SYDNEY ROOSTERS BEAT MELBOURNE IN NRL GRAND FINAL

September 30, 2018

In the end it wasn’t about Billy Slater or Cooper Cronk.  It came down to a united Sydney Roosters team simply outperforming Melbourne on the day.  The Roosters have claimed their first premiership since 2013 with a 21-6 win in the NRL Grand Final.

Cooper Cronk was named about an hour before kick-off.  A passenger for most of the game, Cronk stood behind the ruck, directing traffic, and looks to have a solid coaching career ahead of him.  After the match it was revealed that Cronk did not have a rotator cuff injury as reported, but was suffering from a broken shoulder blade.

Cronk inspired Luke Keary to play the game of his life.  Keary was virtually playing five-eighth and half, and set up the opening try for Daniel Tupou with a wonderful cut-out pass.  The Roosters skipped to a 12-0 lead following a try from Latrell Mitchell on the same side of the field where Tupou scored.  The lead extended to 18-0 when Daniel Manu scored shortly before halftime.

Melbourne tried to fight back, but were often their own worst enemies; dropping the ball, and giving away silly penalties.  The Storm got back in the game with an intercept try from speedster Josh Addo-Carr; but Luke Keary potted a field goal to give the Roosters a 19-6 lead in the dying minutes.  Latrell Mitchell kicked his fourth goal, as Cameron Munster was sin binned for the second time in the game, and the Roosters wrapped up a 21-6 victory.  Luke Keary was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player on the field.

You can read more about the Sydney Roosters here, and Grand Finals here.