2014 NRL Finals Week 3 – South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters preview, tips and teams

For the third year in a row, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have reached the preliminary final and for the second consecutive year, will have had the benefit of a week off after winning the opening round of the finals’ series. The Rabbitohs had struggled late in the regular season, losing two of their last three games before the finals – including a 22 – 18 defeat in the final round to the Rooster, but once the finals started, the Rabbitohs clicked up a gear and trounced Manly 40 – 26. For the first sixty minutes the Rabbitohs were at their absolute best. A big forward pack led by Sam Burgess gave their talented back-line plenty of opportunities and they capitalized on most, running in seven unanswered tries.

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The final fifteen minutes of the game however, highlighted an aspect of the Rabbitohs game that has cost them dearly in the past. They simply clocked off after establishing a big lead. Given the forty point margin they had established and the thought of again being one game away from the Grand Final, it’s hard not to blame them however Manly posted four easy tries in the final fifteen minutes of the match, much to the displeasure of Rabbitohs Coach Michael Maguire who despite his side ultimately winning well, lambasted his players for their final quarter effort post game.

It was similar scenario that saw the Rabbitohs exit at this stage last year when a brilliant start against Manly was fritted away and Maguire and his players should be fully aware now that nothing but a full 80 minute effort will be required against a battle-ready outfit like the Roosters.

Two surprising stats the Rabbitohs have produced this year are that when playing at ANZ Stadium this year, the Rabbitohs have a losing 5 – 6 record. When playing against teams that finished in the top eight this season, the Rabbitohs are 6 – 6.Fully rested and with plenty of finals experience in their side, the Rabbitohs though will have no excuses left to offer if this year, they fail to reach their first grand final since 1970.

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The defending and this year’s minor premiers, were disappointing in their 19 – 18 loss to Penrith in the opening round of the finals a fortnight ago but made the most of their second chance early in last week’s clash against the Cowboys. The Roosters posted five tries inside of the first 33 minutes of the match and before the visitors could register a point with their backline, particularly their left-hand side with Tupou and Jennings who combined have scored ten tries in the past seven games, at their best. However from this point on the tide turned – and in a big way.

In a remarkable come-back, the Cowboys tied the game up scoring five tries themselves in the ten minute periods either side of have time.

The Roosters prevailed to thanks to some staunch defence in the final twenty minutes of the game, a James Maloney field goal in the 76th minute and a contentious call against the Cowboys in the final minute of that led to a Johnathan Thurston try being disallowed.

The Roosters haven’t made things easy for themselves in the past fortnight but are still alive and are a genuine threat, especially if they can recapture the form that they were showing in the final weeks of the regular season.

Their kicking game here is imperative as they’ll need to keep the big South Sydney forward pack on the back foot and working out of their own end. Mitchell Pearce holds the key in this regard and their final tackle when in possession of the ball, needs to be a lot more effective than it has been recently.

This will be the first time in a month and only the third since round 20 that the Roosters will have to venture away from their home ground of Allianz. When playing away from home, the Roosters have a record of 7 – 5 for the season. A stat that narrows to 3 – 3 when playing sides that finished in the top eight away

HEAD TO HEAD

The ledger is split at three wins apiece in the six games played since 2012 and as the market suggests, it is hard to find a distinct advantage for either team that makes it possible to back one with great confidence.

The Roosters won 22 – 18 when the sides last met in the final round of the regular season this year, a match where the Roosters were able to keep the Rabbitohs scoreless early, a common occurrence in each of their recent wins over the Rabbitohs.

The Rabbitohs will be under pressure here. It’s their third time to the prelim final, they’re starting favourites and everyone, bar the Roosters’ supporters of course, would like to see them make the Grand Final. The longer the Roosters can keep the Rabbitohs attack under wraps, the greater this pressure will build.

Only once in the past four games has a total match score exceeded 38 points.

This was the clash many predicted to be the Grand Final so expect a match of similar quality, where points are at a premium and defence the key with the week off playing significant role in the outcome of the game during the last 20 minutes.

TOTAL MATCH POINTS UNDER 38 – $1.90

SOUTH SYDNEY 1 – 12 – $3.10

FIRST TRY SCORER

Rabbitohs – Greg Inglis $11.00 (Scored four in the last three matches against the Roosters)

Roosters – Daniel Tupou $11.00, Michael Jennings $12.00

 

Teams:

 

South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs logo.png

1 Greg Inglis
2 Alex Johnston
3 Dylan Walker
4 Kirisome Auva’a
5 Lote Tuqiri
6 Luke Keary
7 Adam Reynolds
8 George Burgess
9 Issac Luke
10 Dave Tyrrell
11 Kyle Turner
12 John Sutton (c)
13 Sam Burgess

Interchange
14 Jason Clark
15 Ben Te’o
16 Chris McQueen
17 Thomas Burgess
18 Ben Lowe
19 Luke Burgess
20 Bryson Goodwin

Coach: Michael Maguire

 

Sydney RoostersSydney Roosters logo.svg

1 Anthony Minichiello (c)
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Michael Jennings
4 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 James Maloney
7 Mitchell Pearce (vc)
8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (vc)
9 Jake Friend (vc)
10 Sam Moa
11 Boyd Cordner (vc)
12 Sonny Bill Williams
13 Aidan Guerra

Interchange
14 Mitchell Aubusson
15 Frank-Paul Nuuausala
16 Isaac Liu
17 Dylan Napa
18 Remi Casty

Coach: Trent Robinson

News:

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire says the retirement of Nathan Merritt has given his teammates a chance to reflect on the culture the club has created ahead of Friday’s NRL preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters.

Merritt, 31, broke the club’s long-standing try-scoring mark with his 145th four-pointer earlier this year and announced his retirement in a packed conference room at Redfern Oval on Wednesday before family, friends, teammates and club officials.

Souths boss Shane Richardson and captain John Sutton said Merritt had played a key role in lifting the Rabbitohs from the competition cellar in 2002, when they returned to the competition and the one-time NSW representative made his NRL debut, to their status as premiership heavyweights today.

Boom rookie Alex Johnston has been preferred on the Rabbitohs wing over Merritt by Maguire since mid-season.

Merritt won’t play in the ANZ Stadium clash against Souths’ bitter arch-rivals but he has been training with the squad in the lead up and Maguire said his 13-year career would prove an inspiration to teammates ahead of the clash with the Roosters.

“I’m sure it will,” he said.

“He has played a big part in where we are now.

“Everything Nathan has done has been about the team and we enjoy having him around the boys all the time.”

Merritt said he would be a happy viewer on Friday.

“I’m still part of the team, I am training with the boys and I’m looking forward to cheering them on,” he said.

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