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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2675297, member: 1899"] The NRL Essentials Series 1 Boxset is on sale for $45 so I had to pick it up and had to dive right in. I chose... [B]Prelim Final #1 2002 Brisbane Broncos vs Sydney Roosters Sydney Football Stadium[/B] Sydney Roosters 16 (Minichiello, Mullins tries; Fitzgibbon 4/4 goals) Brisbane Broncos 12 (Tate, Lockyer tries; De Vere 2/2 goals) While the scoreboard read 16-12, the most interesting stat for Broncos fan was the 2-8 penalty count in favour of the Roosters. It wasn't so much that the Broncos gave away 8 penalties, that was arguably fair enough, but rather the fact the Roosters were deemed completely clean and innocent until the 69th minute mark. This was despite the Roosters completely and utterly dominating the Broncos in the ruck and being able to hold down for long periods of time. On face value, the Roosters were the better side, but how much of that was owed to the penalty count? Since the game was effectively decided by the penalties, it's hard to say but at the very least Broncos fans have a right to feel frustrated with the game. At the same time, they need to accept that the Broncos didn't give themselves the best chance to get back into the game. I think there were only two players who rose to the occasion - Petero Civoniceiva and Darren Lockyer. The rest went missing and simply didn't produce the type of football required in the finals. This was especially true of the forward pack who got dominated by Morley, Fitzgibbon, Fletcher and Crocker. Want to know why players stand so flat these days? Watch this game. Brisbane are standing deep on every play the ball and can't make any metres because the Roosters are meeting them on the advantage line. Without any room or momentum to work off of, the Broncos have nothing to work with and are just desperately doing their best to hold on against a Roosters outfit with the will to win. For all this talk of Melbourne, it was the Roosters who invented it. And I'm sure the Broncos assistant coach took notes that night! To sum up, Brisbane did well to hold the Roosters to just two tries but ultimately felt like the inferior side except for one window. Did penalties play a factor? Of course but the Roosters did more to earn them so it's hard to get too upset. Ultimately, I never got the sense the Broncos were a premiership team in 2002. One of the better teams? Sure, but they just never clicked like other Broncos outfits have. Talking Points Allan Langer - I'm sure most will remember this, but the availability of Alfie was one of the biggest talking points heading into the game. His father's health took a turn for the worst and he was touch and go. Unfortunately for Alf, he didn't produce one of his better games. Defensively he was targeted and he just couldn't get into the game. For all the good kicks he put in, he let it all down with that wayward pass to nobody which essentially handed Sydney all the momentum back. It's a shame his career had to end on that note but he was on borrowed time as is. While he had his moments for the Broncos in 2002, I like to remember his comeback more for his Origin exploits such as teaching the immortal a thing or two. Hodges/McGuire - Apparently this call made Harrigan throw his hands up in the air and admit he just lost it but honestly it wasn't a bad call. McGuire got Mini with a high-ish tackle, Hodgo responded which caused Casey to overreact. Now it may have been a touch and go penalty back then (which Sterlo says) but if this was to happen now, nobody would blink that McGuire was in the wrong. Speaking of Hodgo, it's so odd seeing him in the opposition. It makes you understand why opposition supporters disliked him so - he spent more time moving his lips than his legs! Harrigan - Hodges/McGuire for mine wasn't the most controversial call, there were others that felt very timely, plain wrong or simply ignored. Arguably the most costly was the two on one strip of Walker which lead to... Tallis - Not his best game, but I loved his banter. "Are you a lip reader, Bill? I was standing right next to Chris and I didn't hear anything so how did you hear it from all the way over there?" :laugh: Simon Bonetti - In this day and age of concussions, it was so jarring seeing a player like Bonetti absolutely writhing on the ground only to return later in the game. I remember Bman pointing that out and even then, I was skeptical he was going to return. For me, it was a reminder of how deadly Civoniceiva's head is. One of these days when the NRL launch their Network (2018), I'm going to do a 2002 project just to get a gauge of what the team was really like. As a kid, they were one of my favourite teams in history but as I grow older they're rapidly falling down my rankings. [/QUOTE]

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