Rugby League Coach 1

From NRL.com - Corey Rosser writes: The Parramatta Eels will have the chance to end their 36-year Premiership drought next Sunday, after a 24-20 victory over theNQ Cowboys in Friday night’s Preliminary Final confirmed their spot in the NRL Grand Final for the first time since 2009.

Back-rower Shaun Lane and winger Maika Sivo were Parramatta’s heroes in the dying stages, both coming up with a series of clutch plays on either side of the ball, to help their side comeback from 20-12 with 25 minutes to play.

Front-rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard scored a try either side of half-time, in a game where the sides couldn't be split across the opening 40 minutes, despite the Parramatta Eels completing just 61 percent of their sets in a half which saw them make eight errors to North Queensland's three.

Parramatta Eel's back-rowers Isaiah Papali'i and Shaun Lane both left the field for head injury assessments in the first half, which they passed, while Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo spent 10 minutes in the bin for the should charge which resulted in Papali'i's HIA.

While the NQ Cowboys dominated the opening minutes, including a first set which saw them travel 95 metres down field, it was the Eels who struck first after a no-look pass from Mitchell Moses in the face of intense defensive pressure led to Will Pen*sini scoring.

The reply was swift and compelling from Reuben Cotter, who powered over Clinton Gutherson to get his side on the board, although seven minutes later the Cowboys cracked under the pressure of playing a man down and Reagan Campbell-Gillard strolled over.

Minutes after he saved a try with a tackle in the corner, Waqa Blake spilled a bomb which led to the Cowboys scoring on the next set through Luciano Leilua, and while Valentine Holmes missed the conversion, his penalty just before half-time ensured scores were tied 12-12 at the break.

Back-to-back infringements from the Eels gifted the Cowboys a penalty to take the lead 10 minutes into the second half, and a short time later clean hands from Scott Drinkwater and Holmes put Murray Taulagi over in the corner.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard's second four-pointer, and another Moses conversion pulled the Parramatta Eels back to within two points with 20 minutes to play, and they should have drawn even minutes later when Moses pushed a penalty attempt wide.

But it didn't matter in the end. Sivo's try off a brilliant pass from Lane gave the Parramatta Eels the lead with 15 to play, and from there Parramatta defended their line with everything they had, denying Kyle Feldt a try in the corner and surviving a final set from the Cowboys deep inside attacking territory.
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Match Snapshot:

* The Parramatta Eels are through to their first decider since 2009.

* Under heavy pressure, a no-look pass from Mitchell Moses found its way to the right edge and from there Will Pen*sini found the line for the opening try.

* A spirited carry from Reuben Cotter saw him explode through a gap and run over Clinton Gutherson five minutes later.

* With scores locked at 6-6, Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo was sent to the sin bin for a tackle in which his shoulder make contact with the head of Isaiah Papali'i and resulted in the Eels' forward leaving the field for a HIA, which he later passed.

* After Peta Hiku was penalised for a tackle off the ball, the Parramatta Eels made the home side pay with a try through Reagan Campbell-Gillard, which after Moses kicked his second conversion put the Eels up 12-6.

* Waqa Blake was all that stood between the Cowboys and a second try, with the winger sliding across to shove Murray Taulagi into touch just short of the try-line.

* A dropped bomb by Blake gifted North Queensland with field position in the lead up to Luciano Leilua powering over out wide, but they remained behind after Valentine Holmes pushed his conversion wide.

* Inside the last 10 minutes of the half Mitchell Moses put his side under pressure with back-to-back kicks out on the full.

* Parramatta Eels lost their captain's challenge two minutes from half-time after Junior Paulo was ruled to have made a second effort on a Griffin Neame lost ball, and on the ensuing penalty Holmes drilled it over from 40 metres out to tie scores at 12-all at the break.

* Holmes kicked a penalty to put his side in front early in the second half, and minutes later the hosts led by eight after a Murray Taulagi try and a sideline conversion from Holmes.

