WARNING
Read this and weep – Ed.
Grand Final Winner Market 2024 (as of Monday 2/9)
Penrith $3.75
Brisbane $4.50
Souths $9
Easts $10
Maybe the top two represent value 12 months out!
Early Games
Well, it was no surprise that I got both of these wrong. Easts were no chance from the minute they entered the field in those insipid guernseys. Where was the pride of Stones Corner, Coorparoo and Langland’s Park – the Gold and Black strip? What a disaster. In the words of Geoff Toovey, “there needs to be an investigation”. And things didn’t improve. Souths in their non-traditional Ziggy Niscot Mintie wrapper strip weren’t much better in the fashion stakes but ran riot on the field. 42-22 was comfortable but Souths were lucky not to have Jacob Gagai – a good Mackay boy – sent off or at least binned for a tackle on Jennings in the first half. It was a telling decision given the heat. Pezet was disappointing for Easts as I thought he may have relished this opportunity. For Souths their five -eight Hawkins was very good and wing three-quarter Munro looks like a real find. Very disappointing from a Queensland perspective.
The WNRL final saw Newcastle get the chocolates very much on the back of their star fullback from Rockhampton, Tamika Upton, whose Grandfather Des is very well known for his old footy skills and work with kids and boxing in Rockhampton and Blackwater. If Upton wasn’t scoring tries, she was setting them up and was easily the best player on the field. Fair start to the day. None from two.
The Game
My 1986 Cox Plate analogy was close to the mark. If only I had followed the result. Bonecrusher, the champion and favourite, got there – just. Our Waverly Star had led by almost a length just before the post. The Broncos had a good length at the 2-furlong mark. Penrith held firm when all seemed lost and their individual brilliance, strength of conviction and knowledge of where the finish post was got them to their third straight win and a place in the history book.
When Mam scored his third try, I think almost everyone thought the Panthers were gone. Sadly for Mam, his feat is going to be forgotten because to the winner the spoils. The Golden Girl has some rules that she sticks to. Some are basic, you know, ‘don’t walk under ladders’, ‘don’t spit into the wind’. Being superstitious she has a few others, including ‘don’t go the early crow’ which, sadly, tends to be a forté of mine. When Mam collected his trifecta, I declared “it’s all over and Mam will get the CC.” G Squared sent a text at that moment saying, “ the Broncos are in trouble, Matt’s gone the early crow and you know I’m superstitious about that”. How prophetic.
All of a sudden Cleary stood up for what had been a reasonably ordinary game by his standards and proceeded to etch himself into GF glory and a deserved second CC Medal. He had chalked up 5 missed tackles, including a poor miss on Mam, but found the resolve to take the game and make it his own. It reminded me of the passage in Norman Mailers excellent book The Fight where he describes Ali looking deep into his self to determine the moment was here to defeat Foreman. Cleary will be forever remembered for that 20 minutes and, when he was asked after the game if that was the best he had ever played he replied , “did you see my first 60’?” Cleary clearly understood it was up to him.
The Broncos have now lost two GFs that, with 20 to go ,they were well placed to win. They made too many errors and their ‘go to’ man may have got caught in the hype. Their two short drop out mistakes by Reynolds, so normally reliable boot, gifted Penrith the 8 points they scored before Cleary took over. Haas and Carrigan were both strong and couldn’t have done much more.
Trainers
Cleary Ivan has joined the three-time winners club with Gibson, Kearney, Provan and Rayner, and must this morning be thinking of joining the last two in winning four. Cleary Ivan must have thought he was no chance until Cleary Nathan stepped up to the plate.
Walters Kevin will rue the opportunity wasted but the Broncos should be better next year as they use the experience of season ‘23. Walters Billy didn’t have a great game and, barring an early 40-20, didn’t cause Penrith any trouble. The Broncos have talent and strength, and the new found experience could help them minimise errors. If you had told Walters Kevin and the Broncos faithful at the start of season ‘23 that they would just be beaten in the GF, I’m sure they would have said that that would be a very successful season.
Jockey
Cleary was Bonecrusher.
Reynolds would be disappointed that he couldn’t shut the game down when the Broncos had complete control and that he gifted Penrith 8 points.
Going forward, the rhetoric around Penrith, that they are ‘unbeatable’, ‘too powerful’, and ‘dynastic’, may be on the mark.
Logo Battle
The Panther stalked its prey and ,when it went in for the kill, it did not miss.
Best Queensland Schoolboys (everything in between)
Mam was the best Queensland schoolboy on the paddock and, as stated earlier, his efforts will be forgotten. Three tries in the biggest game of the year is special.
12 Panthers sang the National Anthem beating the Broncos 10.
Conclusion
Penrith were too good when it counted on the back of Cleary who can now be called their ‘champion half’. I apologise to anyone silly enough to follow my tips as I didn’t get a single collect! Of course, following any of my tips is considered gambling irresponsibly! What a game to finish a tremendous season. You have gotta love the footy!
NB: Menu
I decided to scratch the pies and go corporate!
Food: Entrée – Sand Crab Pikelet; Main – Spicey Pork and Lettuce Rolls; Dessert – Strawberries and Ice Cream
Drinks: Carlsberg Elephant and a Jameson’s Black Barrel for the press conference.
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