The Grand Final preview: Storm v Eels

Rugbyleaguelive.com | 04/10/09 | 0

AUDIO - Laurie Daley interviews Mortimer and Finch at the GF breakfast

AUDIO - Jarryd Hayne previews his clash with Billy Slater

AUDIO - Bellamy pays tribute to his ''super six''

AUDIO - Storm skipper Smith previews the grand final

AUDIO - The CCT chats with a relieved Eels boss Paul Osborne

MELBOURNE STORM v PARRAMATTA EELS
Sunday 4th October, 5.15pm
ANZ Stadium, Homebush
Referees: Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne

HEAD TO HEAD
Storm 12 wins, Eels 9 wins

This season: Eels won 18-16 at Parramatta Stadium in Rnd 19

FORM GUIDE
Storm: WLWLWLDWWWLBWWWLWBLWLWLLWWWW
Eels: LWWLLLLWBLDLWLBWLLWWWWWWWLWW

Last premiership: Melbourne – 2007; Parramatta – 1986

The big one at last.

In one corner, the star-studded Melbourne Storm, appearing in their fourth straight grand final. With a State of Origin coach, a champion skipper in Cameron Smith and two of the game’s most talented stars in Billy Slater and Greg Inglis, the Storm can cement their place as the most dominant team of the modern era with a win here.
 
In the other corner, the underdog Eels, who have ridden an amazing wave of form over the past couple of months.

From rank outsiders (they were running third-last in July, and rated as $101 title chances), Parramatta burst into the finals series with seven consecutive wins, as Jarryd Hayne surged past Johnathan Thurston to take out the Dally M medal as the NRL’s best player.

Parramatta fans breathed a sigh of relief when Hayne was cleared to play by the NRL match review committee despite a kneeing charge on the weekend, and his freakish brilliance is one reason why the Eels can win.

Another is the fearsome form of prop Fuifuio Moimoi, who has been terrorising defenders for weeks.

Moimoi’s front row partner and Parramatta captain Jason Cayless is the biggest injury concern for the Eels; he’ll undergo a tough fitness test on Saturday to determine whether his troubled hamstring will keep him out of the game.

While Parramatta has knocked out the NRL’s top-three ranked teams (St George Illawarra, the Gold Coast and the Bulldogs) in recent weeks with offload-happy, freewheeling football, the Storm have been ruthlessly clinical in disposing of Manly and the Broncos.

Melbourne scored 40 points in both those games, and their demolition of Brisbane last week ensured they’ll go into this game as favourites.

KEY MATCH UP
Billy Slater v Jarryd Hayne
One of these two is rugby league’s finest player – and this game could determine who takes the mantle.

It could also decide who gets the No.1 jersey when the Kangaroos team is named for the season-ending Four Nations tournament.

Hayne, of course, has been dubbed the best on the planet in the last few weeks. He has been sensational with the ball in hand, either setting up tries for teammates or scoring them himself.

Yet a couple of mistakes crept into his game against the Bulldogs last week, one costing his side a try.

And if Melbourne proved anything last week, it is that they are the best in the business in making teams pay for mistakes.

Slater was at his brilliance best against Brisbane on Saturday night, scoring two tries and saving another with a miraculous in-goal tackle on Tonie Carroll.

While Hayne has been Parramatta’s chief attacking weapon, creating most of the chances himself, Slater has benefited from a near telepathic understanding with Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith – and is always on the lookout for a cheeky kick behind the defence in centre field.

This is the match-up everyone wanted, and it should be a beauty.

PUNTERS GUIDE
Head to head: Storm $1.60; Eels $2.35
Sydneysiders and those hoping for a fairytale finish would love a Parramatta win.

Their story has everything: the overcoming adversity (a horror start to the season); the heroes (Hayne and veteran Nathan Hindmarsh); the villain (Brett Finch after his mid-season exit to Melbourne); the star rookie (Daniel Mortimer); and the history (a once great club that has gone without a title for more than two decades).

But while the heart says Eels, the head says Storm.

Melbourne has hit form at the perfect time of the year, and Craig Bellamy’s side has defensive game to nullify the Eels’ offloads as well as the attacking ability to put points on the board.

Storm to win by 6.

CASUALTY WARD
Storm: Sika Manu – leg (season), Anthony Quin – neck (season), Matt Cross – leg (season)
Eels: –

BAD BOYS
Storm: –
Eels: –

TEAM LISTS
Melbourne: Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Will Chambers, Greg Inglis, Dane Neilsen, Brett Finch, Cooper Cronk, Aiden Tolman, Cameron Smith, Brett White, Adam Blair, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Jeff Lima, Ryan Tandy, Scott Anderson.
Parramatta: Jarryd Hayne, Luke Burt, Krisnan Inu, Joel Reddy, Eric Grothe, Daniel Mortimer, Jeff Robson, Nathan Cayless, Matthew Keating, Nathan Cayless, Fuifui Moimoi, Nathan Hindmarsh, Ben Smith, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Kevin Kingston, Feleti Mateo, Joe Galuvao, Tim Mannah.