Knights question Roosters nerves

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NEWCASTLE has fired the first psychological barb of the week by openly questioning whether the Sydney Roosters can handle the pressure and expectation of a grand final qualifier.

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The two teams meet this Saturday night at ANZ Stadium with the Roosters short-priced $1.30 favourites - according to TAB Sportsbet - to advance to the NRL decider. 

Former Knights champion Matthew Johns and ex-Newcastle premiership-winning coach and player Michael Hagan asked on Monday whether the Roosters could handle and embrace the favourites tag. 

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"It will be interesting to see how the Roosters handle the pressure," said Hagan, who coached Newcastle to the 2001 premiership.

"Newcastle has nothing to lose; the Roosters have everything to lose.

"There is always pressure in semi-finals and they can do funny things to sides. Let's see how the Roosters handle the big ocassion." 

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Johns, who played 197 NRL games for the Knights, said the Roosters would be well aware they won't be able to bully or intimidate the Knights pack. 

"The Sydney Roosters have been outstanding this year through the strength of their forwards," Johns said.

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"But when they've been beaten it's always been by a team who holds their own through the middle third.

"Will guys like Willie Mason, Jeremy Smith and Beau Scott hold their own? Absolutely.

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"This is a real awkward game for the Roosters. They are a playing a side on the rise and going a million miles an hour.

"I reckon the Knights are playing with more energy and confidence than they have in a long time. They didn't fear Melbourne last weekend and they won't fear the Roosters. 

"I believed Newcastle would win against the Storm and everyone laughed at me."

Johns reckons the week off, which the Roosters enjoyed after beating Manly in week one of the finals, can be damaging.

"The week off can freshen you up but it also gives you time to relax," Johns said.

"It can take the edge off you if you're not careful."

Newcastle has roared over the first two weeks of the finals, beating Canterbury and Melbourne, last year's grand final teams.

They are ready to confront and beat anyone.

"The Knights really don't have anything to lose," Hagan said.

"No matter what happens this weekend, Newcastle has exceeded all expectations this season.

"Newcastle is playing on emotion and that can be dangerous for the opposition side.

"I can't think of too many people outside of Newcastle who will tip the Knights. And that's just how Newcastle like it."

TAB Sportsbet has Newcastle $3.50 outsiders.

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Coach Stuart meets with Milford's

Raider Anthony Milford. Source: Kym Smith / News Limited

CANBERRA coach Ricky Stuart has upped the ante to keep Anthony Milford, meeting his family at Brisbane's Treasury Casino as part of a high stakes fight for the young Raider.

With Milford leaning towards a move to Brisbane, Stuart's hit-and-run trip north represents Canberra's final roll of the dice to secure their player of the year. 

The Courier-Mail can reveal Stuart met Milford and his parents Halo and Marietta last Friday night. 

The group convened at the casino, with Stuart keen to build a rapport with the Milford clan and understand the bouts of homesickness plaguing the 19-year-old. 

Milford is staying with his parents in the south Brisbane suburb of Inala and there is a possibility he has played his last game in a Raiders jumper. 

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Stuart is aware of the Broncos' interest, but the teenager's manager Sam Ayoub insists the new Raiders coach is not pressuring Milford into staying at Canberra. 

"Ricky met his parents and he chatted generally about a lot of things," Ayoub said.

"Ricky said to Anthony he can understand how he feels and the issues concerning his family.

"The truth is Ricky was fantastic with him and made the point that he isn't there to convince him about doing anything right now. It was more a meeting to get to know Anthony and his family.'' 

Armed with a get-out clause, Milford asked for a release from the Raiders six weeks ago to return to Brisbane next year to care for Halo, who had a heart attack 18 months ago. 

Reports have suggested Milford may backflip on seeking a release, but Ayoub said his client had not indicated he wanted to remain in Canberra. 

"As it stands, Anthony has asked for a release and that has not changed," Ayoub said.

"Whether that changes or not is something we will all find out in the near future.

"The coach matters in nine out of 10 situations, so it was important for Anthony to meet Ricky. He now has a good appreciation for the type of person Ricky is and the care he has for his players. 

"But the clause was inserted there for a purpose. Anthony will make a decision sooner rather than later and it won't suit everybody."

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SBW: "Get up you weak ****!!!"

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"GET up you weak ****!!!"

Those were the first four words that greeted Willie Mason after he was felled to the Hunter Stadium turf on 28 July.

Hardly synonymous with friendly fire, they came from one of Mason's closest mates and also the man responsible for his demise: Sonny Bill Williams. 

