Former NRL great bristles at Roosters claim<\/a><\/p>\nCiraldo ready to celebrate Sexton return | 09:13<\/p>\n
WARRIORS VS PANTHERS <\/p>\n
The Panthers are the overwhelming favourites to advance given their big game experience and the fact they have Nathan Cleary, but the Warriors have a chance of springing an upset on their home ground. <\/p>\n
Johns believes the Panthers showed their hand with how they attacked the Dragons in their last game, which wasn\u2019t a perfect performance, but showed their intent with what wins big games. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very tough road trip to Auckland, but a tough match-up for the Warriors,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cNathan Cleary is the key man in this and probably the key man in the finals. Just his precision against the Dragons and I thought there was a couple of little clues about how they are going to go about their work in this finals series. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir attack is very much an exact science. We talk about the play before the play and there was an example in their first try against the Dragons. <\/p>\n
\u201cCleary drops one of his forwards under and the Dragons solve the problem from the inside, which means they have taken a defender from the other side of the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Cleary is very clever and they went back that way and Jenkins scores in the corner and we are seeing that more and more.\u201d <\/p>\n
Nathan Cleary has a formula he sticks to.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Cronk believes a former Panthers premiership winner will play a huge role for the Warriors. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where James Fisher-Harris plays a part in this game,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe is the key man in this game. I have played finals against a team I knew inside out. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Panthers are not going to change their style in the finals. Every time they get in good ball position, they drop off a player and they hardly ever keep going the same way. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo when they are going right, they won\u2019t go right again. Cleary will drop off a player and do the overload principle and shift back to the side where the play-the-ball came from.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? Because the fullback may get the numbers wrong and it\u2019s harder to get. It\u2019s easier to set that short side first and then shift it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Fisher-Harris plays a huge part in this game for two reasons. One for intel. He knows how Penrith play. Webster knows and he has to come up with a plan to stop their attack. <\/p>\n
\u201cOn the flip side I think him coming up against Moses Leota, is so good.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is almost like whoever kicks off, kick to the other one and I want to see both of them get into it because there is a spirit about Fisher-Harris that I believe if he can have a first carry and smash the Panthers\u2019 pack, I think it gives Halasima, Capewell all those other forwards belief. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut on the flip side if he takes his first carry and Penrith smash him, they will go, uh oh if he can\u2019t do it how are we going to do it? So kick to Fisher-Harris or Leota and let them go.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johns agreed the battle between the two former teammates will be one to watch and will set the tone for the match. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be something, it is like an old-fashioned softening up period,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat intimidation factor either side.\u201d <\/p>\n
James Fisher-Harris has intel on the Panthers.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Johns broke down a set the Panthers put on against the Dragons, that shows why they are the master of building pressure and suffocating their opposition, especially in big games. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a snapshot of how Penrith go about their work in big finals games,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a no frills set, but it is what they build to. Of course it starts with one of the back three taking it forward in Dylan Edwards. Then it goes to To\u2019o or Jenkins out of dummyhalf. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen they go to Casey McLean another outside back alleviating the pressure on the forwards. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen Cleary goes, you know what we have got forward, let\u2019s have a crack at the 40\/20. We kick early and we are going to chase really hard. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking for the 40\/20, but if we don\u2019t get it, we are going to exert pressure and suffocate them with our kick chase.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cronk doubled down on his Fisher-Harris prediction because he has the inside knowledge to help devise a winning game plan and the fire and brimstone to fight what is coming. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why Fisher-Harris plays a part in the intel because if that\u2019s their style, what would you do?\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTighten up in defence, shoulder to shoulder and know they are going to go one, two, three with their outside backs. <\/p>\n
And Cleary usually stands behind Isaah Yeo when they want to shift the ball. If he is standing up in front If Yeo, guess what\u2019s happening? He is kicking the ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe game is brutal but there is a game of chess that goes on as well. If Fisher-Harris can get that across and Webster comes up with a plan, with that emotion of their home ground, they just might be a chance. They are a long shot, but they could be a chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to be their best performance by a country mile in a long time.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johns agreed the Warriors are outsiders, but depending on the conditions, they will give themselves a chance to spring an upset and knock Penrith out. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are a puncher\u2019s chance, if they can dictate the terms of the contest, who knows?\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou might get over there and it is pouring with rain and it becomes that sort of match.\u201d <\/p>\n
Matty and Cronk\u2019s verdict: Panthers<\/p>\n
Panthers ready for tough Warriors test | 01:40<\/p>\n
SHARKS VS ROOSTERS<\/p>\n
The Sharks\u2019 clash with the Roosters looms as arguably the toughest game to pick in the first week of the finals, with both sides in top form and peaking at the right time of the year. <\/p>\n
The Roosters are coming off a dominant win over the Rabbitohs, while the Sharks upset the Bulldogs in one of their best performances of the season. <\/p>\n
Johns believes the decision to backflip on Nicho Hynes\u2019 suspension was a huge call, but ultimately the right one. <\/p>\n
\u201cSharks and Roosters I find this one really difficult to pick,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cNicho is free to play which is a big one. I thought it was the right decision to get it downgraded. When I heard they were going to fight it I thought he will be OK.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cronk agreed the right decision was made in the end, but urged the match review committee to get it right in the first place. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was right on the edge of it, but I just don\u2019t like that you can be charged for one thing and then they go, wait a minute he is all right, let this one through,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cGet it right first. Don\u2019t stuff around and retract things.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johns believes a key for both sides will be the battle of the back three and coming out of yardage, especially for the Sharks. <\/p>\n
