One of the biggest sporting events on the calendar in this part of the world is the National Rugby League Grand Final, which is being played tomorrow in Sydney, Australia. It falls on the October Long Weekend in New South Wales due to the Labour Day holiday on Monday so it’s a big Sunday afternoon for many hard core Rugby League fans like myself.
I usually try and do something big. Throw a barbeque with friends or get to a big venue that is showing the game live as there is usually a pretty good atmosphere. I don’t like crowds much but I don’t mind getting a bit rowdy for a big game like the NRL Grand Final, though this year I don’t really know what I’m going to do. The Grand Finalists are Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos. Two teams I am not overly fond of but they have been consistently the best teams all year so it’s likely to be a quality game of footy. For those who don’t know the game this years Grand Final could be quite close so it’d be a good one to watch if you’re curious.
Penrith are attempting to win their 3rd Grand Final in a row, which is something that hasn’t happened since the 1980s and I honestly thought I would never see in the modern era. They have a very experienced side that is battle hardened and they’re in great form at the right time of year AGAIN. Brisbane have got a lot of really exciting young players coming up and most definitely have the talent to take the crown. The question is really about whether they can perform at their best on the biggest stage when the pressure is ON. So far they have won their preliminary finals by decent margins but they’ve also played those at Home in Brisbane where the stadiums have been packed with rabid fans.
The Grand Final is being played in Sydney, so it’s really an Away game for Brisbane. The weather forecast is for 36 degrees Celsius in Sydney which is particularly hot for this time of year. By the time the game starts in the evening it might have cooled down a bit but heat usually means fatigue and tired defenders can mean lots of points getting scored. If the heat favors anyone its probably Brisbane but Penrith are solid favorites to win again. I personally think it’s going to be a coin toss and the Handicap is only about -4 to Penrith so the market says there is only 1 Try difference between the teams and if the market is right then the match will go right down to the wire.