sportsbarTIM SMITH LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION; NRL FINALS PREVIEW
September 14th 2007 08:24
For Smith, the do-or-die match against the Dogs is a chance to exercise the demons of last year and a chance to get his career back on track. The electric Eels vs. the ferocious Bulldogs a clash that echoes back to the classic 80’s era. It is a game that has past players salivating and has caused much reminiscing in local watering holes across the state. One of the golden ages in rugby league will be relived with 50,000 fans expected to witness the archrivals do battle on Saturday night.
Peter Sterling, whose legacy as the Eels' great halfback still haunts and pressures anyone in the gold and blue No.7, gave his verdict on the incumbent in 2006: "He has got to work harder on his mental game, rather than his physical game - the demons are in his head."
The Bulldogs go into their semi-finals clash with the Eels as favourites despite losing their past three matches, hardly the form you want going into a sudden-death clash. The Bellmore boys have not won a game since round 23; a narrow one-point victory over the injury ravaged Broncos. Despite this the Bulldogs are listed [TAB Sportsbet] as $1.80 favorites to beat Parramatta on Saturday night.
The Dogs were impressive in defeat last week and came agonizingly centimeters away from stealing the match at the death. Matt Bowen’s heroic try-saving tackle on Hazem el Masri in the 78th minute condemned the Dogs to successive defeats in Townsville.
The do-or-die clash is a classic confrontation of contrasting styles. The Eels have one of the most exciting back-lines, whilst the Dogs have the most intimidating forward pack in the NRL. It is reminiscent of Mohammed Ali and George Forman; raw speed vs. sheer power. Whoever is able to dictate the geography of the battle will probably end up winning the contest.
A bumper crowd of over 50,000 is expected at Telstra Stadium for the all-Sydney blockbuster. The winner faces a daunting elimination showdown against the Storm next week.
Game 2
New Zealand went into their shell against the Eels last Friday night and have vowed to reunite their famous ‘razzle-dazzle’ attack on Sunday. The Warriors keen to exploit the kamikaze nature of the Cowboys defence whom remarkably finished 3rd on the competition ladder despite conceding a whopping 618 points.
North Queensland coach Graham Murray was unperturbed leading into the sudden-death match, despite his side having the 3rd worst defensive record in the competition behind only the Raiders (652) and Newcastle (708).
The clash in Townsville is widely tipped to be an end-to-end shoot-out and has the potential to be one of the most exciting games of the year. Both sides boast potent attacks and are accustomed to scoring tries from deep within their own half. Warriors coach Ivan Cleary believes this will be a feature of the contest.
The stifling conditions of Townsville are shaping as a major factor in this clash with a humid temperature of around 30 degrees expected. Steven Price considers the environment a serious factor, saying it could affect the structure of both teams and should ensure an open game later on as both forward packs begin to tire.
The Sea Eagles will watch the match with interest with the winner to meet them in an elimination final next week. Matt Orford hinted that the Manly boys would be barracking for the Warriors...
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