An Enticing Grand Final

This Sunday night the Melbourne Storm will meet the Brisbane Broncos in an enticing grand final clash. The match pits the minor premiers against the third placed Broncos. The week in week out gruelling NRL competition will be forgotten, as the Storm and Broncos ready themselves for the last eighty minutes of the premiership season.

The Storm boasts one the NRL’s most potent backlines, with the likes of Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Matt King, Scott Hill and Greg Inglis. If there is one team that manages to exceed such a talented backline it is the Broncos who guided by Darren Lockyer have Justin Hodges, Karmichael Hunt, Brent Tate and Darius Boyd at their disposal.

This season the Storm and Broncos have met twice and the Victorians emerged the victors on both occasions. However, only a single try was the difference in both matches and the Broncos have improved greatly over the past two months. In Round 18 the Storm displayed superb goal-line defence in grinding out an unattractive 10-4 win at Olympic Park. Just six weeks later the Storm turned a halftime 12-0 deficit into an 18-12 win at Suncorp Stadium. The latter clash was a much more open affair and the match provided a glimpse of both sides attacking potential.

Since their second match this year both sides have only lost once and both have looked genuine premiership contenders. The Storm accounted for the in-form St George Dragons 24-12 last weekend and the Broncos have had two brilliant performances, smashing the Newcastle Knight 50-6 and Canterbury Bulldogs 37-20. Neither team was convincing in the first half but both managed step up and finish comfortable winners.

The grand final presents several key positional clashes, the most obvious being the battle of the five-eighths. Scott Hill and Darren Lockyer will do their best to lead their side to premiership glory. Hill has had a stellar season, but Lockyer has taken his game to another level and in recent weeks has excelled in two man-of-the-match performances. The centre battle between young gun Greg Inglis and the experienced but explosive Brent Tate could have a bearing on the outcome of the grand final. The winner of the other centres battle, which could feature Matt King and Justin Hodges, may prove just as decisive.

Then there is the hooker battle between Dally M player of the season Cameron Smith and Shaun Berrigan who has proved a revelation in recent weeks. However, the team that wins the forward battle will go a long way to securing the premiership. The Storm possesses the likes of Antonio Kaufusi, David Kidwell and Ryan Hoffman. The Broncos possess a formidable line-up, the likes of Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva and Brad Thorn. On paper the Broncos forwards look significantly stronger, but the Storm forward-pack successfully propelled their side into the grand final.

There is added motivation for Scott Hill and Shane Webcke, who both play their last NRL match and would dearly love to have a fairytale finish. Scott Hill will play out the rest of his memorable career overseas. Shane Webcke will be remembered as a great of the game and will be retiring after the grand final.

The grand final looks set to go right down to the wire, as both previous clashes did this season. There is little that separates the Storm and Broncos on paper, so perhaps it will be a touch of individual brilliance that inspires one side to premiership success. The Storm boasts Greg Inglis who is being regarded by some as the most talented rugby league player of the last decade. The Broncos possess the class and inspiration of Darren Lockyer who takes in the knowledge of already delivering at both Origin and Test level. The Melbourne Storm versus the Brisbane Broncos, it will surely be a memorable clash.

Broncos Training

The Brisbane Broncos this morning trained enthusiastically at Red Hill in their last session before flying down to Sydney. The team was cheered on by thousands of loyal fans braving the overcast skies and coming out in force, in a show of support for their team. It was the Broncos official fan day but nobody could have anticipated such an amazing response.

The turn-out promoted a change of schedule with the Broncos signing autographs for half an hour before the official start to training. The players split up and were swamped by eager autograph hunters. The Broncos signed until their hands were numb and only the sounding of the siren brought an end to the chaos.

It was then time to get down to the serious business of training for the grand final and the normally relaxed Broncos looked noticeably more focused. The normal banter from Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker and Shaun Berrigan was absent as the team trained.

The Broncos squad split in two and played each other in an intense semi-contact match lasting over twenty minutes. The forwards ran with match-intensity and there were even a few big hits from the overeager. At one stage the crowd cheered when Lockyer put Webcke through a gap. There was clearly an air of anticipation and coach Wayne Bennett yelled firm instructions to his team. Interestingly Karmichael Hunt once again trained at fullback, with Justin Hodges spending the entire session at left centre.

Following the training session some of the players returned to the field to kick bombs to the young kids. Lockyer even tried a few torpedo bombs, which are a challenge for first grade fullbacks to catch, let alone the swarm of youngsters.