Addin Fonua-Blake holds the key for the Sharks.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cThe back three have got to dominate yardage,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the Sharks play great, you see that back three they fight in yardage and dominate the yardage, so they have to do that here, particularly because the Sharks forwards are going to have their hands full with Tedesco and co drilling through the middle.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cronk believes the key to the Sharks advancing is the star prop they signed to take them to the next level come finals time and this is his chance to shine. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you would have asked me the Sharks\u2019 chances before the win over the Bulldogs, I would have gone, no not really,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut that was a very good performance. It was very, very good and I think the key player in this game is Fonua-Blake. <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like Hynes is the decision maker and now that he is available, he will be the guy that comes up with the plays. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf Fonua-Blake can deliver on that alpha male role and smash the Roosters pack and give his halves the chance I think the Sharks will win.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johns believes Fonua-Blake is a victim of his own excellence after failing to reach the heights he did at the Warriors since joining the Sharks. <\/p>\n
\u201cTiming is everything and this is what they bought him for,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBy his standards, if you ask someone how has Fonua-Blake\u2019s season been? They would say OK. But really if you didn\u2019t know who he was, you would go, this bloke is outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cronk also noted if Fonua-Blake sets the tone up front it will allow the Sharks\u2019 spine to get on the front foot, which is when they play their best footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe other part to it is if the Roosters can\u2019t control him, it gives Blayke Brailey the chance to run,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen when Brailey runs, Nicho gets up and starts becoming a support player.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Roosters know what to expect from their skipper Tedesco, who is in arguably career best form, but Johns and Cronk believe another spine player holds the key for the Roosters. <\/p>\n
\u201cTedesco\u2019s impact speaks for itself, but it is a big finals series for Sam Walker,\u201d Johns said.<\/p>\n
Sam Walker needs a big finals series for the Roosters to advance.Source: The Daily Telegraph<\/p>\n
Cronk likened Walker to Walsh at the Broncos in that he has to get the balance right in his game. <\/p>\n
\u201cTedesco has just been brilliant, he will win the Dally M,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut Sam Walker, I think the Roosters have a couple of things to get right. Their completion rate, they just cannot give the opposition too many opportunities and Walker needs to get that perfect balance. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like Reece Walsh, if Walker gets the option to make good decisions, but then back himself at different times, the Roosters will be hard to beat.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cronk tipped the Roosters in a tight one, but believes Fonua-Blake has the ability to swing the result in Cronulla\u2019s favour. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to say Roosters win, but I\u2019m going to wait the first 15 minutes and if Fonua-Blake is the best player on the field, I think the Sharks can win and if he is not the Roosters win,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
Johns believes the Sharks will get the job done at home, but it is easily the toughest game to pick in the first week of the finals. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaning towards the Sharks at home, I like what they are doing,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have had inconsistency through the year, but the timing is good. Brailey is elusive when he scoops and go\u2019s. That\u2019s the best of the Sharks and it brings out the best in Hynes, so it will be an interesting game.\u201d <\/p>\n
Matty and Cronk\u2019s vercit: Sharks\/Roosters<\/p>\n
“5 Origin Players” – Roosters debate | 04:31<\/p>\n
RAIDERS VS BRONCOS<\/p>\n
The consensus have this Sunday afternoon blockbuster as the match of the weekend, and it\u2019s hard to argue.<\/p>\n
These two sides clashed just the once this season, way back in Round 2, with the Raiders upsetting Brisbane 32-22. <\/p>\n
The fact that this game will be played during the day will benefit the Broncos according to Johns.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, Brisbane struggle in Canberra\u2026 even those great Broncos sides back in the day, even they struggled down there because it\u2019s completely different conditions,\u201d Johns said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNight football in Canberra is quite slippery, it\u2019s wet, it\u2019s freezing cold. But Sunday afternoon football in Canberra is fantastic, so that goes back to them a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The battle of the forward packs is set to be the most intriguing contest.<\/p>\n
The Raiders boast a fearsome pack, headlined by prop Joe Tapine and gun edge back rower Hudson Young. <\/p>\n
Josh Papalii is the veteran presence who has a stack of big game experience, but he\u2019s in doubt with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n
The Broncos meanwhile have no injury concerns, with their pack just as dominant as their opponents. <\/p>\n
With Josh Papalii under an injury cloud, Raiders prop Joe Tapine will need a monster performance to help limit the damage of a dangerous Broncos forward pack.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about the match-ups, they\u2019re pretty even across the board,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael Maguire versus Ricky Stuart, pretty similar. Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan versus Joseph Tapine and Josh Papalii.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExciting young, energetic outside backs and then the shot callers in the No.7 is an experienced hand, so they are balanced well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the match-up for this, the forward packs will deliver because they are experienced. <\/p>\n
However, Cronk believes it will be one of the outside backs who potentially breaks the game open.<\/p>\n
The halves will deliver, but which one of the outside backs gets up and about,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reece Walsh is in great form.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it Weekes? Is it Walsh? Is it Timoko? Is it Staggs? I feel like which ever energetic outside back gets a moment, I think it feeds confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it sits in the outside backs, an intercept, a poor read that leads to a try. But I feel like Canberra should feel very confident at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matty and Cronk\u2019s verdict: Raiders<\/p>\n
Broncos using ’23 GF loss as motivation | 02:20<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bulldogs need to make a change to rediscover their DNA, while Sam Walker has been likened to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136999,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-136998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}