Up the wahs fans. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
It's finals time and for the first time in five years, the New Zealand Warriors are there.
Rugby league tragic Dean Bedford has a look at the eight finalists.
After 27 rounds, the number of NRL teams still fighting for the crown is down from 17 to eight. But from here, it's cut-throat. Two teams get eliminated this weekend, another two the next weekend, another two the weekend after, and the Grand Final gets played on Sunday 1 October.
The Warriors have made the top four - that means they get a life if they lose this weekend. It's the highest they have come since 2007. Inevitably that adds to the interest in the finals. If the Warriors can reach the preliminary finals, or, dare we hope, even hold up the trophy on Finals Day, the supporters will celebrate, and Shaun Johnson will be a genuine contender for the title of Warrior GOAT - the Greatest Warrior Ever.
Let's have a look at the four final games this week.
Friday September 8th, 9.50pm NZ Time, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane - Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm
Brisbane Broncos (second placed)
In the 90s, the Broncos were the rock stars of the competition, but it's been a dry time since their last title in 2006. They've been over achievers this year coming second, after coming 14th out of 16 last year. Coach Kevin Walters - one of the stars of the 90s - has achieved an amazing turnaround.
Pleasingly for the fans, they've achieved this with exciting, attacking rugby league. Captain Adam Reynolds has had an outstanding year as halfback after being bought from Souths and with five eighth Ezra Mam and fullback Reece Walsh joining him in the spine, it's all clicked for the Broncos. But the Broncos also have a big, mobile pack. Monster front rower Payne Haas is being seen by some as potentially the best in his position ever and lock Patrick Carrigan has been in tremendous form - a future Australian captain.
Key player - Reece Walsh - Remember Walsh was a Warrior just last year and looked a future star then. We can drop the word "future" from that sentence- he's been sensational, the player of the year with his attacking play, agility under the high ball and whole-hearted defence despite his small stature. On form, the fullback of the year. If he can learn from his suspension for abusing a referee and keep a slightly cooler head under pressure, he's the complete package.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Second rower Jordan Riki has been a key player in the pack all year.
Reece Walsh of the Maroons Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Melbourne Storm (third placed)
For a decade, the Storm driven by such great players as Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk were a powerhouse, winning title after title. Those guys are all now in the commentary box, but the Storm's success - in a state where no one gives a damn about the game - continues. The new generation looks almost as good. Harry Grant is the wily dummy-half cooking up problems for the opposition, with the increasingly confident halfback Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster's spark of genius outside him.
These days the Storm look a more attractive team to watch than in the past, but Storm wins are still built on tough defence. Nelson Asofa-Solomona is one of the hard men of the comp and Christian Welch and Tui Kamikamica never stop working. Add in the best coach in the game, Craig Bellamy. He may be unable to complete a sentence without a F-bomb, but few know more about getting a team ready for a big game.
Key player - Cameron Munster - the player to watch out for if something special is needed with time running out. He gets better every year. Off the field he's been the lovable larrikin, but with a wife and two kids the off-field boozing seems to have been cut back and he's more focussed than ever on winning.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Halfback Jahrome Hughes was a second-rate fullback not that long ago. Now he's a key to Storm wins and a worthy successor to Cooper Cronk.
Who wins? On overall form, Brisbane should win, except for this odd statistic - Melbourne has beaten Brisbane for the last 14 games in a row, including last weekend. I'm tipping the Storm.
Saturday September 9th, 6.05pm NZ time, Bluebet Stadium in Penrith - Penrith Panthers v New Zealand Warriors
Penrith Panthers (first placed)
The Panthers are going for three competition wins in a row - a feat that hasn't been achieved in 40 years. They remain red-hot favourites to win the comp, with a now tried and true formula for winning big games - an impenetrable defence with a genius halfback behind the pack. The Panthers of this decade seem a lot like the Storm of the last decade - great players everywhere, and no obvious holes in the team. Compared with some of the other coaches, Ivan Cleary keeps a low profile, but he has picked players that seem to carry out his plans precisely. So many of the players have come through the local system at Penrith, a great rugby league nursery.
The big question about the Panthers is around their five-eighth Jarome Luai, who has an injury at exactly the wrong time. He's the emotional heart of the team, uncompromising and aggressive on the field, and leading the celebrations off it. The stats show he's the Panthers most crucial player in terms of wins for the side. But he's out, at least until the preliminary final, and maybe for the season.
Key player - Halfback Nathan Cleary is the player you make in heaven - a masterful tactician, a high-class kicker, the player who reads the game brilliantly. And he grew up in New Zealand. Is it too late to claim him?
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Front rower James Fisher-Harris is a man-mountain and a key defender for the Panthers.
New Zealand Warriors (fourth placed)
The Wahs have sparked incredible interest this year. You would have been hard pressed picking it back in February. New coach Andrew Webster was almost a complete unknown, with some mixing him up with a better-known Sydney Morning Herald journalist of the same name. And could the Warriors really get a big year out of aging, injury-prone Shaun Johnson?
