Grand Final Preview

As the Roosters and the Dragons start to prepare for the biggest game of their lives, I thought I'd take a quick look at what both teams will bring to the game and what we can expect to see.

The Roosters

The fairytale continues for the lads from Bondi - it's easy to forget that they nabbed the wooden spoon with some atrocious footy last year. I've asked myself a few times what could have led to this dramatic change and I've got two answers - Brian Smith and Todd Carney.

Some may look at Smith's time at Newcastle and say "he's useless" but if you cast your eye further back to when he coached St George and Parramatta, his pedigree becomes more obvious. He led them to four Grand Finals - sure they lost them all but you can't get there without being somewhat successful.

As for Carney, I've always said he is one of the most natural ball players that I've seen in a few years. He was a moderately successful fullback but he has really come into his own at five-eighth. This season proves that once he stops setting peoples pants on fire, he can be as devastating as anyone in the NRL.

The Dragons

There's not much more to say about the Dragons that hasn't already been said. The obvious factor is Wayne Bennett, the super-coach that led my beloved lads to six premierships. What I will say is that I don't think the Dragons have as many impact players that can split the opposition apart compared the Roosters. The Roosters have Carney, Pearce, Minichello, SKD. The Dragons have Creagh and Morris...anyone else see the problem? The Dragons make up for it with consistency across the park - the only weak link I can see is Ben Hornby. I don't rate the guy one bit. Watching him against the Tigers, his only achievement was a few smart grubber kicks. Soward was left to handle the attacking workload and he did so, barely.

The Usual Grand Final Controversy

Almost like clockwork, there is minor controversy leading into the decider. Dean Young is embroiled in a racial slur drama which is sure to provide some distraction to this weeks preparation. Apparently he called Robbie Farah a "f**king wog". Farah was content not making a complaint on the field however it was clearly detected by the on-field microphones. I just hope that the appropriate punishment is given as racial slurs have no place in this game.

My Prediction?

I won't lie, I don't like the Dragons. Not one bit. Wayne coaches them, we beat them in numerous Grand Finals and Illawarra had Rod Wishart for god's sake. I'm not a big fan of the Roosters either, case in point is Phil Gould. So from a fan's point of view, I want the Roosters to win. From a neutral point of view, these two are hard to split. On one hand you've got the most consistent team in the NRL vs. arguably the most exciting team. My prediction is the Roosters by 14.