett
By Ian McCullough
AAP
4:48pm Fri 27th September, 2013



Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett will sit back on Saturday and watch a team of his run out for the 685th time when the Knights take on the Sydney Roosters for a place in the NRL grand final.

Just 20 metres down the concourse in the opposite coaching box at Allianz Stadium will be Trent Robinson in the 27th game of his rookie season.

The 36-year-old, who was nine when Bennett made his coaching debut with Canberra in 1987, has won a host of admirers and tipped to be named Dally M coach of the year next Tuesday.


A gripping 4-0 win over Manly earlier this month gave the Roosters the luxury of an extra week off before the preliminary final, maintaining an impressive campaign that's already yielded the minor premiership.

But preparations were thrown into turmoil on Thursday following a newspaper report linking three members of their squad with performance-enhancing drugs.

Boyd Cordner, who's failed a fitness test on his injured ankle for this game, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Sam Moa aren't suspected of any wrongdoing, but Robinson admitted the story, which also revealed blood records of six players ended up on the mobile phone of an organised crime figure, were unsettling.

In contrast, the Knights' planning couldn't have been any smoother.

They arrived in Sydney in low-key fashion on Thursday evening and earlier this week Bennett was at his tight-lipped best with the media before mischievously blurting out there was no guarantee he'd see out the final two years of his contract.

It was vintage Bennett. Taking the spotlight off his team ahead of their biggest game since the 2001 grand final and creating a diversion he knew would hog the headlines.

Robinson was the polar opposite when he faced the media on Friday.

Articulate and urbane, the fluent French speaker with a degree in human science and a nose for fine wines, is very much the new age coach.

He impressively addressed the situation that's engulfed his club over the last 48 hours, admitting he'd only know if his players had been affected by a tumultuous week after the game.

Robinson was also effusive in his praise for Bennett and believes the Knights' shock win over Melbourne last week shows the seven-time premiership-winning mentor has his team primed at the most important time of the year.

"I have absolute respect for Wayne and all of us coaches have a great debt to the way he carries himself," he said.

"I've definitely taken a lot out of the way he's done things. But it's not about coaches, it's about how our 17 match up to their 17.

"I know what Wayne Bennett-coached sides do and they are an impressive team - but so are we.

"I think they've played their best games since Wayne's been there over the last two weeks."

All eyes will be on Sonny Bill Williams and Willie Mason after the former Roosters prop was poleaxed by a shoulder charge from his one-time Canterbury teammate in round 20.

It earned him a two-week suspension and left Mason with a fractured cheekbone - but Robinson is unconcerned about Williams' temperament.

"Sonny's competitive edge pushes him to the limit sometimes and obviously it went too far last time," he said.

"But he steps up on big occasions and we are looking for more of the same from him."

[TITAN PETE]

Fittler warns of Leilua threat
By Greg Prichard
NRL.com
5:30am Sat 28th September, 2013



The man Roosters legend Brad Fittler believes is most capable of troubling his old team's NRL-best defence in Saturday's preliminary final at Allianz Stadium is a former Rooster himself – Joseph Leilua.

The 21-year-old Knights centre, who was released by the Roosters late last year because of disciplinary reasons, is in crazy-good form at the business end of the season.

Overall, Leilua has played 18 games in 2013, scoring 11 tries and making 12 line-breaks and 11 offloads.

He has run for over 100 metres in 12 games, including his last 10 straight, and his influence on the Knights' fortunes has continued to grow.

In the 26-18 win over the Broncos in Round 25, Leilua ran for 136 metres and scored two tries, as well as making two line-breaks and one offload.

In the final round, when the Knights thrashed the Eels 54-6, Leilua again scored two tries and made two line-breaks as he ran for his season-best 179 metres.

Leilua hasn't scored a try in the finals series yet, but he has continued to be a massive threat in attack; by forcing multiple defenders to commit to trying to stop him he has made it easier for the fellow attacking players around him to do something.

Against the Bulldogs in the first week of the finals, when the Knights won 22-6, Leilua ran for 141 metres and contributed one offload.

And last weekend, in the 18-16 win over the Storm, he ran for 166 metres and had one offload.

Defences are struggling to stop his progress, and when they do manage to slow him down they then have to try to guard against him getting the ball away, which he is doing with increasingly greater effect just out of sheer practice on the field.

Leilua made his first grade debut for the Roosters as an 18-year-old in the 2010 season.

He didn't become a regular first-grader that season, but when the Roosters made the grand final and had injury issues coach Brian Smith selected the youngster on the wing for the decider against St George Illawarra.

The rookie found it difficult under the massive pressure that evening, but with experience he has grown into a much more self-assured player on the field, and has begun to mature off it as well.

