Was lucky enough to be the game this arvo…what an effort from all the players and not forgetting the Panthers fans who created a fantastic atmosphere. Still recovering. Lets go Panthers.
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The rugby was better than bothering about the AFL (imho).
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AFL GF is almost as sacred as NRL GF for me. Might get a chance to watch rugby tomorrow
Woke up with a headache this morning, it’s the least I could do for the boys.
I’d be happy to arrange another, for just 1 more win. 
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There was a moment last night which showed 2 things
And both were magnified in the same incident
Panthers were attacking and pass was forced and went to ground when Papenhuyzen swooped on the ball and raced downfield only to be chased down by 4 players and this is where the difference is shown
JFH who was broken and collapsed when Paps was caught by Sorenson with Edwards looming in support but T May couldn’t even break into sprint and was left floundering
Not that he didn’t show courage, it showed just how much either out of condition or simply unfit to be on the paddock.
Whereas JFH was monumental in his effort along with Sorenson and Edwards and to me had shades of the Sattler effort in that GF win.
Come next week we will not be able to afford to carry anyone…we will have a wounded JFH,TPJ,Too and Cleary.
Too was hobbling badly as he walked away from the post match interviews and Cleary took a heavy head knock plus he was favouring his shoulder.
The risk is to play someone in the GF who is just Ok, all players will have lingering injuries and most will be managing these as we have with Too and Cleary in particular.
It will be balance of managing players eagerness to play against the reality of their injury and the greater good of having the best and fittest running onto the field
A player can go his entire career without even playing in a GF let alone winning one and the emotions, temptations will be enormous of the playing group and coaching staff.
My hope would be all are available but that’s a hope…the reality will be far from that.
I hope the boys recover from last night well.
My apologies just rewatched and it was Hughes they ran down
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Last year when the siren went at the end of the GF at the ground I was obviously initially disappointed & sad, but my thoughts turned to hope that we would get a chance again next year. Hey it’s next year and we get the chance next Sunday.
All the work that the boys have put in was seemingly focused just on just the same thing. We have some injury concerns, and now will not go into the game as underdogs, but everyone of the players and support staff deserve credit for what they have again achieved.
I was totally worn out last night, so can only imagine how the players felt. Every player deserves a wrap for the way they played last night. They worked for one another & stood tall when lesser people would have failed - so proud today.
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Without a doubt every player played their part in the teams outstanding performance.
A couple of special call outs;
Edwards - I have said before that he is the games number 1 defensive fullback, while he doesn’t have the attack of Turbo or Tedesco he is miles ahead of Turbo when it comes to defense.
It not just his goal line defensive and positioning either, it’s what you see he does off the ball when watching from the ground. He’s constantly barking orders to get our players in position. Another worthier MOTM performance, not to mention his 200m + running.
To’o - the story goes he played a full game in his school final, broke his leg in the game, missed the bus, then walked on a broken leg to Penrith for Harold Mathews or SG ball tryouts.
We all know he is tough as guts, and his 200m+ is all the more special considering his injured ankle and his metres are all gained around the ruck. Even if he’s limping in training I’d still have him in the side.
Yeo - His post match press conference said to me he will be our coach one day. As for what he brings to the field, he is a number 7 in a big body, his control of the game allows Cleary to play more like a 5/8, and gives him room to move. Starting to become our greatest ever lock forward.
Our outside forwards - Martin, Capewell and Sorensen - these three almost tackled themselves to the limit. Try saving tackles, I’m lost for words. Thankfully Martin and Capewell have found their early season form at the right time. Normally we speak highly of the middle (and rightfully so) but Boone got through our edge defensive last night.
I could call out the whole team, and am so stoked we are in the big one again.
Well done to the coach for our coaching Bellyache. That trick play for the first try was something special, and kudos to Cleary and Yeo in the press conference for acknowledging they stole it off Tedesco.
Hopefully we have studied the bunnies just as well as we did the storm.
Who was that mullet guy in the number 1 for Melbourne. We made papa who look like the pretender he is.
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I’ve seen the doing the rounds. All it proves is that the video is more conclusive than a still shot 
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Steve, Your man Capewell was FRIGGEN AWESOME !
I cannot believe there isn’t more being said about the Rema Smith right hook on Martin after he just copped a high shot…that was a send off every day of the week.
They (officials) tried very hard to get the Storm home, and we are going to have to beat that adversity again in the GF. All the talk is Bennet’s last game, Benji retiring & Reynolds moving on…the NRL love a fairytale !!!
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I saw the swinging arm from Smith as well. Obvious as all get out and Sutton - crickets.
What! That means that we’ll be back to having two referees.
who else are we saying good bye to?
Burton
Naden
Capewell
It would be fitting to send he players leaving/retiring out on a great note
Burton has been a standout for me considering he signed to leave us so early in the season, you could also forgive him in being distracted or indeed running dead to keep himself for his new club but he has shown maturity and skills which are amazing.
Capewell is another who has developed his game with us and his best may be ahead of him.
Naden, i hope he finds his feet and his place in a new team.
I touched on before playing in a GF is something even greats don’t get to do and to win a GF in a club elevates you to legend status for that club and yourself personally
No one deserves to win a GF but hope the three recognise this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and make sure whatever they do on Sunday, is the very best they can do on the day.
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Here’s a few comments (a bit late, but that’s life) :-
Does Munster ever get up from being tackled without whinging about something?
Does Munster ever make a tackle without trying for a strip? And is this becoming a Melbourne thing?
The play-the-ball has clearly become a tin of worms. It was supposed to be a focal point for the referees crackdown a few years back, but you wouldn’t know it. It should be simple; stand up, place the ball and rake it back. The marker can’t rake, so there is no excuse for botching it. But now, so many players (Melbourne at the top of the list) place the ball while still on the ground, then rise up off the ball. Worse, as they rake the ball, they lunge forward, taking the marker of our play. This was exemplified by the brain-dead Solomona towards the end of the game. As he played the ball, he never stood up; rather he lunged forward at the marker (Burton, who was on his knees) forcing him further back onto his arse – and then Melbourne get the penalty. F@%k me, what game was the ref watching? That could have cost us the game.
Part of the play-the-ball fiasco is how the man being tackled keeps going forward (typically crawling) after being tackled, ending up past the marker who has remained motionless and is then pinged for not standing correctly. I might be biased (OK, I’m one-eyed), but this is something that other teams do more than us (again, Melbourne typify the action – just watch their hookers).
The citing of Fish for slapping the arse of Munster must the funniest and most bizarre in NRL history.
How many Melbourne passes were ‘flat’? Forward passes are a great way to make a line break. But, until the NRL adjudicates forward passes against the lines on the field, and gets rid of the implied relative motion ‘out-of-the-hands’ concept, this curse will persist. It has to be an objective ruling, not a subjective one.
Leniu was great; he must have run out of angry-pills. He’s earned a spot in the GF.
There must be something in this ‘Scott’ thing in making heroic try-saving tackles. First we had Scott Sattler, now we have Scott Sorensen. And I couldn’t agree more about T May’s apparent half-hearted attempted chase.
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Do you think Kikau is a liability in defence?
His mobility (left/right) often allows the attacker to step one way or another and ‘big bill’ throws that arm out often resulting in a penalty.
Don’t know what can be done about it, if anything. Me I’ll just keep the fingers crossed.
Now, I’ve been watching Nigel Plum on YouTube, feed this to Viliame.
I’m sore just watching this stuff. You want to appreciate defence. Our blokes must’ve been fed this footage before the Storm matchup brrrr!
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I do wonder if Sattler gave them a pep talk too
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