* The Cowboys successfully challenged an on-field ruling of a knock on from Holmes with 23 minutes to go, but an error on the next set gave the Eels the ball and a few tackles later Campbell-Gillard went over for his second.

* After Kyle Feldt was penalised for a high shot, Moses missed a shot to tie scores, but on the very next set a sublime pass from Shaun Lane sent Maika Sivo over for the go-ahead try.

* Sivo then turned try-saver, arriving late to put just enough pressure on Feldt to make the Cowboy put his foot on the sideline in the lead up to a would-be try.

* The Parramatta Eels completed at just 61 percent through the first half but were much improved in the second to finish the game with a 77 percent completion rate.

* Sivo has now scored five tries and provided a try assist in 184 minutes of game time against the Cowboys in his NRL career, he’s been directly involved in 15 tries in his last 11 matches overall (11 tries, 4 try assists).

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Play of the Game:
A crucial try-saver which kept the Parramatta Eels right in the contest. The NQ Cowboys looked for all money to have another try, but for the determined effort of the Parramatta Eels' skipper.
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What They Said:

* Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur said, “Really happy for the boys, we’ve made a lot of sacrifices along the way. Mitchell Moses made a massive sacrifice for his team-mates today, he didn’t get to see the birth of his daughter, that’s huge, it shows you what it means.

"You could see the last 10 minutes how we defended and kept turning up for each other, the boys really wanted it. We’ve got a lot of players that are leaving to go to other clubs but they’ve been a big part of what we’ve done and our boys want to make sure they cherish every last day they’ve got with each other.”

* NQ Cowboys coach Todd Payten said, "Yes absolutely [a missed opportunity]. To be 12-all at half-time, after having Jase (Taumalolo) in the bin for 10 minutes, I thought that was a really good effort. I thought we stayed composed, started the second half strong, but in the end Parramatta played finals footy for [longer].

"The way they managed the second half was much better than ours, I don’t think they made an error and the way they scrambled and defended their line, that’s the difference between a win and a loss."
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What's Next:

The Parramatta Eels get a chance to end their NRL Premiership drought in next Sunday's NRL Grand Final against either the Penrith Panthers or the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The NQ Cowboys will sit back and reflect on a remarkable season that saw them climb from 15th to second and get within one win of a NRL Grand Final.

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From NRL.com - All Australian music announced for Grand Final:
The NRL today revealed its support for the Australian Music industry by announcing a star-studded all-Aussie music line-up that will deliver two pre-game spectaculars for fans at this year’s NRL and NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final, to be held at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Sunday 2 October.

As one of the first codes in the world to return to entertain fans through lockdown, the NRL is keenly aware of the hope generated by resilience and the power music had to raise spirits during those times, and wishes to celebrate homegrown talent by offering up their biggest stage. It will be an unparalleled day of celebration.

The dynamic group of performers has been hand-picked to reflect the diversity and authenticity of Rugby League and its fans, bringing together real Australian stars from a range of genres and backgrounds to soundtrack the pinnacle of the NRL and NRLW seasons. The day will feature several performances integrated into the NRLW Grand Final, retiring players tribute and NRL Grand Final.

The NRLW Grand Final will be honoured with its own Pre-Game Show as powerhouse soul & blues vocalist, Mahalia Barnes, Western Sydney’s new queen of hip-hop & RnB, A.GIRL, and Emma Donovan team up to deliver a re-imagining of iconic Aussie classic, “The Real Thing”.

The NRL Grand Final Pre-Game Show will be headlined by the heart and soul of Australian rock and roll, Jimmy Barnes, with friends including ARIA-winning singer-songwriters, the mighty DIESEL and special guest Josh Teskey, alongside award-winning Indigenous singer-songwriter Emma Donovan.

Break-out Eurovision 2022 star Sheldon Riley will bring his spectacular style to Accor Stadium with a cinematic and unique performance.

Australian hip-hop legends Bliss n Eso (featuring JOY.) will perform their hit, “Moments”, paying tribute to the game’s retiring players.


