I wrote earlier this week about the AFL Grand Final and the necessity for Hawthorn to defend the honour of Melbourne and Victoria against the interstate invasion perpetuated by the Sydney Swans.
However, if I were a New South Welshman and a keen rugby fan, the article may have gone very differently. NSW’s sport, rugby league, culminates this weekend in their Grand Final, where they face a similar proposition to the Victorians grumbling about “those pesky Sydneysiders.”
For the last decade or so the Melbourne Storm have been beating the multitude of NSW teams at their own game. Boasting some of the best players in the competition, names like Slater, Smith and Cronk, the Storm have been perennial contenders. They were so good, that even in a season where the team played for no points due to a salary cap breach, they still finished with the same amount of points as the fourth placed team.
So those names, the Cronks, the Slaters and the Smiths, ride into Sydney again, weirdly mirroring the AFL finals series in that a interstate team will compete in a sport that isn’t their “forte”, so to speak. The Storm will face a determined Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs outfit, who in the 78th year of their decorated history have beaten dogged challengers Manly-Warringah and South Sydney to reach the Grand Final.
Somewhat scarily, Canterbury-Bankstown have two of 2012’s top 6 try scorers in their line up. Ben Barba and Josh Morris will look to cause havoc for Melbourne’s wingers, with the monstrous Frank Pritchard a surefire headache for the Storm. Ex-Manly stalwart and 2012 Coach of the Year Des Hasler, who was at the helm when Manly dismantled Melbourne in 2008, also leads the Bulldogs. His inside information will no doubt come in handy.
The invaders, this time Victorian, are by no means weaponless. Outstanding fullback Billy Slater is one of the speediest in the competition, and inspirational captain Cameron Smith shows no signs of slowing down in the twilight of his career. A fire burns in the Melbourne camp regarding their championships being taken off them for salary cap breaches and no doubt their entire focus will be on going into the lion’s den and snatching the championship for the glory of Victoria.
NSW and Victoria each have the honour of having a team from their dominant sporting code representing their state in the grand final. But it is truly a year for state pride, with everything on the line against each code’s interstate raiders. Will the states split the honours? Will Victoria emerge with both the AFL and the NRL trophies? Or will NSW wrestle the title of sporting glory away from the Victorians?
I’ve already tipped Hawthorn by 8 points and I will admit that state bias took a very heavy hold of my typing hand, but the Storm are a champion team with talent in every position. The Bulldogs have scoring firepower and a massive defense. I will tip a draw at the end of regular time, with the Storm winning in golden point time.
