Cameron
Make Manly Great Again #Hasler2019
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With the finals a week away, theres only 6 of the 8 teams who can win the comp.
Before we take a look at 6 men who will determine this years premier, draw a line through the Raiders and Parramatta.
The Raiders despite a sensational effort just to make the 8 with their playing roster will have history and a red hot Storm side against them next week. Parramatta fans should be rapt just to be there after their start to season sadly for the Eels injuries and an expected finish out of the top 6 will almost seal their fate.
So that leaves as with the six men who will determine the 2006 Premiership. Six players who are all vital to their clubs chance for glory come October 1.
Cameron Smith (Storm): This bloke is their heart and soul and creates so much of their attacking opportunities, you only have to point to their match against Manly at Brookvale to see how they are some what lost with out him. He's a workhorse in defense as well. Of the top 6 teams Melbourne's strength is the fact that besides Smith they do have an array of talented players who can step up, the likes of Cronk, Inglis and Hill all come to mind. They have only lost a handful of games all year and deserve to be favorites, but favorites don't always get to line first.
Brett Sherwin (Bulldogs) We all know the dogs have a monster pack and they will usually get them over the line. But the man they call Shifty needs to be on song for the Belmore boys to win the comp. Hes up there with Johns and Orford as one of the best attacking kickers in the comp and thats what makes the Bulldogs so hard to defend against on their own line, a team can hold them out for 5 tackles only for a bomb or a grubber to find El Masri or Utai. It goes without saying the Bulldogs have the defense to win the competition but I question whether they have the points, if Sherwin fires they will have more than enough points in them.
Matt Orford (Manly) The bloke who apparently doesn't aim up in big games has shown all his doubters up so far this year. On at least 3 occasions this year his clicking game has got the Sea Eagles over the line in matches. While inspirational captain Ben Kennedy is seen as the heart and soul of the Sea Eagles, the man they call Ox is the man that could steer the Sea Eagles to their first premiership since 1996. Like Sherwin and Johns his short kicking game is his greatest asset and the combination he has formed with Brett Stewart is lethal. My only fear for Orford and Manly is that his forwards wont give him the role on he needs. The Eagles are probably least talented of the final 6 sides but they have the ticker and have been playing finals style footy all year. The could go all the way but Orford and their forward pack will have to fire.
Andrew Johns (Newcastle) If i was going to bet on a Premier this far out it would be the Knights, a fit and refreshed Andrew Johns coming off a two week holiday and the bye loom as the biggest threat for the Storm and Bulldogs. The only thing I see stopping the Knights is their temperament and as we saw 3 Fridays ago Joey is the worst offender. If Johns gets frustrated in a game his play suffers however as the entire league world know if this bloke is on, well theres no chance for the opposition. Hes the complete halfback, great passing game, best attacking kicker theres ever been and solid defender. However the big question mark is his fitness, Newcastle cannot win the premiership without him if he gets injured its curtains. With Johns fully fit the only way Newcastle wont win the competition is if the bow out before the grand final. If they make the Grand Final they wont lose Johns is a big game player and I cannot remember the last time he failed in a big game.
Darren Lockyer ( Brisbane) We have seen a resurgence from the Broncos over the last two weeks but I'm not convinced that the have something to offer just yet. If they are to figure in the last couple of weekends Lockyer is vital, the guy is a champion but we don't tend to see that form as often as we used to. Brisbane like the Bulldogs are a great defensive outfit no doubt about it. But the question mark remains do they have enough points in them to go all the way. The answer to that rests squarely on Lockies shoulders, if he can combine with Hunt they could win but I doubt it.
However you never write off a champion Lockyer is exactly that he is more than capable of pulling out something special for the ponies.
Mark Gasiner (St George) If this had of been written a year or two years ago I would be writing about Trent Barrett but this season Gaz has surpassed Barrett and he's the vital cog if the Dragons are going to win their first competition since 1979. He's big, strong, fast, elusive and almost impossible to tackle, and to that the fact that 9 times out of 10 he will be the first man to regather a Barrett kick.
You talk about whether other teams in this 6 have the points to win the premiership but with the dragons its irrelevant they have the points and most of them will either come from directly from Gasiner or through his great lead up work. For about the 5th season in a row the dragons are the best team on paper, yet every season they seem to over promise and under deliver. For this to change they need a fit and firing Gasiner if that happens the Red V may once again be on the top of the castle.