The training session revealed the Broncos fans are ready for anther grand-final challenge. It has been six years since the Broncos last tasted premiership success, the longest period in the team’s short history. The Broncos looked sharp at training, but they have lost both matches to the Melbourne Storm this year. It will be an enticing battle and one in which the Broncos fans are eagerly waiting.

The Common Denominator… Darren Lockyer

This season Darren Lockyer has been the common denominator in the Queensland Maroons and Brisbane Broncos success. Take away his inspirational leadership and sublime skills and the Maroons would have been consigned to a fourth successive State of Origin series defeat and the Broncos forced to pick up the pieces after another fruitless season. Put Lockyer in the mix and the Blues grasp on the Origin trophy was lifted and the Broncos aspirations for a sixth premiership remain well and truly alive.

Starting the 2006 season doubts still lingered over Lockyer’s ability to play five-eighth. In previous seasons he etched himself into the history books as arguably rugby league’s best ever fullback. How was Lockyer ever going to scale such heights at five-eighth?
Many believed his defence was not strong enough for a halves position. In 2006 Lockyer has proved the doubters wrong. This season he has excelled from five-eighth, engineering win after win and was often the best on-field player in a losing team. Lockyer’s attacking brilliance has been as strong as ever and his defence has improved markedly. A stinging hit on NSW forward Willie Mason in the State of Origin was testament to the giant strides he has made in defence. Every week he is targeted by the opposition and yet he invariably manages to rise to the occasion. Lockyer has this season become the complete player.

In Origin Three Queensland were on the end of a series of appalling referee decisions and down by 14 points with only ten minutes left in the Origin series. Enter Lockyer, who led Queensland to an incredible fight-back and miraculous win. Fast forward to week one of the finals and the Broncos were comprehensively outplayed at Suncorp Stadium against the St George Dragons. The critics once again found their voice, producing the Broncos recent poor finals record and late-season slumps as evidence of an inevitable exit from the premiership contest.

The Broncos second finals match against the Newcastle Knights was a knockout affair, pitting the two best rugby league players against each other. Andrew Johns and his Knights were in the game for less than ten minutes before the class of Lockyer instigated a barrage of attacking raids against the hapless opposition. The Broncos racked up a half-century of points in a ruthless display of attacking power. Setting up many of the Broncos eight tries Lockyer was a clear man-of-the-match in the 50-6 demolition.

The Broncos progressed to the semi-finals and a match against the waiting Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney. The Broncos and Bulldogs had previously met twice in 2006, with the Broncos convincingly successful in both contests. This meant little in the elimination final and the Broncos went to half-time trailing 20-6. Only the most loyal Broncos fan could have predicted a Broncos win, let alone the resulting 31-0 second-half Broncos blitz.

Following half-time a brilliant run from fullback by Justin Hodges and incredible finish by Shaun Berrigan put the Broncos back on track. From that moment Lockyer stamped his authority on the match, orchestrating the largest NRL finals comeback margin of all time. The match finished 37-20 and left the Bulldogs struggling to find an explanation for the loss. Lockyer claimed man-of-the-match for a second week running and will attempt to achieve the hat-trick and attain the Clive Churchill medal in this weekend’s grand final.

This Sunday night the Broncos will battle the Melbourne Storm in the grand final decider. Ironically, the match contested in Sydney will feature two interstate teams for the first time in NRL history, a testament to the growing depth of rugby league in Australia. The Storm has a number of potential game-breakers of their own, but if they fail to shut down the attacking genius of Lockyer, the Broncos will surely attain premiership glory.

Prepare for a Third Broncos Blitz

Friday night has the makings of a memorable clash with two heavyweights of rugby league battling for a place in the 2006 NRL grand-final. The Broncos play the Bulldogs for the third time this year and will look to make it a hat-trick of victories.

The Broncos and Bulldogs first met back in Round 12, following the one-point NSW State of Origin victory in Game One. The Broncos welcomed back their Queensland Origin players keen to avenge the agonising loss. The result was a clinical 25-6 demolition in favour of the Broncos, taking them to first on the ladder. Captain and play-maker Darren Lockyer was instrumental in guiding the Broncos to an 18-nil halftime lead and put the nail in the Bulldogs coffin with his second-half field goal.

The Broncos and Bulldogs second match-up last month in Round 24 was billed as the beginning of the end of the Broncos. Instead the Broncos recorded an emphatic victory, snapping a five-game losing streak and any talk of another year-end slump. The Broncos took an identical 18-nil half-time lead, but didn’t relent and kept the Bulldogs scoreless in the 30-nil drubbing.