Jimmy Barnes said: “Grand Final Day is a chance for us to all come together and celebrate with the best of the best. I can’t wait to perform with an exciting all-Australian Pre-Game Show line up in front of a full house again.”

Mahalia Barnes added, “I’m really looking forward to singing with A.GIRL and Emma Donovan at the 2022 NRLW Grand Final’s First Ever Pre-Game Show. It’s going to be a great afternoon filled with music and footy. Let’s hear it for the girls!”

The pre-game entertainment will also include a National Anthem performance by Alinta Chidzey, star of Moulin Rouge! The Musical – The Broadway Spectacular.

“What an honour it is to sing the National Anthem before one of the most exciting games in Australian sport. Just before the Grand Final game kicks off is so electrifying as it's when all the nerves and excitement are at a peak. The whole stadium comes together, united in anticipation, before it all begins.”

Tickets for an UNREAL day of entertainment at the NRL Grand Final are available now from nrl.com/tickets, with adult tickets starting from $99, juniors from $89 and family passes (two adults and two juniors) offering superb value from $289.

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From NRL.com - Forty-six thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight. That's the magical number Penrith Panthers fans will be hoping to beat on Saturday night as their team takes on the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium in a Preliminary Final.

After chalking up countless on-field records over the past three seasons, the Penrith Panthers are on the verge of another major milestone this weekend with the chance to record their biggest crowd attendance in over 20 years for a non Grand-Final fixture.

The home team for Saturday's NRL Grand Final qualifier against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Penrith Panthers will need to surpass the official figure of 46,168 they recorded back in 2014 during their Preliminary NRL Final against the Canterbury Bulldogs to achieve their biggest home crowd since taking part in a double-header at the Olympic Stadium in 2001, which saw 54,833 fans in attendance to watch the Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels, Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers.

With South Sydney Rabbitoh's strong supporter base also set to turn out in numbers for the rematch of last year's Grand Final, there's every chance Saturday's crowd number could better that figure from 2014 as fans and members across the game enjoy a return to live action after two heavily interrupted seasons in 2020 and 2021.

With reduced crowd capacity in 2020 as a result of the COVID pandemic, the Penrith Panthers' biggest home crowd attendance that year came in the NRL Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm, which was played in front of just 37,303 fans.

The following year, after a mid-season relocation to Queensland, a crowd of 39,322 was in attendance at Suncorp Stadium to witness the Penrith Panthers triumph over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary [pic] said, "Our fans have been unbelievable this season, they’ve turned up in droves week in, week out. We’re hoping as many Penrith Panthers members and fans can turn up to Accor Stadium on Saturday night to cheer us on.

"We understand it has been South Sydney’s home throughout the regular season, but we have the opportunity to make it our home on Saturday night, hopefully there’s a sea of black.

"We’ve played some big games at Accor Stadium over the past couple of seasons, and it’ll be great to play there in front of another capacity crowd this week."

With just one game separating the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs for their chance at glory, which team will step up and move on to the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final?

Tickets are selling fast, so be there at Accor Stadium to cheer on your team, secure your seat at nrl.com/tickets.

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From totalrl.com - Stephen Ibbetson writes: St Helens forward Morgan Knowles [pic] can play in Saturday’s Super League Grand Final following a successful second appeal against a two-match suspension. Knowles was initially banned for dangerous contact on Salford Red Devils’ Chris Atkin in last week’s play-off Semi-Final win, and he was unsuccessful in appealing against the decision to a tribunal on Tuesday.

But extraordinarily, following a second appeal by St Helens, a new tribunal on Wednesday has decided in favour of Knowles.

The RFL say the tribunal “accepted that while there was some twisting to apply pressure to the limb of an opposing player, this did not exceed the normal range of movement and therefore could not have posed an ‘unacceptable risk of injury'” as initially concluded.

The full minutes of the hearing will be available on the RFL website on Thursday morning, but Knowles is now available to face Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford this weekend.

