2021 PF 1 Fri - South Sydney 36-16 Manly @ Suncorp

[BranVan3000]

The worst thing that can happen for Brisbane is you guys winning next week.

Reynolds is busted and can't see him going anywhere near as hard coming off a premiership while on a pension contract.

Reynolds is too competitive not to have a positive impact at Brisbane

 

[hineyrulz]

BM knows.

*Blows

 

[Rabbits20]

 

[yobbo84]

This Taaffe scrub has blown 3 tries already

This aged well

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Can't believe I'm going to say this.

Congratulations Souths on making the Grand Final.

 

[BranVan3000]

Can't believe I'm going to say this.

Congratulations Souths on making the Grand Final.

Thanks

The only sad part is bloody COVID. 2014 was such a special week in the Souths area

Having to watch the Grand Final from home is disappointing

 

[Valheru]

As a roosters fan I hate souths, I f**king hate them but I congratulate them.

They have turned themselves from a basket case in to one of the 3 most professional and constantly competitive clubs of the last 10 years. They have actually made more prelim finals (7) than us (6) in the last 10 years. Storm, roosters and souths account for 21 out of the 40 prelim finalists of the last 10 years.

Ironically they have become what a lot of their fans claim to hate. A club with money who has elite facilities and builds a squad off a healthy combination of true local juniors, getting other kids from across the country in the system as teenagers, buying the odd established superstar and some other astute purchases to fill the gap.

Having said that I reckon every single souths fan is a Penrith fan for today as I think we all saw enough fragility on the edges to suggest they won't beat Melbourne next week.

 

[BranVan3000]

I still can't get over the fact that Jaxson Paulo moonwalked into a try

Jaxson Paulo last night:


Manly fans:

 

[BranVan3000]

As a roosters fan I hate souths, I f**king hate them but I congratulate them.

They have turned themselves from a basket case in to one of the 3 most professional and constantly competitive clubs of the last 10 years. They have actually made more prelim finals (7) than us (6) in the last 10 years. Storm, roosters and souths account for 21 out of the 40 prelim finalists of the last 10 years.

Ironically they have become what a lot of their fans claim to hate. A club with money who has elite facilities and builds a squad off a healthy combination of true local juniors, getting other kids from across the country in the system as teenagers, buying the odd established superstar and some other astute purchases to fill the gap.

Having said that I reckon every single souths fan is a Penrith fan for today as I think we all saw enough fragility on the edges to suggest they won't beat Melbourne next week.

I would prefer Penrith for their fatigue factor but I think we are going in as under dogs either way and have as much chance of upsetting Storm as we did Panthers two weeks back. Maybe more as Storm havent really played us at close to full strength since round 1

Luckily that edge fragility was when the game was done and Reynolds off the park in that right side defence. If Benji spends a lot of time there next week I'd be more worried about it

 

[gerg]

Mine fell asleep tonight while Souths were getting into a GF

Grounds for break up? Not sure

Haha... my wife fell asleep at the (2008) grand final, with all that noise. TBF we'd had lunch in Chinatown, a few quite salty dishes and she guzzled 3 quick beers as soon as we got to the game. Next things she's snoring on my shoulder.

 

[KennySterling]

Who will choke more this weekend Damien Cook or Nathan Cleary?

Well, it wasn't Cook......

 

[Zoe Palmer]

Cook was very good

 

[kit66]

Sipley and Fainu in, make a massive difference in the pack...

Our problem are our backs, Storm and the Bunnies and Penriff have shown how inept they are...

Turbo doesn't fire we have nothing at all.. We really need to recruit some decent backs

It's your centres and your hooker that let you down, they're your weak points and the good coaches know it.
I don't know why the Dragons want Suli, he's a real liability in defence. I don't think the commentary team mentioned Croker's name at all because he does nothing - apart from tackle.

 

[mozza91]

Well, it wasn't Cook......

Stage is set for Cleary to stand up and take control tonight.

Cook put his poor performances in the previous prelims behind him. Can Cleary stand up and dominate a big game?

 

[gerg]

Stage is set for Cleary to stand up and take control tonight.

Cook put his poor performances in the previous prelims behind him. Can Cleary stand up and dominate a big game?

I think part of it is Cook's fitness. In the past few years, and yes pun intended, he's been cooked by the prelim.. he looks pretty fresh at the moment.

All the attention has been on Turbo's form but Cody has been pretty bloody good this year. No doubt he's a merkin but when you're playing that well you can almost get away with merkinry.

 

[BranVan3000]

I think part of it is Cook's fitness. In the past few years, and yes pun intended, he's been cooked by the prelim.. he looks pretty fresh at the moment.

All the attention has been on Turbo's form but Cody has been pretty bloody good this year. No doubt he's a merkin but when you're playing that well you can almost get away with merkinry.

Yeah we are much healthier this year

We were pretty good fitness wise in 2018, but were limping into 2019 and 2020 finals. Though Seibold the genius he is decided we only needed 2 bench players in the finals. Despite that the Canberra and Penrith games were very close contests that could have gone our way with the bounce of the ball

Ironically we've had 4 years now without our starting fullback for the finals and found a good replacement each time. Taaffe seems like the most effective of the lot. Which is why I was never too worried about losing Latrell, its like tradition at this point

 

[yobbo84]

It's your centres and your hooker that let you down, they're your weak points and the good coaches know it.
I don't know why the Dragons want Suli, he's a real liability in defence. I don't think the commentary team mentioned Croker's name at all because he does nothing - apart from tackle.

Campbell Graham is the best defensive centre in the NRL save for maybe Olam, but sure. He babysat a one-legged Reyno brilliantly all night. I don't take any meaning from the late tries when our minds were already on the GF.

EDIT - apologies, i'm a goose. Thought you were referring to Souths because I didn't read so good.

 

[yobbo84]

I still can't get over the fact that Jaxson Paulo moonwalked into a try

Jaxson Paulo last night:
View attachment 54322

Manly fans:
View attachment 54323

"Michael" Jaxson!

 

[big hit!]

1. Taaffe
2. Johnston
3. Mitchell
4. Graham
5. Paulo
6. Walker
7. Ilias

Taafe's doing a job now, and he's much better at positioning then Mitchell, but he hasn't got the rig to be a durable career FB.

He's a HB right through juniors and he was a HB in the Flegg premiership. Ilias was FE. Watch the game, it's on NSWRL.

Besides, Mitchell is on FB money.

Ilias will have to bide his time for another season or so, and get opportunities as 14 or injuries/origin.

 

[yobbo84]

Taafe's doing a job now, and he's much better at positioning then Mitchell, but he hasn't got the rig to be a durable career FB.

He's a HB right through juniors and he was a HB in the Flegg premiership. Ilias was FE. Watch the game, it's on NSWRL.

Besides, Mitchell is on FB money.

Ilias will have to bide his time for another season or so, and get opportunities as 14 or injuries/origin.

Yeah. The plan was always 2023 for Ilias, thus the 1 year for Reyno and then Milford. We gotta fit Taaffe in there somewhere though.