Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Grand Final week!
Unfortunately the preliminary finals in the NRL went as we feared in that they were both blow outs.
We did get two competitive games in the NRLW while the NSW Cup and QLD Cup Grand Finals were both thrillers.
With the string of results we now have a jam packed Grand Final day awaiting us this Sunday.
With a huge weak ahead, we take a moment to look slightly back. Below are 20 thoughts from the preliminary final weekend of Rugby League:
1. I'm just going to come out and say it. It would have been an absolute travesty if Penrith and Brisbane didn't meet in the 2023 Grand Final. They've been, by a significant margin, the best teams across the competition.
2. The above said, in terms of a neutral, two super power teams playing for the ultimate prize really leaves you without an obvious team to lean toward. I just want a good, close game. Maybe I'm bitter but Penrith winning three in a row or the Broncos winning yet another title hardly screams fairy tale.
3. This won't be popular but let's be blunt here - 35,000 people at a preliminary final is pretty dire. Penrith are the most dominant team of the modern era and they needed to literally give tickets away to avoid an embarrassing crowd. This suggests two things; either pricing is ridiculous or Penrith fans were just waiting for the grand final. Probably a bit of both.
4. For the second season in a row an NRLW club has gone from a wooden spoon to a grand final. Last season it was the Knights, who won it all, this season it's the Titans. Can they continue the trend by upsetting the now mega power Newcastle side? What a story.
5. The poor old Roosters don't have a team playing on Grand Final day despite two minor premierships (the Bears being a feeder club of theirs) and all four grades playing finals. It's hard to feel sorry due to the aforementioned finals finishes in all grades, but I thought they were morals in the NRLW. They also lost the Flegg Grand Final and NSW Cup final.
6. That Reece Walsh pass was the single most blatant forward pass I've ever seen in my life. That went so far forward that it should have been a penalty. How it was missed is impossible to comprehend. Sutton was in a great spot while he has massively let down by his touchies. That was the worst decision I've ever seen, or will ever see.
7. All those crying out "you can't rule on a forward pass" ... Well they should have. It should have been ruled a knock on and the player was in front, thus a penalty. Or just break ranks and call it a forward pass. What a disgusting moment that took away from an otherwise brilliant night.
8. Sticking with the "you can't rule on a forward pass in the Bunker" talk. Why not? You can adjudge players off-side and rule on which way the ball bounces on a potential knock on, from the very same camera angles. It's a lazy cop out and it needs to be changed in the off-season. That was so far forward you could see it from each and every seat in the stadium, let alone the replay box.
9. The Storm have three of the biggest stars in the game, while their fourth has been largely unavailable for 18 months. Outside of those four players though, their squad is so far below the rest of the elite sides. No disrespect, you can literally never count the Storm out, but outside of Grant and maybe Munster, they were outclassed to a man on Friday night.
10. I just want to take a moment to wrap the magnificent season enjoyed by the Warriors. I fully admit to having them as my wooden spooners in the pre-season. I thought Shaun Johnson was done, I didn't rate their centres and I thought the forward pack was too old. Fair to say I've eaten a huge amount of crow this season, albeit happily.
11. What are the odds that Stephen Crichton makes the same joke made last year by his then team-mate Api Koroisau following the Grand Final? Hopefully none but I guarantee if has been made at training.
12. Position to position, this could be the most anticipated Grand Final in years. Walsh vs Edwards. Cleary vs Reynolds. JFH vs Haas. Yeo vs Carrigan. The battle of the centres. Seriously, what a treat.
13. The Bulldogs ended a 20 year drought by winning the Flegg yesterday while Souths won their first NSW Cup title in 40 years. Funny to think considering it's favourited that last year's Premiers in both the men's and women's games will defend their titles on Sunday.
14. Am I seeing something that isn't there or did Billy Walters celebrate a try on Saturday night with the Ben Hunt celebration? A few months ago all the talk was that the Broncos wanted Hunt to play number nine this year. Coincidence?
15. Reece Walsh may be the most confident player in the game. He threw an awful intercept on Saturday night and could have been forgiven for letting it bother him. Five minutes later he was setting up a try. He's fantastic to watch.
16. Remember when Ivan Cleary coached the Tigers and they still couldn't play finals?
17. Brad Fittler staying on as NSW coach has largely slipped under the radar this week. Luckily for NSWRL officials as that decision is almost as bad as the missed Reece Walsh pass. I'll never let it go and you can't make me. Bringing Phil Gould in is just as ridiculous. NSW don't get Origin.
18. Despite an exciting opening 20 minutes by the Warriors, both games were bludgers. My fear is that the grand final may end up similar. I hate Penrith being so good.
19. A moment of silence for Graham Annesley who has to front the media tomorrow and try to break down that Tom Brady-like forward pass from one of the game's biggest stars in a preliminary final.
20. I fully understand the rules around suspensions but the fact Reece Walsh isn't in the nominations for the Dally M fullback of the year award is not a good look. He wins it in a canter sans that suspension. Again, I get why, but c'mon.
