Grand Final Buzz: Can't keep a champion like Sonny Bill Williams down

BLOG with Buzz: THERE'S an old rule in sports writing that you never bag champions. At halftime on Sunday night, I was thinking about breaking it.

THERE'S an old rule in sports writing that you never bag champions. At halftime on Sunday night, I was thinking about breaking it.

Sonny Bill Williams, by his lofty standards, had played a shocking opening 40 minutes. In the third minute a loose pass went to ground. In the seventh he lost possession in a  tackle by Kieran Foran. CLICK HERE TO BLOG MONDAY WITH BUZZ It was a costly blunder because Manly scored from the next set. Swift and slick hands to the left saw Jorge Taufua charge across in the corner. Sonny Bill arrived too late in cover defence to stop the big Manly winger. He coughed the football up again in the 21st minute, an offload falling loose in  traffic. He also missed three tackles in the first half. Should I break the old rule? Then all of a sudden, like most champions do, he produces the magic moment. In the 60th minute from deep in his own territory he hit the line and unloaded to put James Maloney away. Maloney passes to Minichiello and on to Shaun Kenny-Dowall for the scoreboard-equalling try. Five minutes later he defuses a bomb from Daly Cherry-Evans with his team under enormous pressure, right under his posts. Someone had to be there and it was him. Like any champion would be. And then the sensational 40m burst in the 71st minute to earn the field position for Michael Jennings’ matchwinner. The oldest rule in sports writing proven right yet again. Manly had the better of the opening 20 minutes. A 14th minute gang tackle involving Lyon, Glenn Stewart and Brenton Lawrence drove Daniel Tupou 15 minutes back into his in-goal. It was a tackle that showed Manly had turned up pumped and passionate. Tupou soon recovered to score the Roosters’ first try. Who needs Israel Folau with this youngster on the end of the Roosters’ backline? This kid, 195cm and 100kg, is a sensational player. Just like last week’s semi-final, he leapt high in the air, towering over David Williams, grabbed the football and then touched down in the one motion. The defence was just as awesome in the second-half. A Steve Matai tackle smashed Aidan Guerra in the ribs and shook both the stadium - and the ball - loose. Sadly, the refereeing was no improvement on what we’ve seen all season. Manly, trailing 8-6, had a chance for one last first-half challenge in the 39th minute. Jamie Lyon drilled the ball towards touch and it clearly came off a Roosters’ boot on its way over the sideline. It should have been a Manly feed with a couple of tackles before the siren. Inexplicably they gave the Roosters the feed. A minor error, maybe, but potentially a costly one. There were a number of other first-half mistakes. Mitchell Pearce clearly knocked on in the third minute. Everyone but Ben Cummins and Shayne Hayne saw it. Less than 10 minutes later Kieran Foran was ruled to have lost control in the play-the-ball. Replays showed Pearce had interfered. And then there was the Jared Waerea-Hargreaves headbutt they missed. At least they got the penalty try call right. Lyon would have scored for sure if Mitchell Aubusson had not taken him from behind as they chased down a Cherry-Evans kick. But in the end it didn’t matter. The Roosters have been the best team all year and deserved  victory. And Sonny Bill confirmed what we already knew - that he’s an out and out champion. *** Friend in need earns ultimate redemption THE look etched across Jake Friend’s face was one of misery and desperation. We’re sitting in a restaurant in his hometown of Noosa, five days before Christmas, 2009. The Roosters had just shredded the 19-year-old’s contract, leaving him unemployed with a shocking rap sheet that included high-range drink-driving, charges of assault and abusing police. You’d back his career to be over. As the entrée arrives he starts telling his story. “I have no excuses for anything that’s happened,” he said. “I’m the only one responsible for the position I’m in. “Please don’t turn this into another ‘I’m sorry’ story. Of course I regret my actions and I’m really sorry for what I’ve done to the Roosters, my family and friends. But I see the next part of my life as an opportunity to become a better person rather than worry about the past. "I can’t change anything that’s happened.” Four years later and the change is simply remarkable. Via a six-month stint washing dishes at a Surry Hills sandwich shop, Friend returned to the Roosters and on to the game’s biggest stage Sunday night. He was outstanding in the second half to help inspire the Roosters’ fightback. No one deserved the premiership ring more than Friend. The look etched across his face at full-time was so different to Noosa. One of the great rugby league comebacks had been completed. *** News_Rich_Media: Penalty Try? Jamie Lyon puts Manly into the lead THE BUZZ FIVE 1. Australia’s Test selectors got the Clive Churchill Medal wrong. When a team wins a grand final by eight, surely the man-of-the-match can’t go to a player in a losing side. The Roosters had any number of players worthy of the award including five-eighth James Maloney, hooker Jake Friend or Sonny Bill Williams for his second-half attack. Surely Friend will be chosen on the World Cup tour as back-up to Cameron Smith. 2. Who needs Israel Folau in rugby league when we’ve already got Daniel Tupou on the Roosters left wing. He again showed remarkable skill to score his team’s opening try, leaping AFL style, way above David Williams, to grab the ball and touch down. This youngster is getting better and better and will become an absolute superstar of the game. 3. The penalty try to Jamie Lyon was one of the few decisions the referees got right. There was absolutely no doubt Jamie Lyon was going to score before Mitchell Aubusson tackled him from behind. It was one of those decisions that could have shattered the Roosters at such a crucial moment of the grand final. Every player showed great composure to get on with the job of winning the game. 4. Kiwi Test centre Steve Matai took home one award - best tackle of the night for his magnificent hit on Aidan Guerra in the second-half, which shook the ball loose. Still, the defence from both sides was nothing like the semi-final from three weeks ago when only four points were scored in 80 minutes. On Sunday night the two teams scored 44 points. 5. Goal-kicking will always make a difference in finals football. James Maloney banged over five from five, a couple of them difficult shots. He has been a fantastic buy for the Roosters. *** HIGHLIGHT THE mighty Sharks winning Sunday’s NSW Cup. A massive night at the King Wan. LOWLIGHT NO ONE can find the key to the trophy cabinet. Went missing in ’79, moments after the Amco Cup was placed inside. *** WITH reserve grade making a comeback next year, the NRL should move Holden Cup to Wednesday nights with a double-header televised live on Fox Sports, just like college football in the US Venues such as Leichhardt Oval, Belmore Sports ground, Redfern Oval and Penrith Stadium and would be perfect to host the games. *** CHRIS Warren, the son of broadcasting legend Ray Warren, *** GREAT to see Dave Smith out there mixing with the punters. The NRL CEO spent an hour mingling with fans and enjoying a beer in the concourse area during Holden Cup. *** SALLY Ms 3. David Williams - the Wolfman produced a couple of howlers in defence that cost the Sea Eagles two tries. 2. The referees - got too many decisions wrong in the first half. 1. Gus Gould - bring back Bill Lawry and Richie for the summer.