The Broncos two victories this year were built on the back of a dominant forward display. In both bruising affairs the Broncos forwards had too much muscle for their Bulldogs counterparts. This allowed arguably rugby league’s best player, Darren Lockyer to run rampant and orchestrate constant attacking raids, leading to ten Broncos tries and over 50 points in the two matches. In comparison the battered Bulldogs forwards were constantly on the back foot leaving their play-makers will no room and no answers, only crossing the Broncos line once in 160 minutes of football.

Once again the forward battle will prove decisive, with the Bulldogs pack boosted by the return of Roy Asotasi and Reni Maitua. The Broncos boast a formidable forward pack with the likes of Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva and Brad Thorn. The Bulldogs will attempt to combat the Broncos forwards with a strong line-up of Willie Mason, Mark O’Meley and Asotasi.

If the forwards manage to cancel each other out the Broncos have a wealth of attacking potential at their disposal. Lockyer is yet to put a foot wrong all season and his match-winning ability alone make the Broncos a daunting prospect. Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has a variety of attacking options with Justin Hodges, Karmichael Hunt and Darius Boyd all proven utilities. Sean Berrigan has thrived in recent weeks in his role as hooker and his timely dummy-half bursts and unexpected strength continues to catch the opposition by surprise.

The Bulldogs also possess some potential danger-men, including their halves pairing of Daniel Holdsworth and Brent Sherwin. Holdsworth has had a stellar season but will face an uphill battle against Lockyer. Sherwin has this season shown glimpses of ability but has struggled to find consistent form.

Defensively the Broncos have announced themselves as genuine premiership contenders conceding less than 40 points at an average of eight per game in their past five matches. The Broncos attack is also gelling perfectly scoring over 140 points at an average of nearly 30 per game in their past five outings.

The Bulldogs forwards will certainly do their best to outmuscle the Broncos pack but even if that is to happen the Bulldogs are still faced with the task of containing the attacking genius of Lockyer, Hodges and Hunt, just to name a few. Last weekend the Broncos were merciless in their 50-6 dismissal of the Newcastle Knights. Man-of-the-match Lockyer was ruthless in his dominance of Andrew Johns and the Knights. The Broncos attack and defence are both gelling perfectly and only the most die-hard Bulldogs fan could predict anything other than a third Broncos blitz.

Judiciary Gets it Right

The NRL judiciary this week surprisingly revealed it does serve a purpose. For years high-profile rugby league players have committed the crime and escaped the time. Key players have continually escaped punishment or had their punishments greatly reduced at the NRL judiciary. This week Newcastle Knights hooker Danny Buderus was unsuccessful in his attempt to reduce his suspension following a spear tackle on the weekend. The result ensures Buderus will not play again this season, while he serves the six match suspension that will also see him miss some of the early rounds next season.

Late in last Friday night’s qualifying final, a Buderus tackle on Manly winger Michael Robertson went horribly wrong. The result was potentially career threatening for Robertson. Fortunately the spear tackle resulted only in neck soreness for the Manly player. Imagine now if Robertson wasn’t so lucky and the tackle did end his career. Do you think there would be a debate over whether or not Buderus deserved suspension then?

Buderus is a crucial component in the Knights team and formed a vital part in his team’s premiership aspirations. The importance of particular players has in the past resulted in a variety of weak excuses from the NRL judiciary, who want to see the best players on the paddock. Buderus could have become another one of the fortunate high-profile players who manage to find a loophole in the system, offer a heartfelt apology and escape suspension.

A variety of different defences for Buderus were thrown around prior to the judicial hearing: Buderus’s hand didn’t go between Robertson’s legs, the tackle only went wrong because of Robertson’s speed and angle, there was no malicious intent in the tackle. Buderus has also come out saying his perfect record should have played a part in downgrading the suspension.

These excuses have been more than enough in the past for the NRL judiciary to dismiss the suspension and sweep the controversy under the table. The judiciary must be commended this week for finally taking a firm stance and making a decision purely on the severity of the tackle.

The precedent had been set and spear tackles have no part in the NRL. Buderus’s tackle may not have been intentional and he does have a clean record. This is largely irrelevant, Robertson was illegally and unfairly placed in danger and the offending player regardless of his status must be suitably punished. The six week suspension is a just punishment for the tackling offence.

Hopefully the NRL judiciary have turned the corner and rugby league players will do the time that fits their crime… regardless of their high-profile status.

A Dream Year for Fed-Express

Roger Federer this morning captured his third successive US Open crown defeating crowd favourite Andy Roddick 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. With Tiger Woods sitting alongside Federer's girlfriend in the front-row, Federer etched himself in the history books.

