XIII Oceans

St Helens v Leeds

Say what you want about Super League Grand Finals because invariably they bring together the most evenly matched teams complete with heroic tales with this final chapter now ready for writing.  Last week Jamie Peacock provided the story of legend with a 200m+ game as his Leeds side smothered a gallant Wigan one to set up this year’s climax.  Only a week before, Saints had neutered the world’s premier rugby league forward and his supporting cast.  Even Paul Haggis couldn’t script this one.

For many it’s a dull re-tread of the usual suspects.  Saints v Leeds might be the country’s most attractive footballing teams but they also represent a continued presence of the sports established clubs.  However, for fans of both teams this is not a dull re-tread.  This is hot, sweaty, physical man-on-man action with blondes, brunettes, redheads and shaven-headed savages.  Testosterone overload, rippling thighs and pumping muscles.  No Girls Aloud!

The threequarters
Never underestimate the difference that these can have on the outcome of a game.  Last year Leeds’ finishing power was there for all to see and crucial in determining who became champions.  Last week, Wigan’s threequarters dropped the ball repeatedly and effectively cost them any chance of competing.  Toopi’s loss remains a point of concern for Leeds fans, Saints perceived lack of pure speed their’s.  Against each other there is little to choose with Leeds regularly shifting the ball towards Senior to isolate him against Sean Long who did cope admirably last time out.  In the semi-final that wasn’t always the case and this match-up is a potentially game winning scenario for Leeds.  On the other wing you have the excitement machine that is Francis Meli.  With or without the ball the anticipation rises when he’s involved with the play.  Will he explode through the defence?  Will he pretend to diffuse a bomb?  And what about the electrifying pace of Scott Donald?  There’s little to choose between the two sides despite differing strengths.  Senior isn’t just important running at Long, he gives yardage and relief to his forwards in a similar manner to Saints’ left centre pairing.  Meli, Donald, Gidley and Senior are all potential gamebreakers.  Perhaps you won’t be mentioning some of these players in the same sentence as your personal favourites but don’t discredit the times they have broken the backs of the opposition because these are some of the best competitors to grace this fixture and we haven’t even mentioned the men at the back.

Half backs
I’ve touched upon this several times recently and don’t want to dwell too much on those past mentioned comments.  The two best half back pairings in the competition?  Probably.  Both all-British as well (when was the last time a non-British half backs influenced the Grand Final result? 2003?).  Pryce is the stand out player of the four, his contribution to success for his club and country is unquestionable and he remains one of the most prominent big game players of the professional era.  Alongside him is another in Sean Long.  Let’s not praise the Saints pairing too easily because in 2007 Rob Burrow took home the Harry Sunderland Trophy and both Long and Pryce where subdued.  Winning this battle is often dependent upon the forward battle but with that expected to be nip and tuck what extra these players can give their side will swing the game.

Forwards
Can you clearly pick a favourite in this?  Leeds completely dominated Wigan having been dominated themselves the week before.  Was that defeat at Saints a sorely needed wake-up call?  Wigan’s pack gave a better game than most expected, frustrating the Rhinos at the PTB and making some inroads.  Which set is the more fatigued?  Is it fatigue or just the demeanour of being battle-hardened?  There are so many interesting questions that you can ask about each pack.  You want graft?  They’ve both got it.  You want monster hits?  Ellis and Cunningham can oblige.  Yardage?  You know the men.  Line breaking?  Ball handling?  Both sides have every weapon you expect from a championship winning side.  Your attention shifts towards the two men of steel but overlook the rest with your own ignorance.  JJB stood up and went over the top last week with Peacock, Fozzard with Graham the week before.  All that and we’ve not even mentioned the distributors or defence.  Has there ever been two more equally matched sets of big men in a Super League Grand Final?

How is this game going to be won?  How much of a part are the conditions going to play?  What factor will last year’s final and this year’s head-to-heads play?  I would say less so than usual because these are two well-matched teams that like to promote the ball and will be equally penalised by any adverse environmental effects.  Lawrie Daley commenting about the State Of Origin clashes made the assertion that at the highest level there is little to choose between competitors’ skill levels in league and that the difference between winning and losing is usually down to mental toughness.  I couldn’t agree more.  Draw!