From RLCM Book 24 - Mental Preparation: Steve Folkes [pic] said, “ I believe a player’s Mental Preparation, as with their Physical Preparation, can change from week to week depending on who you are playing against and how you went the previous week. There is always a Defensive Element in our training during the week and if there are areas we need to improve on then we will focus a little more on that.

"It should go the same way with the Mental side of things as well. The key is to stay on top of the player’s Attitude and address it as soon as it becomes a concern. If you leave it until Sunday, it’s too late. The Attitude affects everything, but particularly your Defence. You need to be defending the way you want to play. Try to defend Aggressively and Pro-Actively”.

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From RLCM Book 18 - Create an Ethos in your Club: Greg Pierce said, We often hear about the perennial performers - clubs rarely submerged in inner turmoil and failure through on field performance. Canterbury, Manly and St George were such clubs, and more recently Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Cronulla have forged similar standards, laying the platform for a successful club infrastructure.

Traditionally, a successful club is gauged by the players it has on its roster, rather than the culture seeping through its walls. Greg Pierce, [then] assistant coach of the Cronulla Sharks believes the standards set by any club are important, particularly those of the head coach in building an ethos for a club.

Pierce said, “The coaches at successful clubs play a big part in the club’s culture, by the formation of a coaching structure that brings information and successful coaching techniques to the coaching staff and to the players.”

It had taken a long time for Cronulla to be recognised as a formidable and consistent Rugby League unit, capable of beating top sides consistently.

Pierce believed the transformation of the Cronulla Sharks club was a direct result of John Lang, and the ‘successful culture’ he has brought into the club.

Since his appointment as head coach in 1994, Cronulla has appeared in all but two Final series, with the 1997 Super League Grand Final appearance being the pinnacle of the Sharks’ success.

Pierce said, “Seven years ago when John Lang took over at Cronulla, the club was going through a stage where the team would win a lot of games at home, but wasn’t consistent away from home.”

“The Club could never maintain a high level of consistency, and apart from the two years they made Fhe finals, Cronulla were an inconsistent club.”

While Cronulla was a proud club before Lang’s arrival, Pierce believes the general atmosphere of the club has been fine tuned.

“We were never expected to win the Premiership,” he said. “Now the fans expect us to be more and more successful.”

He attributes the club’s newfound success to Lang’s rigorous work ethic, strong desire for success and a proven training regime.

As Pierce explains, a coach’s role is essentially to lead from the front and focus the team’s objectives.

“A coach has to show the players that he and his staff are prepared to work hard to achieve results,” he said.

Pierce says it is imperative coaches are always available to players at training and for one on one meetings.

“Players that are really training hard and doing all the things that are asked of them will be disheartened if they go to see the coach, and discover he is off playing golf or fishing,” Pierce said.

“Whenever the players come to training John or one of his staff will be there. If two sessions are on at the one time and he can’t be at both, he will make sure one of his assistants is at the other.”

Pierce believes it is important that the players feel the coaching staff are putting in as much effort as they are.

He said, “It creates an ethos, and the players realise they are not the only ones doing the work.”

Currently running seventh, and only four points adrift of second place, Pierce says the players are far from satisfied with their early season form, a trait he believe was less evident in the Sharks’ sides of yesteryear.

He said, “Players in the past were quite happy to go along and be a middle of the road type of club, a club that never finished at the bottom, never finished at the top, and occasionally caused a few upsets along the way.”

“That has changed, and the new ethos has evolved with John Lang being at the club.”

