Ox finally shrugs off yoke of finals failure
Glenn Jackson | September 10, 2007
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...-finals-failure/2007/09/09/1189276546867.html
After Manly halfback Matt Orford broke through the second-week barrier for the first time on Saturday night, he breathed a very public sigh of relief.
"It feels good," Orford said immediately afterwards. "It's just exciting to be here, and go past the second week of the semis for once.
"I know there's still a lot of work to do, but the way the guys performed
we've put ourselves in a great position. We just need to go on with it."
But what occurred a little more privately was another hefty sigh of relief, as Steve Bell, the Sea Eagles centre and a teammate of Orford's at Melbourne and Manly, broke through the same tape in the same game.
Like Orford, Bell had never been past the second week of any finals series, and it too had been starting to worry him.
"I'm in the same boat as him," Bell laughed. "He can take the blame for it. It'll be a new experience for us."
But while Bell's big-game credentials have never been questioned, having won State of Origins despite his lean record in finals, Orford's career has always been dogged by suspicions of an inability to win when the going gets tougher.
The Sea Eagles' 30-6 win over South Sydney in the third qualifying final on Saturday night, which allowed them to advance straight to the preliminary finals, would have at least curbed the enthusiasm of the doubters.
Bell, having played with Orford throughout his finals failures, insisted "the Ox's" strength in the big games had never been doubted by him or other teammates.
"It's new ground for him," Bell said. "But I've played finals footy with Matt, and he's one player that has stood up in every game. He led the way [on Saturday night]. There's no problems with him playing semi-final football."
Manly fullback Brett Stewart, who scored two tries on Saturday night, also stood squarely behind his skipper.
"I don't think he folds at all under pressure," Stewart said. "In some important games, he's won us matches. That's what semi-finals are about.
"He was hurt [against Souths] and he played on for us. It was a real captain's knock.
"I've got complete confidence in him, just like everyone else in the team. I wouldn't have anyone else in the position."
The victory also answered questions about the Sea Eagles' own perceived frailties; in recent weeks, the side has been unable to put together the 80-minute grind, the perfect dress rehearsal for finals. But on opening night, they found their mojo.
"We wore them down, and that's what semi-final football is all about," Orford said. "It was a greasy night, not the best conditions to play the footy around, but we found a way to win, and that's what good teams do."
They also found their second-half legs, blitzing Souths after leading just 6-2 at half-time to produce their most dominant display in recent months at the right time.
Orford's second-week syndrome represents one of Manly's biggest obstacles.
Veteran Steve Menzies is one of the few players in the squad with experience beyond the second weekend of September, and he realised the significance of a strong surge in the home straight. "We needed to do that," he said. "The last four or five weeks have been a little bit up and down. It was good to just complete a few sets and play a bit of grinding football."