The four-set victory took Federer's grand-slam tally to nine and made him the only male in tennis history to win the Wimbledon and US Open double for three successive years. For more than half the match Roddick was a worthy challenger. He even managed to capture a set, a feat only matched by fellow American James Blake in the tournament. At 5-5 in the third set Federer called upon an extra level only he possesses and streaked away with the match winning eight of the last nine games.

Only five men stand before him on the all time grand-slam list and Federer is just five grand-slams away from becoming the most prolific tennis player in history. The twenty-five year old is all class and charmed the crowd with another post-match speech. He was asked about his victory celebration of falling to the ground, he replied while laughing, "A great moment, once again, I deserved to lie down. It felt great, you know, just lying on the floor alone. It was good. Very comfortable. Thank God I didn't injure myself."

Federer met Woods for the first time just hours before the start of play. The two who share the same sponsor are both on the way to sporting greatness. When Federer was asked about the added pressure of having Woods watching he replied, trying unsuccessfully to keep a straight face, "I'm going to show up at every Grand Slam Tiger plays and get him back, just when he's about to win, 18th green, I'll be standing there."

This year Federer was successful in three of the four grand-slams and managed a finals showing at the French Open. It seems there are few challenges left for the young Swiss, but each year Federer re-enters his name in the history books as he progresses rapidly to tennis's best ever player and perhaps the best sportsman in history.

Cameron Smith for Dally M

Melbourne Storm's skipper Cameron Smith, one of rugby league's quiet achievers it a clear front-runner for tonight’s Dally M award. The Queensland State of Origin hooker has had his most consistent season since joining the Storm in 2002. Former Australian hookers Steve Walters and Ben Elias have this week revealed they believe Storm rake has done enough this season to earn the prestigious award.
“Cameron has had a great season this year and hopefully there are better things for him to come with the Storm and possibly Australia. With Danny Buderus out injured he may get his chance in the tri-nations. He has definitely been a stand-out performer but he may be disadvantaged because of the Storm's good form. Other Storm players may have hurt his chances, with the Dally M points spread more evenly between team-mates.” Walters said.

Elias claimed there was no alternative and Smith was a definite for the Dally M award, saying:
“Cameron has had a ten out of ten season, simply outstanding. Week in and week out he steps up, touching the ball more than anyone else and is a lay-down for this year's Dally M. He's is little bit more than just a hooker, he kicks goals as well.”

Interestingly Elias also said Smith is now the best hooker in the game. Smith is one of several key players in the running for the Dally M, which rewards consistency as much as brilliance and includes players like Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer on the honour roll.

Other players expected to poll well at next Tuesday night's official count at the Sydney Town Hall include Sea Eagles captain Ben Kennedy, halfback Matt Orford and Broncos utility back Justin Hodges.

As Elias alluded to Smith, who is just 23, offers the Melbourne Storm far more than a traditional hooker provides. He has exceptional passing control and vision from dummy-half and possesses the ability to quickly weigh up potential options and more often than not makes the right decision.

He picks his moment to run at offside marker's and often makes quick darts from dummy-half that provide the Storm with momentum to mount attacking raids. Kicking from dummy-half is just another service Smith provides and his low trajectory ensures the ball is rarely caught on the full, giving his side plenty of time to pin the opposition deep in their half. Smith, last season's Storm player of the year winner, offers all this attacking potential while providing tireless defence, consistently racking up over thirty tackles a match.

His former team-mate Orford, who quit Melbourne to join Manly this year, has also had an inspiring season. He has had many match-winning performances this year and his direction on the park has been a key reason the Sea Eagles have jumped to third on the premiership table.

Another player who has had a tremendous season also comes from the Sea Eagles side. Ben Kennedy has led by example this year and along with his halfback has ensured the Sea Eagles a place in the finals. Kennedy continually tops the metres gained and his work-rate is second to none. He will be irreplaceable at Manly next year and is a possibility for this year's Dally M.

Hodges is another player who really stands out as a genuine Dally M contender. He has dominated for the Broncos from centre and more recently at fullback. His ability to invariably evade the first tackler is almost unrivalled in the NRL. At fullback Hodge's has revelled in the extra time and space provided from fullback. Unfortunately for him he plays for the same club as Lockyer, who is sure to have polled plenty of the Dally M points.

While Smith, Orford, Kennedy and Hodges have had stellar seasons and should fight out the major award it has been a year of surprises and the Dally M could spring another surprise tonight.

The 'Richard Pryor of Blogging'

This year the internet blogging phenomenon has taken the tennis world by storm. The term blogging is derived from web-log, which are basically diary accounts of a tennis professional's day during a tennis tournament.

