‘Astounding’ call sparks GF fear; Warriors’ blueprint to stop Walsh: NRL Talking Points
ROOSTERS ROBBED BY UNACCEPTABLE BLUNDER AS KLEIN FEELS HEAT
Instead Klein’s missed knock-on from Grant and a piggy back penalty saw the Storm march 100 metres to score in a 10-point swing to find themselves down 10-0 and playing catch up from then on. “I understand referees are going to make some mistakes, but that one there was blatant. That is a bad one.” Michael Ennis believes Grant was well within his rights to stay down given he was hit flush in the face and Klein or the Bunker should have called a penalty.“The fact we have seen that all season where the Bunker intervenes and says there is high contact and Harry Grant complained to Ashley Klein and said, you need to check it.“But when your season is on the line and you know you have been collected high and all season it has been a penalty for every other player in the competition.
Mistakes are always going to happen with human error, but the Bunker is supposed to eradicate howlers and should similar calls or non calls occur in the grand final, it will be much harder to cop for the losers on the biggest day of the year for rugby league.As long as Cameron Munster is on the field, write off the Storm’s premiership hopes at your peril and if anyone can beat the Panthers juggernaut, it is Melbourne with their magic No.6.
Steve Roach marvelled at Munster’s ability to show up consistently when the game is on the line throughout his career.“It can’t be a fluke. He backs himself right at the back end of the game.” “And when the whole thing is on the line he just goes all-in on the hardest play with a minute to go. He kicks it all the way across the field because if it is a metre away from the spot Warbrick doesn’t get there and the Roosters win that game.
Corey Parker believes Munster was always destined for a big game in the absence of Jahrome Hughes and on the back of a poor display against the Broncos.“He said he didn’t deliver last week and he had to back that up and he put some accountability on his performance. If the Storm can hold their own defensively against the Panthers, Munster has the ability to win the big moments in their preliminary final and cause a massive upset to book a grand final berth.HUGHES AND GRANT KEY TO BREAKING PANTHERS GREAT WALL OF DEFENCE
“If you are going to break down Penrith with the best defence we have ever seen, you are going to have to have multiple threats on either side of the ruck. “If you have only got one focal point in Cameron Munster and Harry Grant is obviously another one, but the best attacking teams including the Broncos have got left, right and fullback.“And Hughes is leading everything in regards to where their attack comes from. 23 try assists this season through Hughes.
“You are not always going to get it right. It is really difficult to always pick the right times to run, but a couple of times tonight he just forced his injection into the game.“I thought Harry was very, very sharp at times and at other times I felt his decision making was not where he has been at other stages when he has been brilliant. But boy are they going to need him next week big time.”
“And particularly Hughes too because he stops being a ball player and becomes a support runner and just takes off. “But obviously we’ve got a big appreciation and respect for Penrith as a football side, how good they are and how they’ve been able to stay at the top and still lose talented players every year. They’re all class.”
“He was outstanding, especially under those high kicks — he never looked like missing a beat — and he made some really important runs for us. “I thought he responded enormously. He was so safe at the back. I don’t think he dropped a footy all night. He ran for nearly 150 metres with the footy. Ponga was held to just 107 metres and no try involvements to go with two errors and two missed tackles as the Knights’ 10 match winning streak came to a shuttering halt.
Shane Flanagan agreed the Warriors can’t afford to be passive or Walsh will tear them apart on the edges.“They just left the winger off and made him say, OK if you get a pass or run around us you are going to have to be good at it because we are going to be up in your face. “But Walsh is a bit like Slater and he sits there and watches early in the game and he picks things up on the run.
“They can do it early. They can do it late in the game. they are a pretty well oiled machine and everything that is coming from that group seems to be around believing in each other and good connection led by Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan backing him up. “I think you will see the Warriors up quite high in the way they want to defend. They jammed on Ponga a few times. But he has that pass over the top so that is where the winger has to hold his temperament on the outside.”“In terms of defence I think the Warriors will look at this like they have nothing to lose,” Burgess said.
Michael Maguire believes Johnson has matured into a controlling playmaker that makes the players around him better.“The way he directs the team around the field. He has learnt that he is probably not that young chap that goes around with a flick pass anymore, but he just controls the game really well. It was very important for him to play tonight against the Knights.”
“Shaun said he felt a lot more comfortable out there, but the other players felt a lot more comfortable as well,” Fletcher said. Not only were they written off, but O’Brien’s job security looked dicey at best with the club actively on the hunt for his replacement.
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