Given the fascinating history between two of the game's most talked-about figures, there was surprisingly little hype prior to their first clash in five years that afternoon. 

And given the disparity in form between Newcastle and the Roosters at the time, few could have predicted the infamous collision would blossom into a promoter's dream for the second grand final qualifier. 

The savage sequence of Williams knocking his former Bulldogs team mate into orbit with an illegal high shot, then delivering his stricken friend a gobful of colourful encouragement, was a rare revival of the game's primal past where forward battles were purely personal. 

In the victorious Roosters dressing rooms after full time, Williams knew the high shot would most likely earn him a suspension and yet was still fired-up. 

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Before a huge and hostile Sunday afternoon crowd, Williams wanted to make a statement about his team's authority in this premiership.

To do so he needed to eliminate the opposition's most dominant forward.

That the target so happened to be Mason amplified the theatre, but it's likely the Knights veteran would have been forewarned.

In Round Five Williams tried a similar shot on another member of his old Belmore rat pack, Eels hard man Reni Maitua.

When Williams made his unforgettable entrance into the NRL in 2004, he, Mason and Maitua were a band of brothers whose ties helped Canterbury win the title that season. 

They remained close for the next three years, spending as much time as possible between training at Belmore and socialising in the Eastern Suburbs. At the time, Williams and Maitua shared a house in 

Maroubra, while Mason lived with his partner's parents in Clovelly. 

But when the socialising outstripped the hard work Canterbury failed to achieve further success with a roster that screamed dynasty. 

Under-achievement led to finger pointing and dissatisfaction, and Mason suddenly quit the club at the end of 2007 to join the Roosters. 

Williams was devastated and angry. He was preparing to sign a long-term deal on the basis that friends like Mason would remain at Canterbury for life. 

"Mase leaving was pretty much the beginning of the end for that Canterbury side," a former Bulldogs staffer said.

"He was such a big character. He kind of held all those boys together."

Mason's departure coincided with a change of lifestyle from Williams, who found a new agent Khoder Nasser, and stopped socialising. The second half of the train-hard, play-harder cultural equation that had dictated his football career to that point was suddenly redundant. 

But just months before Williams quit in July 2008, there would be time for one last encounter with Mason when the Roosters played Canterbury before 42,000 fans at ANZ Stadium. 

The pair embraced that night, but Williams was still consumed by resentment. He would need to leave and forge a name in his own right before Mason could be entirely forgiven. 

The olive branch was extended and accepted many years ago, when both players were in Europe. 

Although Mason now lives in Newcastle, they still catch up frequently in Sydney when either player will hire a hotel room for the weekend. 

There most recent meeting was for brunch at Brighton-Le-Sands, halfway between Williams' house in Oatley and Mason's old Clovelly base. 

It came just weeks after the notorious hit, and, sadly for fans salivating at the prospect of more carnage, revenge was strictly off the menu.

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Five best games of the season

Sam Burgess tackled during Rabbitohs v Roosters. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

EVERYONE has their own favourites and Telegraph league writer Paul Cralwey has pin-pointed what he views as the five best games of the season.

Rd7: Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs

Michael Maguire said it was "madness" that no Manly player was sent off and the Rabbitohs coach probably had a point.

Greg Inglis was dropped on his head three times, George Burgess was ironed out by a Steve Matai special and of course there was an all-in brawl just to keep everyone happy.

It was definitely the most brutal match of the year and arguably the best after the Rabbitohs weathered an almighty Manly onslaught to finish 20-12 winners.

The politically correct might not approve but there wouldn't have been one spectator in attendance that night who didn't spent the next day talking about what a great game they'd witnessed.

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Rd8: Knights v Sharks

In a year from hell the Sharks put in some extremely brave performances but it's hard to argue any of them were more courageous than the effort against the Knights in Newcastle back in round 8.

Cronulla lost inspirational skipper Paul Gallen to a knee injury after just three minutes but his teammates rallied and went on to clinch a gutsy 21-20 victory in golden point courtesy of a wobbly Jeff Robson field goal.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Sharks and led a jubilant Shane Flanagan to declare after the game:

"They're a tough bunch and they're getting tougher with all the stuff going on externally.

"We're not the most skilled team in the competition but games like that we'll stick in there and on our day we'll have a fight with anyone."

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Rd24: Dragons v Wests Tigers

It was hardly a year Wests Tigers fans will want to remember but one match they won't forget is round 24 on a glorious Saturday afternoon at the SCG when a star was born.