This year the ATP and WTA, the men's and women's tennis tours have promoted blogging on their respective websites. Each tournament a different male and female tennis professional is selected as the blogger. These player's have provided the tennis public with a valuable and often intriguing look into the ins and outs of different tennis player's lives throughout a typical tennis tournament.

The concept has proved an overwhelming success with tennis fans, who are eager to log-on and find out about what their favourite tennis player gets up to during a tournament. The tennis professionals have also really embraced the idea and have used their blog's to express their personality and show a side of themselves that was previously hidden to the public.

Queensland doubles world number one Sam Stosur was a blogger for the WTA recently. During her week she revealed one of her pet-hates to be,
“When people get in a lift before the people in it can get out.”
The laid-back 22-year-old claimed she would love to have been a professional surfer if she wasn't a tennis player. She also revealed her love of television shows The Family Guy and Seinfeld.

Rafael Nadal's French Open blog, the tournament he successfully defended this year gained plenty of attention from tennis fans. Much of the concept's success must however, be attributed to powerful base-liner Dmitry Tursunov. The charismatic young Russian is a potential top-ten player, but currently owes much of his fame to his week-long blog from Estoril in Portugal.

The self-proclaimed ‘Richard Pryor of blogging’ used his entries to show the humorous side of tennis, as he revealed insights on Marat Safin's ability to attract women, his own flirting exploits and his pre-match routine of staring into the mirror and emphatically stating, ‘You looking at me!?’ The photo of Tursunov impersonating the 'Blue Steel' look made famous by movie character Derek Zoolander ensured he is now a recognisable face. The world number 25 revealed he is now regularly acknowledged in public.

His Estoril blog was such a resounding success gaining 268,336 internet hits during the week that the ATP has this week, due to public demand hired him as the ATP's 'Resident Blogger.' This means Tursunov will write a monthly blog and continue to provide the hilarious insights he became renowned for during his week in Estoril.

This year the ATP and WTA have had blogs written by a variety of stars including Nadal, James Blake and Australian Open surprise-packet Marcos Baghdatis, as well as many others. Over the coming months it will be interesting to continue to witness the lighter side of tennis through the eyes of different tennis professionals.

This week the US Open blog will be a tribute to Andre Agassi, who at 36 plays his last Grand Slam after a memorable 60-title career spanning nearly two decades. The player blogs can be accessed at www.atptennis.com and www.sonyericssonwtatour.com.

Tennis's Sleeping Giants

THIS year's US Open could be the year for one of tennis's sleeping giants to rise to the occasion and challenge Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for grand-slam glory.

American James Blake, one of tennis's genuine nice guys has had a break-through year in 2006. This year he has captured three titles and won 40 matches on his way to a place in the top-ten. In the past Blake has provided plenty of excitement at his home grand-slam, playing two memorable and controversial five-set matches against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt.

This year Blake has managed to gain greater control and eradicate some of the inconsistencies that once plagued his game. Blake grew up just minutes down the road from the Flushing Meadows tennis complex and playing in front of his friends and family he could be inspired to success at the US Open. This year he plays his first round against Argentine Juan Monaco in what will be their first meeting.

Another player who has the potential to cause some upsets in the US Open is German Tommy Haas. Haas, the winner of three titles this year is well-known to the Australian public for his consistent performances at the Australian Open. He is renowned for his fiery on-court temper and tendency to mutter under his breath and erupt at any moment.

Haas certainly has an explosive game, with an explosive temperament to match. Following more than a year's absence from the game because of a back injury and motorbike accident involving his parents, Haas will look to continue a strong year to date and challenge for his first grand-slam title.

The world number 16 has been hindered in the past by inconsistency and a terrible temper, not unlike Russian Marat Safin. Like Safin, Haas has the ability to upset anyone when his game is in order, including Federer. Haas begins his campaign against American Alex Kuznetsov, with Safin and David Nalbandian looming large as potential opponents further into the tournament.

A third player who has yet to fulfil his potential is world number 77 Feliciano Lopez. The left-handed Spaniard is a gifted shot-maker and has an array of shots only bettered by Federer. Unlike Federer he has yet to reach any great heights in the sport. Lopez seems to glide around the court and possesses an all-court game, which is rare for a Spanish player.

It took Federer a few years to take his game to the next level and it was a quarter-final defeat of tennis great Pete Sampras at Wimbledon that sparked his incredible rise to tennis dominance. Lopez is still searching for that break-through performance and if his first round straight-set dismissal of world number 3 Ivan Ljubicic is anything to go the 2006 US Open could be the beginning of Feliciano Lopez.