NRL Grand Final to be staged in Rugby League heartland without a home team in sight
September 29th 2006 10:34
Category: Movies
After being treated to two exceptioanlly high quality NRL finals this past weekend, two out of towners find themsleves one win away from reaching the dizzy heights of a premiership win. The Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm beat the Canterbury Bulldogs and the St-George Illawarra Dragons respectively, to book themselves a spot in what is to be the first ever Grand Final not containing a Sydney-based club. The history making occassion it is hoped, will encourage the growth of rugby league in Victoria, with the Storm snatching a second finals berth in their short nine year history. Last weeks Preliminary Final against the Dragons was a hit with Melbournians; television ratings were their highest for a Storm match. With no Victorian team figuring in the hunt for the AFL Premiership, this weeks NRL Grand Final has the potential to firmly break all previous NRL viewer ratings in the self-dubbed 'sports capital' of Australia. The Storm were able to snatch a Grand Final appearance away from the red hot Dragons who prior to the match, were premiership favourites. Many punters doubted Melbourne's ability to go all the way after an under-par performance against Parramatta in the first week of the finals. Craig Bellamy's coaching brilliance along with the individual abilities of his players, was severly under-estimated by a Nathan Brown who appeared to be in a very subdued state of mind when interviewed on the thursday nioght NRL Footy SHow prior to the weekend clash. The sole consolation that the Red V can take out of this closely contested contest with the Minor Premiers, is that they retain the title of the NRL's 'biggest chokers', for at least an other 12 months. Disappointing for St-George Illawarra's departing veterans: Luke Bailey, Trent Barrett, and Shaun Timmins, is that they leave their beloved club without being able to raise that illusive premiership trophy over their heads in victory. The Broncos proved the goods in a victory of 37-20 over the Bulldogs, in which the club trailed 20-6 at half-time. The win went down as one of the best comebacks in finals history, inspired by a stroke of genius by Wayne Bennett in switching Justin Hodges from centre to fullback, leading to a rejuvenated Brisbane shutting out the Belmore boys. The Bulldogs, overcome with shock and awe, looked inconsolable after the full-time hooter. Whatever the result on sunday night, this year's NRL Grand Final promises to be a memorable one.
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