Cowboys should play Matt Scott if he’s fit, but can the Broncos hurt the Storm?
PAUL Green’s thinking about Matt Scott is the same as mine. If he is fit to play, there is no risk in putting him on the park, writes MAL MENINGA.
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PAUL Green’s thinking about Matt Scott is exactly the same as mine. If he is fit to play, there is absolutely no risk in putting him on the park.
Green’s decision to name Scott on an extended bench for the preliminary final against the Roosters this weekend has already been successful — whether Scott plays or not.
At this time of the year, coaches are looking for any advantage they can find. Green’s little smokebomb by naming Scott was a perfect distraction to keep the Roosters, the media and everyone else guessing his weekend so the Cowboys and their coach could concentrate on getting their game right while everyone else was talking about Scott.
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Will Scott play? Who knows? The point is, Roosters coach Trent Robinson doesn’t know either, so he will have had to have spent a portion of his week devoted to the possibility Scott will play, and how to stop him.
That is time he ordinarily could have spent on something else, and if Scott doesn’t play, then it was time the Roosters wasted.
Smart play from Green.
But I don’t think it is all smoke and mirrors. Knowing Matt the way I do, I know he would have put in everything to try to get back on the field this year. To be named on an extended bench must mean he is very close.
Justin O’Neill has shown that a return after a long lay-off is no bad thing for your senior players. For Matt, the chance to get back on the field and play injury free for the first time in ages must be a big lure.
If he plays, he will perform like he always does — and I would have no hesitation picking him to play for Australia at the World Cup.
Like Paul Green, I know how good Matt Scott is. And I know that he is too good to go without if he is available.
COWBOYS ON A ROLL
FINALS matches are all about momentum. The Cowboys have plenty of it, and the Roosters have none.
The Roosters had last weekend off, and only time will tell if that was a blessing, because their previous two performances against Brisbane and the Titans were below par for them.
Trent Robinson will be hoping the week off will give his team the chance to reset and recalibrate to get back on track.
Where the Roosters need to pick up the most is their error rate, because the Cowboys will kill them if they keep coughing up the ball like they have in recent times.
By comparison, the Cowboys last weekend completed all 18 of their first-half sets with no errors. They strangled Parramatta out of the contest.
The Roosters got out of jail against the Titans and Broncos in their past two games, and they had to because they put themselves under so much pressure.
The Cowboys will not be so forgiving. If the Roosters don’t respect the ball, the Cowboys win.
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BRONCOS LACK FIREPOWER
BRISBANE’S defence is good enough to stand firm against Melbourne’s attack. The big question is whether the Broncos’ attack is good enough to dent the Storm’s defence.
In my opinion, it is not. And that is why I expect the Storm to win.
There is no chance of Melbourne being anything less than fully focused — Craig Bellamy would have made sure of that after they got away from their plans and structures in week one of the finals.
Melbourne will be ready. Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk will all be aware that this game could be their last together in the Storm’s purple jersey. It certainly is at AAMI Park regardless of the performance.
They will lift for the big occasion, like they always do.
Brisbane on the other hand should have been rejoicing in the return of Darius Boyd this week, but tragic circumstances have now put a question mark over this.
Darius is Brisbane’s leader, and critically important to everything they do in attack and defence.
But a dodgy hamstring and the sad passing of his grandmother during the week have made it even tougher for Darius to deliver when the Broncos need him most.
Will Melbourne exploit him? Of course, they are ruthless professionals. They will kick low to test his hamstring, and kick high to test his mind.
Only Darius knows if he can compartmentalise a tough couple of weeks and keep Brisbane in the race.
PLAYING FOR A DREAM
LASTLY, congratulations to both the Sunshine Coast and the PNG Hunters on making this weekend’s Intrust Super Cup grand final.
It is a terrific effort from the two youngest clubs in the competition.
The Hunters are taking another mighty step forward in their dream of playing in the NRL.
That goal remains some distance away but it gets closer with every successful season where they build upon the year before.
Originally published as Cowboys should play Matt Scott if he’s fit, but can the Broncos hurt the Storm?
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