The answer was yes, and the Warriors have fashioned a great record, helped a lot by a lucky draw. With 24 games and 17 teams, each side plays eight teams twice and eight teams once - and the Warriors have played mainly the cellar-dwellers this year. They haven't had a win all season against any of the other three at the top.
But it's a tough comp and you don't get to fourth place on a lucky draw alone. Tough forwards like Addin Fonua-Blake, Mitch Barnett and Tohu Harris have given the side the momentum, and the backline has sparkled with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Dylan Walker all having stand-out seasons.
Key player - It clearly should be Shaun Johnson. The veteran halfback is the spark for everything the Warriors do and is a candidate for the Dally M medal awarded to the games' best player. But he's out injured, hopefully for just one week. So keep an eye instead on winder Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who's been in red-hot form.
Aussie to keep an eye on - Hooker Wayde Egan has been a great import for the Warriors who have needed a top-rank dummy-half for years.
Who wins? - The heart says up the Wahs. The head thinks the Panthers will be at their best when it matters and the Warriors will struggle without Johnson.
Wayde Egan of the Warriors. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Saturday September 9th, 9.50pm NZ time, PointsBet Stadium in Sydney - Cronulla Sharks v Sydney Roosters.
Cronulla Sharks (sixth placed)
Cronulla have been perennial under-achievers for much of their history. They won the competition in 2016, an emotional win for their many loyal supporters, but haven't really kicked on since. Last year under new coach Craig Fitzgibbon they made the preliminary final but haven't looked quite as strong this year.
Their defence at times has looked patchy but some mid-season sackings of long-standing players seem to have rejuvenated the team. They don't look quite good enough to win the comp, but they do go into the finals in good form, with wins in four of their last five games. And captain Wade Graham is retiring - one of the good guys, they'll be keen to see him go out on a high.
Key player - Halfback Nicho Hynes is one of the pin-up boys of the comp and spent the first half of the season in top form. He fell away after a disappointing State of Origin appearance but has been coming back to his best.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Speedy, slick winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has been in great form.
Sydney Roosters (seventh place)
The Roosters are the boys the others love to hate. With big corporate backing and the shrewd leadership of Nick Politis, the Chooks always seem to have the money to afford whomever they want despite the salary cap. And they've had the guidance of shrewd captains and coaches over the years. They won two in a row as recently as 2018 and 2019 and they always seem to have enough star power to be contenders. This year they've only just reached the finals, but they are in good form.
Fullback and captain James Tedesco and five eighth Luke Keary are the generals and both seem to be close to their best form. Joey Manu is back, but front rower Jared Waerea-Hargreaves isn't - his suspension takes him out of the rest of the season. The ultimate tough guy, it's hard to see the Roosters win the chocolates without him.
Key player - Kiwi centre Joey Manu is back from injury and if he is back at his best, he'll provide plenty of trouble for the Sharks.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Hooker Brandon Smith , also known as The Cheese, is the character of the competition with a joke and an F-bomb never far from his lips. And after a not-so-great year he is approaching his best form.
Who wins? - If it's tight and most finals are, the Roosters should do it.
Kalyn Ponga of the Newcastle Knights Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Sunday September 10th, 6.05 pm NZ time, McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle - Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders.
Newcastle Knights (fifth place)
For years the Knights were everyone's second favourite team - with tough as teak forwards complimenting the magic of the brilliant halfback Andrew Johns. But that's a while ago now and the Knights have struggled in the past few years. They've bet the house on Kalyn Ponga, the brilliant fullback who is the highest paid player in the competition. A series of concussions had some wondering if he would ever fulfil the potential. But in the second half of the year he's been in career-best form and has engineered a Knights final spot almost single-handed.
That's not to say the players around him aren't handy - centre Bradman Best and winger Dominic Young are among the best in their positions, halfback Jackson Hastings is in career-best form and the pack is tried, tested and tough.
Key player - Kalyn Ponga. In the form he's in, the Knights are the smokeys of the comp. If one bloke in the comp can disrupt the defensive formulas of teams like Penrith and Melbourne, it's Kalyn.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Winger Greg Marzhew has been in tremendous form.
Canberra Raiders (eighth place)
The Raiders came eighth and are indisputably the weakest of the eight teams. Most Raiders teams have a strong defence but this year their defence has been poor and they're sadly lacking in star power. Their best player, Jack Wighton, is off to Souths next year and it's hard to see the Raiders being better next year. Having said that, their coach Ricky Stuart is one of the game's great scrappers, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and the team is a reflection of him. If it's a tight game the Raiders could surprise us. Or not.
If they do win, tough forwards like Corey Horsburgh and Hudson Young will have had big games.
Key player - if the Raiders are playing well, the Kiwi winger Jordan Rapana has usually had a big game.
Kiwi to keep an eye on - Lock Joseph Tapine has been in good form.
Who wins? - It could be one-sided if Ponga's red-hot form continues.
And after this - The winners of the Brisbane/Melbourne and Penrith/Warriors games get the week off. The losers of the Newcastle/Canberra and Cronulla/Roosters games are eliminated. The other teams play next week in sudden-death matches.