The learning process continues – Knights coach Wayne Bennett had to speak to Leilua about his sledging of Storm forward Jordan McLean after McLean had been knocked out in an accidental head clash in last weekend's game – but the sky is the limit for him.

Fittler, who captained the Roosters to their last grand final win, in 2003 against the Warriors, is certainly impressed by the power Leilua displays on the field.

"He's just so strong," Fittler said. "I mean, just look at him play. He's got that ability to give the defence a really hard time.

"As well as the Roosters have defended this season, Leilua is someone they're going to have to worry about."

The Roosters went straight from Week One to Week Three of the finals series by virtue of their 4-0 win over Manly at Allianz Stadium.

Fittler liked what he saw that night from the Roosters, in what was a brutally defensive display from both teams, but says they can't afford to rely solely on their defence to get them to the grand final and then win it.

"I thought they were great against Manly, but the way the game went probably disguised what they need to do a bit more of from here," he said.

"They've got to score more points, so that they've got that balance on both sides of their game.

"The way I look at it, there wasn't much between the last four teams in the competition going into this weekend. They all looked pretty good to me.

"I think the only real difference, if the teams that didn't play last weekend could make it work for them, was the fatigue factor for the teams that did have to play last weekend."

The Roosters will obviously be looking for superstar second-rower Sonny Bill Williams to come up with a big play or two against the Knights.

"He's looking pretty fit," Fittler said. "He's a big-game player."

Fittler paid tribute to his former NSW teammate, Knights hooker Danny Buderus, who is retiring at the end of the season.

"He's a wonderful person and he's been a great player over a long period of time," Fittler said. Then he added, with a smile: "I think that playing in the preliminary finals would be a wonderful way for 'Bedsy' to go out."

[TITAN PETE]

Knights legends urge: ‘Target halves’
By By Nicholas Janzen
NRL.com
8:07am Sat 28th September, 2013


RSS

A nothing-to-lose attitude is what could drive the Knights past the Roosters and into a grand final showdown with Manly, according to two of Newcastle’s former premiership winners.

Just six wins from the opening 14 rounds of 2013 ensured the Knights were always going to be seen as premiership pretenders – and, following an eight-from-13 resurgence, including four consecutive victories, Marc Glanville and Michael Hagan believe that poor start and associated ‘underdogs’ tag could prove their greatest asset.

“They were battling just to make the eight let alone anything else,” 1997 premiership-winning forward Glanville tells NRL.com ahead of the Knights’ grand final qualifying clash with the Roosters on Saturday night.

“Their season was a bit up and down and players that signed, they were obviously a lot older and more experienced, but there were a couple of times during the year where everyone thought they were no chance of making the eight. They’ve been on a roll, got into the eight and they’ve got a fair bit of momentum going – I guess that’s what you need going into semi-finals.

“I think they’re a big chance. They’ve got a wealth of experience, a heap of momentum and the belief they would have got from beating Melbourne last week and Canterbury the week before would have helped them immensely. “Sometimes a week off is a good thing but at other stages it isn’t, and I think up against the Knights, the Roosters are in for a very big challenge on [Saturday] night.”

Hagan, coach of Newcastle’s 2001 title triumph against Parramatta, says the club has already exceeded expectations – but nevertheless insists they’re very capable of proceeding to the grand final.

“If they would’ve said top eight was their aspiration initially I think that’s about what they were hoping to achieve but I think the fact they are now a game away from the grand final I think that’s exceeded my expectation but not theirs,” Hagan says.

“The mindset in Newcastle is if you’re thereabouts you can go a bit further and I think that’s how the team and the coach are approaching the last couple of weeks of the year – I think that belief and that bit of momentum is in their favour at the moment.

“I really hope they can. They’re coming up against a real quality side in the Roosters but if they get through I think they’ve got the game plan and team to go further if they were to get there.”

Both Glanville and Hagan agree the key to progression into the decider rests in the hands of the Knights’ experienced pack.

“I just love how Jeremy Smith and Beau Scott play but for me the unsung hero all year’s been Robbie Rochow – he’s played just about every week, just about 80 minutes a week and he’s been terrific for the club,” Glanville says.

“They’ve got a wealth of experience going into the team… and I really think they’re going to try to win it for Danny Buderus.

“The fact they’ve got Buderus, he’s such a wonderful leader and a magnificent player – they go so much better when he’s on the paddock.”

Hagan, assistant coach of the all-conquering Queensland Maroons side, believes if Newcastle progress it will be the Knights’ pack that ultimately shuts down the playmaking dangers of Roosters halves Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney.