From NRL.com - On This Day 20th September in RL History:

1952 - Western Suburbs beat South Sydney 22-12 in a controversial Grand Final. Referee George Bishop makes two contentious decisions against hot favourites South Sydney and penalises them 15-4. Years later, Souths captain Jack Rayner [pic] says of the match, "We weren't allowed to win". _______________________________________________________________________

1969 - Balmain score arguably the greatest upset in Grand Final history by beating South Sydney 11-2 in the decider. The Balmain Tigers come under fire for their delaying tactics in the second half, but that mattered little to their delighted fans. The South Sydney side included the likes of Eric Simms, Bob McCarthy, John Sattler, Elwyn Walters, John O'Neill and John Sattler. _______________________________________________________________________

1975 - Eastern Suburbs thrash St George 38-0 in the greatest whitewash in Grand Final history. Wearing a pair of new white football boots, St George fullback Graeme Langlands cuts a despairing figure after a pain-killing needle for a groin injury goes “wrong”. _______________________________________________________________________

1986 - St George Illawarra Dragons club favourite Jason Nightingale was born. A NRL Premiership player in 2010, Nightingale played 266 matches for the Dragons before retiring in 2018. He also played 33 Test matches for the New Zealand Kiwis. _______________________________________________________________________

1997 - Brisbane Broncos scores a 26-8 win over the Cronulla Sharks in the first, and only, Super League Grand Final. Steve Renouf scores a hat-trick as the Broncos score a comfortable win. _______________________________________________________________________

1998 - The Canterbury Bulldogs qualify for the first Grand Final of the NRL era by beating the Parramatta Eels 32-20 in a thrilling spectacle decided in extra-time. Daryl Halligan kicks the greatest pressure goal of his career to send the match into extra time.
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2008 - A last-minute try to five-eighth Greg Inglis carries the Melbourne Storm to a thrilling 16-14 win over the Brisbane Broncos in a thrilling Finals. The loss closes the door on Wayne Bennett's 21-year with the Broncos, the first of his two stints at the club. _______________________________________________________________________

2014 - A golden point field goal to Canterbury Bulldogs halfback Trent Hodkinson puts an end to Manly’s season in a second NRL Semi-Final thriller at Allianz Stadium. The Bulldogs benefit from an antiquated ruling that allows a scrum to be fed by the attacking team if the ball strikes the referee. _______________________________________________________________________

This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.

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From NRL.com - On This Day 19th of September in RL History:

1970 - South Sydney captain John Sattler [pic] plays through most of the Grand Final against Manly with a badly broken jaw. Sattler cops a savage punch behind the play in the early minutes of the match, but displays remarkable courage to play out the 80 minutes and lead his side to a 23-12 victory.
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1978 - The Sea Eagles down Cronulla Sharks 16-0 in the Grand Final replay. Despite controversy along the way, Manly’s win ranks as one of the great premiership victories. The Sea Eagles come through six Finals matches, five of them sudden-death, including two replays in the space of 24 days. Remarkably it was the second year in a row a replay had been needed to decide the Premiers.
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2004 - The Canterbury Bulldogs bounce back from their Qualifying Final loss to the NQ Cowboys to sink the Melbourne storm 43-18 at Aussie Stadium. Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri becomes the first player in the history of the Premiership to score 300 points in a season.
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2014 - A touch-and-go decision on a knock-on costs North Queensland Cowboys the most extraordinary comeback victory in the history of the Premiership when they fight back from a 30-0 deficit against the Sydney Roosters to draw level, but eventually go down 31-30 at Allianz Stadium. Halfback maestro Johnathan Thurston streaked away for what would have been the match-winning try for the NQ Cowboys only to be called back for a miniscule knock-on by five-eighth Robert Lui.
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2016 - The game loses one of its most cherished characters and sharpest thinkers with the passing of 86-year-old Ron Massey, the former right-hand man to coach of the century Jack Gibson.
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2020 - Sydney Roosters veteran Mitch Aubusson surpasses Anthony Minichiello as the most capped player in the history of the foundation club when he makes his 303rd top-grade appearance in his team’s NRL Round 19 clash with the Cronulla Sharks at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Aubusson celebrates with two tries in a 34-18 victory.
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2022 - NZ Warriors fullback Reece Walsh is named the RLPA rookie of the year.
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This article contains information from the official records of NRL historian David Middleton.
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From news.com.au - Andrew McMurtry and Nic Savage write: Rugby League legends fire warning shot after Mitchell Moses’ shady move. The NRL was plagued by milking accusations last weekend, but the League may have unearthed how to stamp out the ugly antics.

