tigersrule4life
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THE Sea Eagles will travel further than Gulliver in the first month of next year’s NRL season but a short Friday night trip to Gosford in round two will be a defining moment at a sold-out Bluetongue Stadium.
Forget the Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge and grand final opponents the Warriors in Auckland in the toughest start dished out to a club by the NRL.
The Sea Eagles versus Wests Tigers will be billed by the media as the game of the year - and it well might be for a number of reasons.
There has been a simmering dislike between the two teams for some time now and it has developed in the off-season without a ball being kicked since the grand final back in October.
Forget the Kieran Foran versus Benji Marshall five-eighth duel, the tussle between Chris Lawrence and Jamie Lyon in the centres or Manly’s Matt Ballin up against Robbie Farah.
Just one collision in this “smash ‘em up” match will matter.
It will be billed as a heavyweight title fight once fulltime is blown in Auckland on the first Sunday of the premiership round.
And it will be all about Glenn Stewart against Tigers’ new buy Adam Blair.
These two skilful and tough competitors are in the best five forwards in rugby league.
Few will forget the last time they met at Brookvale Oval in the penultimate match of the premiership rounds back in September.
It was Dessie Hasler’s last game at Brookie as coach.
It was also the game in which the finest sporting gesture to another player was lost in the myriad dramatic incidents in a game which will be a long time being matched.
The sight of Billy Slater cradling a badly injured David Williams will never leave me - and nor will the respect I have for Slater as a person.
But most people will remember THAT incident involving “Gift” and Kiwi international Blair.
They have moved on but it will be revived time and time again in that short lead-up to round two.
Teammates will play it down for the cameras and the microphones … just another game will be the call. But it won’t be the truth. The game is circled by both camps.
And it will be a cracker.
MY TIPS FOR 2012
TIME for the crystal ball to look at predictions for next season with the bookies struggling to come up with an outright favourite.
I have Manly and Wests Tigers as top of my list based on both clubs’ respective playing rosters.
Being premiers is a tough gig and it is a long, long time since a side was good enough to go back-to-back.
But that is the goal for Geoff Toovey and his side and the mental strength and playing talent will give the maroon-and-whites a good chance - particularly if they get off to a good start in what must be said is a horrendous and unfair program of away matches.
I realise work at Brookvale Oval has played its part but the scheduling of matches could - and should - have been more forgiving.
The Wests Tigers are an enigma but the inclusion of Blair gives their pack more scope and any side with Benji Marshall will give more than a roar.
Of the other teams I like the look of Newcastle under new coach Wayne Bennett and South Sydney under Michael Maguire. Both have strong groups with excellent young players coming through.
CHRISTMAS IS FAMILY
A HAPPY family Christmas to all readers of Zorba’s View in what has been personally a rollercoaster year.
My family - as always - has been my strength and I look forward to spending quality time with them.
May Santa be kind to all of you and may the wins come thick and fast at Brookie in 2012.
Health and happiness to you all.
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/blair-switch-project/
Forget the Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge and grand final opponents the Warriors in Auckland in the toughest start dished out to a club by the NRL.
The Sea Eagles versus Wests Tigers will be billed by the media as the game of the year - and it well might be for a number of reasons.
There has been a simmering dislike between the two teams for some time now and it has developed in the off-season without a ball being kicked since the grand final back in October.
Forget the Kieran Foran versus Benji Marshall five-eighth duel, the tussle between Chris Lawrence and Jamie Lyon in the centres or Manly’s Matt Ballin up against Robbie Farah.
Just one collision in this “smash ‘em up” match will matter.
It will be billed as a heavyweight title fight once fulltime is blown in Auckland on the first Sunday of the premiership round.
And it will be all about Glenn Stewart against Tigers’ new buy Adam Blair.
These two skilful and tough competitors are in the best five forwards in rugby league.
Few will forget the last time they met at Brookvale Oval in the penultimate match of the premiership rounds back in September.
It was Dessie Hasler’s last game at Brookie as coach.
It was also the game in which the finest sporting gesture to another player was lost in the myriad dramatic incidents in a game which will be a long time being matched.
The sight of Billy Slater cradling a badly injured David Williams will never leave me - and nor will the respect I have for Slater as a person.
But most people will remember THAT incident involving “Gift” and Kiwi international Blair.
They have moved on but it will be revived time and time again in that short lead-up to round two.
Teammates will play it down for the cameras and the microphones … just another game will be the call. But it won’t be the truth. The game is circled by both camps.
And it will be a cracker.
MY TIPS FOR 2012
TIME for the crystal ball to look at predictions for next season with the bookies struggling to come up with an outright favourite.
I have Manly and Wests Tigers as top of my list based on both clubs’ respective playing rosters.
Being premiers is a tough gig and it is a long, long time since a side was good enough to go back-to-back.
But that is the goal for Geoff Toovey and his side and the mental strength and playing talent will give the maroon-and-whites a good chance - particularly if they get off to a good start in what must be said is a horrendous and unfair program of away matches.
I realise work at Brookvale Oval has played its part but the scheduling of matches could - and should - have been more forgiving.
The Wests Tigers are an enigma but the inclusion of Blair gives their pack more scope and any side with Benji Marshall will give more than a roar.
Of the other teams I like the look of Newcastle under new coach Wayne Bennett and South Sydney under Michael Maguire. Both have strong groups with excellent young players coming through.
CHRISTMAS IS FAMILY
A HAPPY family Christmas to all readers of Zorba’s View in what has been personally a rollercoaster year.
My family - as always - has been my strength and I look forward to spending quality time with them.
May Santa be kind to all of you and may the wins come thick and fast at Brookie in 2012.
Health and happiness to you all.
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/blair-switch-project/