“[Pearce and Maloney] had a benefit of a really good platform to work behind and that’s the thing that Newcastle need to get right – you’re coming up against the most physical side that’s left in the comp and that’s where they need to be really good [tonight], trying to limit their space so if they can do that I think that’ll go a long way to limiting their influence,” Hagan says.

“They’ve been really good in the past six or eight weeks since Origin too – they seem to have found another gear and it’ll be hard to keep an eye on them all the time and I just that’s the challenge of facing them.”

Hagan, however, stressed no single player would prove the difference for the Knights – he says it’s the unified front that’ll help Newcastle in their quest to overcome the Roosters.

“[Newcastle] really want to win for each other, and that’s the most important part. Within the team I don’t think there are individuals – they are a team of great players,” Hagan says.

“They seem to be playing as a team across the board – looking at their starting team and bench, they seem to be coming into the game and holding their own and having an impact… the fact they’re working for each other seems to be a noticeable thing too.

“It should be a great game.”

[hammer]

Happy for either side to win this one as long as the winner goes on to flog Manly in the Grand Final.

[Toads]

Happy for either side to win this one as long as the winner goes on to flog Manly in the Grand Final.

Since the Bunnies have been booted, I'll get on this bandwagon..

[DIEHARD]

Come on Knights! You are the last not evil team left. Don't make me suffer a Manly vs Roosters Grand Final!

[DIEHARD]

Looks like a massive crowd at SFS. I wonder if it's mainly Roosters or Knights fans. Or 50/50. Either way great crowd.

[DIEHARD]

FFS. Roosters are storming in. Looks like it is Manly v Roosters!

Losing Buderus to being knocked out was a big loss.

[TITAN PETE]

The Roosters are a very well coached side , the GF should be a ripper

[Titanic]

The Roosters are a very well coached side , the GF should be a ripper

Ho hum ... 1-0 ... yawn

[DIEHARD]

Was an amazing period with 15mins to go where the Knights scores two tries in 2mins, got a 40/20 and a couple penalties and a drop out. But it wasnt enough to get close.

[C-Whiz]

Another $BW lovefest before the game, to celebrate the only person in the NRL who openly admits he has no loyalty to the code, and then as part of this Channel 9 driven push to make him the superstar of the game, everyone employed by channel 9 and the refs, conveniently ignore every thing he does wrong, like a blatantly obvious forward pass that leads to a try. It's a joke like the whole of the NRL competition has become and it's totally disrespectful to the fans.

Throw in the another bad piece of refereeing in the game, like the Jeremey Smith penalty, among many others in this game alone, especially another finals game, that while it might not have changed the outcome of the game, it certainly helped to change the balance.

The problem is, it isn't just this game, and it isn;t just the finals, it's been sh!t all season, and now we are in the finals, teams are being denied the chance to compete by refs and video refs who keep making the wrong decisions.

it's a farce, and everyone, especially the fans, deserve better.

THE NRL IS F%^ED!!

It won't get better until someone stands up and does something about it, but clearly with the money involved in media, betting, advertising and corporate greed, the sport is just a pawn at the mercy of all those influences.

I watched the AFL with some mates at the Casino today before the NRL, and I can assure you the AFL is sh!tting all over the NRL in every way when it comes to involving the fans and giving them something back. I enjoyed it simply because it was enjoyable! Go figure!

I can't watch a game of NRL for the past few months without feeling that the game is at the mercy of all the above influences and we are being taken for granted as fans.

[DIEHARD]

I think the game is better off not being owned 50% by News Ltd. and has much more power now against Nine and Fox. But I agree that it is absolutely frustrating to see the treatment of supporters by our sport and especially our clubs. Taken for granted and treated like cattle. Milked for money. And the refereeing has been terrible. I think we need a Captain's challenge. Also I'm sick of Phil Gould and Ray Warren constantly complaining about stuff on the broadcast. Gould's constant suggestion to get rid of the video referee is ridiculous and he'd be first to cry foul when the Panthers lose a game off a simple refereeing mistake which would be replayed all over the news and internet.

Our game got a massive new broadcast contracting but I do struggle to see how the fans have directly won. We need more incentives, more subsidies and more inclusion. More activities. And cheaper tickets FFS. It costs pocket change to take a junior to AFL at the MCG. They don't just magically get big crowds, there is strategy involved.

Also we need to have a plan to encourage supporters to travel (across town) I'm sick of fans not travelling. Especially Manly. Set the clubs up with buses etc.

[hammer]

I have plenty of friends that are avid AFL fans and I can tell you they complain more about the standard of umpiring than anything I have seen or heard from NRL fans. I rarely hear any complaints from Union fans and it is rare to see players challenging or nagging the referee as well.