10 moments that led to Roosters and Raiders 2019 grand final
The fortunes of a football team’s whole season can hinge on just a few key plays, a heated argument off the field or one coach’s decision to sign a player. Nick Walshaw takes a look at some of the moments that helped lead to the NRL grand final showdown between the Raiders and the Roosters.
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One key moment in a rugby league match or something that happened off the field all played a part in how the Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters came to make it to the NRL grand final.
Nick Walshaw looks at the top 10 incidents which led to the last two teams standing in 2019.
1. THE FOX FUMBLES
With three minutes to play in week one of the NRL finals, Melbourne winger Josh Addo-Carr was carting the pigskin footy off his own tryline, just like he’s done a hundred times before — often spectacularly.
Better, his Stormers aren’t only up by four, but have kept Canberra scoreless since the third minute of what has since evolved into a slobberknocker.
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So now as he works the ball upfield, and with the clock ticking down, you have to wonder what could possibly go wrooooo … oh, $%.
In one of the great sliding doors moments of 2019, Fox fumbles, John Bateman scores, Canberra win, get a week off, then play South Sydney at home, in front of a sold-out crowd, which cheer them to defend eight sets, a feat no less than Darren Lockyer reckons would have proved impossible at any other venue.
Oh yeah, it also keeps Canberra from the side of the draw boasting reigning premiers and competition favourites, the Roosters.
2. RUSSELL CROWE INVITES HIS RABBITOHS OVER FOR A BEER
So a Hollywood megastar invites you to his sprawling North Coast hideaway for a few quiet beers. Beautiful. What could possibly go wrong?
Um, how about South Sydney losing playmaker Luke Keary, the livewire No.6 who is now the reigning Clive Churchill medallist and a playmaker so dominant, even Cooper Cronk calls him the “boss”.
Back in 2016, Souths owner Crowe invited his squad for what was supposed to be a fun, pre-season bonding drink at his Nana Glen farm.
Instead, it turned ‘Code Red’ when Keary got into a heated argument with the Gladiator inside his backyard bar — aptly dubbed The Blind Rabbit — and, soon after, stormed off into the night.
A moment on which the future of both clubs were forever altered.
3. NRL MISS HODGO HIA ASSESSMENT
How the bloody hell did no one see Josh Hodgson, after attempting a tackle on Souths prop Liam Knight last Friday night, then fall onto his back, attempt to get up, struggles, stumble, then stumble again, before eventually rejoining the Canberra defensive line?
Truly, the code now has umpteen people charged with spotting such head injury symptoms. But on this night, play on. As far as sliding doors moments go, this was a big 'un.
Especially given that instead of leaving the field for the mandatory 10 minutes of HIA testing, the Raiders No.9 instead went and orchestrated one try, saved another and generally turned the match. As far as getting the Raiders into the GF, this was the moment.
4. DESSIE HASLER REFUSES TO SIGN MITCH MOSES
Somewhere in 2017, Canterbury officials were talking with uncontracted Wests Tigers James Tedesco, Aaron Woods and Mitch Moses about a switch to Belmore. And all three, the story goes, were ready to sign.
But coach Des Hasler didn’t want Moses, which at the time wasn’t really unsurprising.
Regardless, Tedesco and Woods were sent to a meeting with Hasler where they tried to convince the coach that Mitchell should sign too.
Tedesco saying: “I want to play for the Dogs but I need to know who the halves will be. If you sign Mitchell, I will sign tomorrow. I’m with you.”
But Dessie, he said no. So Teddy joined the Roosters instead.
5. WORST BUYS IN PARRAMATTA HISTORY
Shortly before quitting his role as Parramatta head coach in 2013, Ricky Stuart signed Englishmen Gareth Hock and Lee Mossop. Don’t remember them? No shame in that.
Especially given Hock never arrived and Mossop, well, he showed up with a shoulder so busted he missed the first three months of footy.
Then, when he did play, lasted just three games, busted his shoulder again and soon after disappeared to Wigan, while the Slipperies still pay what will forever be among their worst buys. And the point of all this?
Well, with all his bad luck involving English imports now used up, Stuart arrived in Canberra and signed Josh Hodgson, John Bateman, Elliott Whitehead and Ryan Sutton.
6. KNIGHTS SCOUT SCOFFS AT LAZY LATRELL
Nobody inside Newcastle HQ will admit to it, but back in 2012, during a Harold Matthews trial game, a young Latrell Mitchell was playing for his place in the Knights backline when, among those watching on, the word ‘lazy’ was attributed to the youngster from Taree. And so, Mitchell never got picked.
Instead, heading further down the F3 to play with the Central Coast — where, of course, he would eventually star and quickly be headhunted by the Roosters.
As an aside, the Knights also lost current Canberra grand finalists Joseph Tapine and Joey Leilua, plus once had Roosters premiership coach Trent Robinson on staff.
7. WARRIORS PUNT COACH ANDREW MCFADDEN
OK, stay with us on this one. After six seasons on the Warriors coaching staff, including three in the top job, 'Cappy' McFadden was unceremoniously dumped for the 2017 season, replaced by Stephen Kearney.
Yet within a year, the retired playmaker was back on the tools at his old club Canberra, assisting to Ricky Stuart. And guess who convinced Sticky to pinch Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad from across the ditch?
“Wouldn't be here now without him,” the Raiders breakout star said this week of McFadden.
“He’s got me this job. A lot more too. He’s actually my mentor. Whenever I’m struggling with something, I go to him. He’s done so much for my mental state, dealing with things.”
8. MELBOURNE WOMEN FAIL TO SNARE COOPER CRONK
Righto, so this one is a stretch. But given Cooper Cronk moved to Sydney, and the Roosters, for love, you have to wonder how the NRL landscape would look now if his lovely wife and Fox Sports presenter Tara Rushton hailed from, say, St Kilda, Toorak, even bloody Collingwood. Or even if in his first 14 years at Storm, there had been a local girl catch his eye.
Point is, the decision to move north to be with his now wife, and mum of the couple’s little boy, Lennox, has had a huge impact on both clubs.
Indeed, had Cronk stayed in Melbourne, you have to think in would be the Storm vying for consecutive titles this Sunday.
9. PAPA PILES ON THE KEGS
Seems hard to believe now, but early last season Josh Papalii was dumped to NSW Cup by Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, having piling on more than a couple of kegs.
Overweight and underperforming, the Queensland Origin was axed in a move that could’ve sent his career spiralling.
Instead, the big unit took the decision on the chin — or chins — and spent his time in reggies dropping weight, reviving his game and starting on a run that now sees him enter grand final week with Stuart hailing him the greatest player in the NRL.
10. JOEY MANU FLOUNDERS IN DEFENCE
Back in 2017, as the Roosters were on the eve of yet another NRL finals series, coach Trent Robinson made the controversial call to axe rising centre Joseph Manu in favour of ageing Mr Fix It, Mitch Aubusson.
And why? Well, every defensive decision Joey made was bloody ordinary. Over and over.
Still, Robinson’s move was heavily questioned by many, especially when the Tricolours were bundled out of the preliminary finals by North Queensland. But guess what?
“That decision really made me the player I am now,” the New Zealand Test star said this week.
“Getting left out of those finals, it wasn’t good. Especially because I thought I had the strike required for the team. But my defence, it really was bad. So I went away all summer and practised. Extra tackling after every training session.”
And the result? A fella now in the conversation for world’s greatest centre.