[Pic - Mitchell Moses Parramatta Eels. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.]

The NRL was plagued by milking accusations last weekend, but the league may have unearthed how to stamp out the ugly antics during Friday evening’s NRL Semi-Final at CommBank Stadium.

The Parramatta Eels booked their spot in next weekend’s Preliminary Finals after crushing the Canberra Raiders by 36 points, with halfback Mitchell Moses putting together a masterclass performance.

But the 28-year-old, who suffered an ugly head knock suffered against the Penrith Panthers last weekend, was accused of trying to draw a penalty after a heavy collision with Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton in the 53rd minute.

Rather than playing the ball, Moses stayed down on the turf, holding the ball under his arm and shaking his head.

Panthers legend Greg Alexander said on Fox League, “He came down hard there. It didn’t look like anything illegal, but he came down hard.”

Commentator Andrew Voss continued, “It’s a defender finish his work, I would say. Mind you, I don’t want to be on the end of it.”

Moses received medical attention before an independent doctor ordered him from the field for a head injury assessment, which he passed.

The Lebanon international returned 15 minutes later, helping the Parramatta Eels secure a convincing 40-4 victory.

Rugby League icon Darren Lockyer warned that Moses’ ordeal provided a blueprint on how the NRL can prevent players from milking penalties.

Lockyer said on Channel 9, “We’ve been seeing it for the past few weeks. Sometimes you’re going to get hit in the head and you are concussed and you will come from the field.

"I think we’ve seen other times players lay down and wait for the Bunker to get a Penalty when they haven’t got any concussion symptoms.

“But in doing that you run the risk of coming off the field for 15 minutes. So, I think this is just telling the players that if you want to lay down and try to milk a penalty, off you go for 15 minutes.”

Former Melbourne Storm star Cameron Smith said, “They tread a fine line. If they choose to stay on the ground, searching for a penalty, then they run the risk of leaving the field for at least 15 minutes.”

Debate has raged in the Rugby League community after a record seven sin bins were handed out during Sunday’s NRL Finals match between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium.

Canterbury Bulldogs General Manager of Football Phil Gould called out Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell, who was accused of trying to draw a penalty following a heavy tackle involving Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, for repeatedly pleading with the referee to penalise his opponents.

Moses was a standout in Parramatta Eel’s triumph over the Canberra Raiders, scoring a try, three tackle breaks, a try assist, two line break assists and registering running 120 metres in the one-sided contest.

Former New South Wales representative Michael Ennis said, “He absolutely loves playing at CommBank Stadium and delivering the halfback. A lot of talk about Parramatta and where they were at but the halfback has led the way, he has looked for collision, and he has run the football.

“Kicking game has been tremendous and he has had some beautiful touches, linking beautifully with Dylan Brown.”

Speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference, Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur admitted he, “didn’t even think about” keeping Moses off the field after his concussion scare.

The Parramatta Eels have been hit and miss all season, but they made no mistake against the Canberra Raiders, romping to a dominant first half and closing out the game in front of a packed home crowd.

However, the challenge gets so much harder for the Parramatta Eels as the side travels to Townsville, a place Parramatta hasn’t won at since 2017, to take on the North Queensland Cowboys after a week off.

The last time the Parramatta Eels progressed to the NRL Preliminary Final was the 2009 season where the side made the Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm, losing the match which was eventually stripped from Melbourne amid the salary cap scandal.

Since then, it’s been a tough road for the Parramatta Eels but in recent seasons, the side have been perennial NRL Finalists without many wins to show for it.

Entering the game, questions surrounded coach Brad Arthur and his ability to end the Parramatta Eels 36-year Premiership drought, particularly as the side hadn’t made the third week of the NRL Finals in Brad Arthur’s eight-year tenure.

But now they have, ending the hoodoo in a dominant performance.

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