With the finals a week away, theres only 6 of the 8 teams who can win the comp.
Before we take a look at 6 men who will determine this years premier, draw a line through the Raiders and Parramatta.
The Raiders despite a sensational effort just to make the 8 with their playing roster will have history and a red hot Storm side against them next week. Parramatta fans should be rapt just to be there after their start to season sadly for the Eels injuries and an expected finish out of the top 6 will almost seal their fate.
So that leaves as with the six men who will determine the 2006 Premiership. Six players who are all vital to their clubs chance for glory come October 1.
Cameron Smith (Storm): This bloke is their heart and soul and creates so much of their attacking opportunities, you only have to point to their match against Manly at Brookvale to see how they are some what lost with out him. He's a workhorse in defense as well. Of the top 6 teams Melbourne's strength is the fact that besides Smith they do have an array of talented players who can step up, the likes of Cronk, Inglis and Hill all come to mind. They have only lost a handful of games all year and deserve to be favorites, but favorites don't always get to line first.
Brett Sherwin (Bulldogs) We all know the dogs have a monster pack and they will usually get them over the line. But the man they call Shifty needs to be on song for the Belmore boys to win the comp. Hes up there with Johns and Orford as one of the best attacking kickers in the comp and thats what makes the Bulldogs so hard to defend against on their own line, a team can hold them out for 5 tackles only for a bomb or a grubber to find El Masri or Utai. It goes without saying the Bulldogs have the defense to win the competition but I question whether they have the points, if Sherwin fires they will have more than enough points in them.
Matt Orford (Manly) The bloke who apparently doesn't aim up in big games has shown all his doubters up so far this year. On at least 3 occasions this year his clicking game has got the Sea Eagles over the line in matches. While inspirational captain Ben Kennedy is seen as the heart and soul of the Sea Eagles, the man they call Ox is the man that could steer the Sea Eagles to their first premiership since 1996. Like Sherwin and Johns his short kicking game is his greatest asset and the combination he has formed with Brett Stewart is lethal. My only fear for Orford and Manly is that his forwards wont give him the role on he needs. The Eagles are probably least talented of the final 6 sides but they have the ticker and have been playing finals style footy all year. The could go all the way but Orford and their forward pack will have to fire.
Andrew Johns (Newcastle) If i was going to bet on a Premier this far out it would be the Knights, a fit and refreshed Andrew Johns coming off a two week holiday and the bye loom as the biggest threat for the Storm and Bulldogs. The only thing I see stopping the Knights is their temperament and as we saw 3 Fridays ago Joey is the worst offender. If Johns gets frustrated in a game his play suffers however as the entire league world know if this bloke is on, well theres no chance for the opposition. Hes the complete halfback, great passing game, best attacking kicker theres ever been and solid defender. However the big question mark is his fitness, Newcastle cannot win the premiership without him if he gets injured its curtains. With Johns fully fit the only way Newcastle wont win the competition is if the bow out before the grand final. If they make the Grand Final they wont lose Johns is a big game player and I cannot remember the last time he failed in a big game.
Darren Lockyer ( Brisbane) We have seen a resurgence from the Broncos over the last two weeks but I'm not convinced that the have something to offer just yet. If they are to figure in the last couple of weekends Lockyer is vital, the guy is a champion but we don't tend to see that form as often as we used to. Brisbane like the Bulldogs are a great defensive outfit no doubt about it. But the question mark remains do they have enough points in them to go all the way. The answer to that rests squarely on Lockies shoulders, if he can combine with Hunt they could win but I doubt it.
However you never write off a champion Lockyer is exactly that he is more than capable of pulling out something special for the ponies.
Mark Gasiner (St George) If this had of been written a year or two years ago I would be writing about Trent Barrett but this season Gaz has surpassed Barrett and he's the vital cog if the Dragons are going to win their first competition since 1979. He's big, strong, fast, elusive and almost impossible to tackle, and to that the fact that 9 times out of 10 he will be the first man to regather a Barrett kick.
You talk about whether other teams in this 6 have the points to win the premiership but with the dragons its irrelevant they have the points and most of them will either come from directly from Gasiner or through his great lead up work. For about the 5th season in a row the dragons are the best team on paper, yet every season they seem to over promise and under deliver. For this to change they need a fit and firing Gasiner if that happens the Red V may once again be on the top of the castle.