Forget Tina Turner, Tom Jones, Thomas Kenealy, The Hoodo Gurus, Reg Reagan. Forget the lot of them.
If the NRL wants an advertising campaign all they have to do is roll out the tape.
Roosters v Broncos. Storm v Warriors. You Beauty.
I posed the question on Friday whether the Storm are good enough to withhold Brisbane’s finals juggernaut – and we’re going to find out two weeks earlier than most thought thanks to the NRL’s most significant upset in recent memory.
The Storm wouldn’t have even contemplated losing this afternoon. But the Warriors started in their face and never left. They threatened to implode, tire or wilt. But they believed – so much so that with five on the clock, down by one, Michael Witt turned down a gift field-goal thinking that they still had a try under their belt.
It was a match that the rest of the league will celebrate – Melbourne tried to grapple, they tried to wrestle. They tried to have a dead-set picnic on top of the bloke every time they made a tackle, trying to rip the Warrior’s heads off for dessert. This was a victory for instinct, flair and excitement. Melbourne tried to push the envelope of the law, but for once, the referee Jason Robinson stood firm, and the Storm couldn’t frustrate the Warriors. History was made, as eight beat one for the first time.
The Warriors and Ivan Cleary masterminded one of the great performances. On any other day they would have broken after conceding two penalties on the last tackle. But Billy Slater was given no time of day as Michael Witt, Grant Rovelli and Nathan Fien found the grass and turned the Storm around. Greg Inglis and Israel Folou were swarmed every time they had the ball. The Warriors pack, led by Steve Price and Ruben Wiki but ably supported by their younger hombres matched the Storm physically, put numbers in when defending and played off the adrenalin to keep coming off the defensive line with energy. Jeff Lima, Dallas Johnson and Ryan Hoffman carried injuries in the engine room, so Cameron Smith’s quiet display would suggest the Warriors won the ruck – a rarity against the Storm.
It goes without saying that the game breaker was Manu Vatuvai. The Warriors threw their big plays down Steve Turner’s edge, and patience and perseverance won the day. Jerome Ropati and Manu Vatuvai are potential giants of the game with their raw pace and strength.
The Storm’s defence was heroic. To beat the Storm, the Eagles and the Sharks you’ve got to come up with something special, and the Warriors did.
The Storm are still a great side, but they play the Broncs in Brisbane next week, so one of the favourites is going to go down two weeks early.
Can the Warriors win it? It’ll take a miracle, but they’ve nabbed a home semi for next week. Whatever happens, they’ve made it bloody interesting.
Game on.
David Weiner's Weblog 
GO THE WARRIORS!!! wat a great game. It was also nice to see Jason Robinson actually penalise the Storm for once. My favourite part of the match was when Brett White pinned Steve Price down then proceeded to use his head, rubbing it around the face of Price to prevent a quick play the ball. It was spotted for once and given a penalty and the cameras flashed to the Craig Bellamy who you can see blowing up and mouthing ‘fuckin bullshit!!!’ It hurts doesn’t it Craig? To get away with something for so long and then a ref finally catches on when it counts! (White should be suspended for this in my opinion)
So to next week…COME ON THE BRONCOS AND THE WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!
By: Daniel Kochan on September 14, 2008
at 9:07 am
How can a victory for the 8th placed side mean a home semi the next week? I thought the team in 8th was meant to do it tough for the whole final series and not just the first week. It’s a bit of a joke that a win in week 1 of the final means a definite home final in week 2. I just don’t understand how this competition expects to grow and excel when something as simple as a finals draw can’t even be done correctly!!
BTW in total agreement about the 2 great matches over the weekend. COME ON THE ROOSTERS AND BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
By: steven barrett on September 14, 2008
at 10:36 pm
Mr Weiner,
I kind of agree with steven.
What are your thoughts on this McIntyre system for the finals??
Not only is it potentially unfair, but its so bloody confusing (to the point where the Sunday Telegraph couldnt even tell its readers the correct semi-final structure if the Warriors beat the Storm).
Surely the AFL model is better.
Moreover.. The locations of the finals are a bit of a joke. Had Melbourne beaten the Warriors, the Sharks may have been forced to play the Roosters at either the SFS (Roosters home ground) or Suncorp (are there any Sharks supporters in brisbane???). Surely something as simple as organising home finals for the appropriate teams shouldnt be this difficult!! The NRL really needs to get its act together.
By: Skip on September 15, 2008
at 1:29 am
What odds can i get on bellamy and melbourne paying actors to pretend to be brisbane players and causing mischief??? I wouldn’t put it beyond them!!!!
By: steven barrett on September 15, 2008
at 2:49 am
While this finals system has always looked a bit peculiar, the truth is it has always delivered the fairest route to the expected grand final. Until now.
The Warriors winning has caused a massive shake up. Look at it this way, Brisbane’s reward for winning the match of the season against a top-four side is a date with a desperate, fire-up Storm. It just doesn’t seem right.
So, the two highest winners go through – that’s good, but the Storm lose any reward for being the most consistent side through the year after just one week.
The home final situation is a difficult one. I guess to make it simple, the winners host in round 2, but again, what does the Storm gain from finishing first when Brisbane host a final from 5th spot? Ditto the Roosters. By the way, the situation ‘Skip’ refers to has happened because as of week 2 it becomes a “home city” final not a “home team” final. The SFS and ANZ are the allocated venues in Sydney (hence why Roosters might’ve played sharks there – Manly & Cronulla will now both host matches with the SFS/ANZ deemed their ‘home’) and Suncorp is the allocated venue in Brisbane (by default).
Remember, the NRL would ideally like to play all NRL finals at a neutral venue – problem solved, i guess. But remember the panic when Melbourne played the Cowboys in 2005 at the SFS and the NRL was throwing tickets out the window for free to try and get people to pitch up.
It’s difficult, but I’m prepared to cop the current top-8 system for now.
Just quietly, it’s averted the Storm playing their preliminary final at the Telstra Dome on the same day as the AFL grand final – and that’s a good thing for the league’s PR brigade!
By: davidweiner on September 15, 2008
at 3:25 am
Storm (as much as everyone hates them) are easily the best team all season and would have been a few points clear if not for games during Origin, suddenly are playing Brisbane away? Easts who finished 4th (as much as I hate them) play away to Warriors who barely scraped a 50% winning record during the regular season.
Work that out.
By: wallythefly on September 16, 2008
at 3:10 am