3. Kurtley -- gee he came up with a really good game when we needed it. Practically tucked himself into Johns' hip pocket and bobbed out exactly at the right time. Made some big tackles, his passing was reasonably solid and didn't panic when Manly made a break or two. The best thing about it is that he did all this at fullback, having presumably trained as stand-in 5/8th and Lock.
2. Mullen -- struggled a bit initially, but managed to come up with the big plays at the right time. I don't think he was overawed by the occasion, just a little underdone in terms of exposure to the intensity of the contest. His kicks eventually found the right spots, and the clincher was his field goal with consumate ease. Gee he makes it look easy. A 110m effort too -- an exceptional 19-year-old.
1. Tanner -- I've never done this before, but Reegan Tanner had a really solid game. I was watching closely for him to blow a good performance, but he just kept trying his guts out. The big play was charging down Orford's field goal -- I reckon Orford had a one-pointer had Tanner not been there. A super-sized effort from the bloke, despite my criticism. He wasn't flashy, but didn't need to be. I give credit where it's due, and Tanner (I thought) really came up trumps when it was needed.
