Click photo to enlarge
Manu Vatuvei (left), of the New Zealand Warriors, and David
Williams, of the Manly Sea Eagles, contest a high ball
during the second NRL preliminary final match at the Sydney
Football Stadium in Sydney on Saturday night. Photo by
Getty.
It probably hurts to concede it, but New Zealand Warriors
coach Ivan Cleary admits the best two teams will line up in the
NRL grand final.
Last year's top two, Melbourne and Manly, who finished first
and second in the regular season, will stage a repeat in
Sydney next week after a brace of one-sided wins.
Meanwhile, Cleary's brave but beaten Warriors nursed their
physical and mental wounds under the Sydney Football Stadium
grandstand on Saturday night, reflecting on how a grand final
was a bridge too far from eighth place after the regular
season.
They had already achieved more than any other eighth-placed
side under the decade-long McIntyre finals system - with
pulsating wins over the Storm and Roosters - but Saturday
night it was a one-horse race as Manly bolted home 32-6,
seven tries to one.
From the time try-bound Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei had the
ball jolted from his grasp in the fifth minute, there was
only going to be one result.
"They've been very good over the last two seasons. This year
maybe the field's catching up but you can't deny either of
them a spot in the big one after what's happened the last
couple of days," Cleary said.
"It highlights the fact that we've had some tough games
lately and throw in the fact that we've travelled a fair bit.
But Manly had to play well to make that point valid."
Manly had a week off but there was no rustiness as it started
like a steam train, with Cleary describing it as accurate and
fast in all it did.
Dally M player of the year Matt Orford and five-eighth Jamie
Lyon were in everything, Kiwis centre Steve Matai was
outstanding despite an ongoing right shoulder injury while
pacy back rowers Anthony Watmough and Glenn Stewart were
lethal on the fringes.
The Warriors had no answer, bar a consolation try to Aidan
Kirk in the 75th minute as their big chunk of fans in the
crowd of 32,095 went silent.
But captain Steve Price bristled when asked of his
disappointment at not sending out their departing hero Ruben
Wiki a winner.
"We did mate. We played three extra weeks, more than anyone
expected us to. Whether we finished three weeks ago or not,
he's still right up on the pedestal," Price said.
"He loved playing with his mates and we had a fantastic ride
and it was a lot to do with him.
"The courage he showed really inspired a lot of our younger
guys. Every guy stepped up in a different way than they ever
have."
The Warriors were clinging on at 0-4 down after half an hour,
but four Manly tries in 17 minutes either side of half-time
and it was suddenly 22-0 in the 51st.
"The amount of possession they had and the field position; we
defended our hearts out but they scored those three tries,"
Price said.
"We kept turning up but it just wasn't quite enough.
"It doesn't matter who you're playing if you give them that
much ball."
Price toiled for the most metres for his side and will play
his 300th NRL match in next year's season opener.
He was confident a grand final would be even more realistic
for the club next year, particularly after the efforts of the
Junior Warriors, who lost 26-28 after conceding a late
Brisbane try in their Toyota Cup grand final qualifier.
- Mark Geenty.
