After playing the Raiders in Canberra in Round 1, they will be keen to find themselves on home soil for this test against one of the competition heavyweights. With a new coach and some big signings, the Sharks will be hoping for a big year as they look to rebuild a reputation of being very hard to beat at home.
What makes this a stand-out: As much as I hesitate to mention the Broncos again AND talk up their clash with the wooden spooners, this game will give an early indication of just how and beyond will go for these two proud but struggling clubs.
Both teams will have a coach in his second season at the club, and both have undergone some major player movements. This will be a real test of the coaching credibility of Trent Barrett and Kevin Walters, as they look to mould the teams they have built into competitive units. What makes this a stand-out: You can't tell me the boffins at NRL headquarters didn't count down the weeks left on Latrell Mitchell's suspension when working out when to schedule this monumental clash.
As if the "Book of Feuds" wasn't storied enough between these two arch enemies. Mitchell will return to take on his old club after serving a suspension for nearly decapitating Joseph Manu the last time they met.
It promises to be a fiery encounter, as clashes between these two almost always are. What makes this a stand-out: The Eels would have been disappointed with how they finished off after being a Top 4 threat all season.
They beat the Storm twice during the regular season, but didn't have a chance to repeat the dose in the finals. They will be very keen to maintain their recent dominance over the high-flying Storm, in Melbourne. What makes this a stand-out: Another clash made more interesting because of the coaches involved. Hasler left the Bulldogs in a salary cap shambles to make his return to Manly. Now Barrett takes his re-built Bulldogs side, bristling with backline talent, but no real spine, into Brookvale, seeking revenge.
If the Sea Eagles spank them like they did last year, rumblings will start from the Bulldogs fans about Barrett's true capabilities. What makes this a stand-out: These two teams always seem to be in the mix to sneak into the Top 8 at some point in the season, as the Titans did at the end of last year.
The poor old Tigers haven't played finals football since Benji was a lad and by Round 4 we should have a good idea on how they will fair in If Tigers coach Michael Maguire is still in the job, he'll be keen to grab the two points off the Titans in this clash of two evenly matched and equally frustrating sides. What makes this a stand-out : I know it's April Fool's Day, but that's not the reason I'm naming a fourth-straight Rabbitohs game as a stand-out, this is the Grand Final replay after all.
By Round 4 we should have a fairly good idea how the post-Wayne Bennett Rabbitohs are travelling with their new halfback. I fully expect the Panthers to be impressive again early and this should be a great clash between two of the top teams.
There's plenty to like about this clash, as the NRL continues to make good on its promise to take big games to the bush. Many believe Canberra's short premiership window has closed, with plenty of rumblings from within the dressing shed last season. We should know by this game whether Stuart has turned things around or whether the axe is hovering over his coaching tenure at the Raiders.
What makes this a stand-out : Clashes between these two clubs have been used as promotional material for rugby league for years. There is something about the steel city lads taking on the Northern Beaches' silver spoons that brings out the fire.
What makes this a stand-out : I fully expect a much-improved Broncos side, led by Adam Reynolds, to be positioned in the Top 8 by the time this big test rolls around. This game could mark the point from which they either charge on towards a finals berth or fall apart to resemble the unruly rabble we saw at times last season.
New Rabbitohs coach elects Reynolds' young heir apparent. NRL Every club's top 30 squad and development squad. Walters: Adam Reynolds ticks all the boxes to be next Broncos captain. Walters hints Reynolds will be next Broncos captain. Tough Sea Eagles half granted release to join new club. The longest game in recent memory was played in , when the Roosters beat the Tigers in the st minute of action.
The only known game at the top level to last longer was the tri-series final between New South Wales and Queensland during the Super League war, which ran for minutes. The first week The eight teams are typically divided into two groups of four, the top four and the bottom four , who play games among themselves in the first week of finals.
In the top four, first play fourth and second play third in qualifying finals. The higher-placed teams, first and second, have the right to host these finals in their home state. One of the advantages given to teams in the top four is that they cannot be eliminated if they lose in the first week. However, the winners of these finals have a bye in the second week and host a preliminary final in their home state in the third week.
Meanwhile, the losers of these finals must play again in the second week and, if they survive that, may have to travel interstate to play their opponent in the third week. So winning a qualifying final is a significant advantage. First Qualifying Final : first ranked team hosts fourth ranked team Second Qualifying Final : second ranked team hosts third ranked team. In the bottom four, fifth play eighth and sixth play seventh in elimination finals.
Again, the higher-placed teams, fifth and sixth, have the right to host these finals in their home state. As the name suggests, the loser of these finals will be eliminated from the finals series.
The winners go on to play the losers of the qualifying finals in semi-finals in the second week. First Elimination Final : fifth ranked team hosts eighth ranked team Second Elimination Final : sixth ranked team hosts seventh ranked team. These four games are played across four time-slots: Friday night, Saturday day, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. The second week In the second week of the finals series two semi-finals are played between the two teams that lost the qualifying finals and the two teams that won the elimination finals.
The teams that won the qualifying finals have a week off, while the teams that lost the elimination finals are out of the running.
0コメント