Teenage sensation Luke Brooks produced a memorable debut to lead the Tigers to a 34-18 win over the Dragons that snapped a six-game losing streak.

After a steady start to the game Brooks turned on a blinder scoring a try, setting up two others and showing a maturity that went way beyond his years.

In that match Benji Marshall also put in his best performance for months but even the outgoing superstar was blown away by the performance of this special young talent that everyone is tipping to be the game's next superstar.

"Outstanding I thought," Marshall said.

"Not only for his age, but for a first game to stand up, lead the team at halfback, kick well, run well, he scored a try and set-up a couple."

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Rd25: Wests Tigers v Rabbitohs

Johnathan Thurston might think this is another Sydney-conspiracy by us picking all these Rabbitohs matches but how do you ignore the night Julie Burgess jumped for joy as her four boys etched their names in rugby league history.

It was the first time since 1910 that four brothers had played a first grade game together but even they'd admit Julie stole the show with her performance in the stands and the late charge onto the field.

What a wonderful night this was for rugby league at home and on the international stage.

The Bunnies copped a terrible call early when big Sam was sent to the sin bin and while he was off the field the Tigers charged to an 18-0 lead.

But when Sam returned so did order as the Burgess boys turned Friday Night Football into their own family show.

Sam and Luke both crossed for tries but Julie finished best on ground in the eyes of most fans as she joined her boys on Allianz Stadium after the match for a moment they will be talking about in another 100 years.

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Rd 26: Rabbitohs v Roosters

It was a case of saving the best for last for the Sydney Roosters when they beat their arch rivals in a final round blockbuster played in front of a regular season record crowd of 59,708 fans to clinch the minor premiership.

Back in round one the Rabbitohs dominated the Roosters in the season-opener at Allianz and Sam Burgess' scored a knockout victory over Sonny Bill Williams when he flattened the returning superstar with a thunderous charge.

But in the return bout it was SBW who took the points victory with probably his best performance of the season and that's taking some pretty fantastic performances into account.

The Rabbitohs led 12-10 at halftime before the Roosters raced in 14 unanswered points to claim first spot and end a worrying two game losing streak heading into the finals.

It also set the scene for a fantastic finals series with the Roosters and Rabbitohs now just 80 minutes away from a third and deciding match in the grand final.

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Bennett: Don't ever do this again

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WAYNE Bennett has acted on the most unsavoury incident of the NRL finals, ordering his Knights centre Joey Leilua to stop verbally abusing injured opponents.

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In what was described as a "dog act" and lit up social media on Saturday night, Leilua screamed abuse at Storm forward Jordan McLean as he was lying on the ground in agony with a broken jaw. 

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The injury occurred from an accidental head clash with Knights forward Alex McKinnon.

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Bennett revealed on Monday details of his post-match conversation with the young centre, but appealed : "Don't do a job on him". 

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In fairness, the former Roosters centre who meets his old club this weekend, was unaware of the seriousness of his opponent's injury when he ran across and verballed McLean, sparking a flare-up between a about a dozen players. 

"Yeah, I've had a word in his ear," Bennett said. 

"I asked him why it happened and he was very candid.

"I just told him it's not who we are and it's not what we're about and I don't want to see it again.

"Look he's a young man who gets pretty pumped up out there. It just happens sometimes. We don't like it but we've moved on.

"The conversation's been had. The kid's not a mug."

Bennett said it's not the first time unacceptable sledging has occurred this year.

He mentions the match against the Cowboys six weeks ago when his prop Kade Snowden was sent-off for a shoulder charge.

"It was disgraceful what they carried on with but no-one made that a headline. We can all be very selective.

"I'm just not a fan of that stuff in teams I coach."

Until Saturday night, Leilua had been incident-free all season. 

He joined Bennett at the Knights after a troubled stint at the Roosters which included a four-week NRL suspension for off-field misbehaviour. 

"I've got a good relationship with him and he's been darn good for us," Bennett said.

"He's easy to communicate with, he tries hard, he's played great footy for us.

"He's got a good sense of humour, he's made some mates and likes living in the town. It's a good environment and he's happy." 

This weekend against the Roosters, Bennett will send out two centres who have rebuilt their careers after being dumped by previous clubs for misconduct. 

Like Leilua, former Broncos centre Dane Gagai has been outstanding in the Knights backline.

"Those two boys together have been great for us," Bennett said. 

"They're very good friends, have hit off together and have been a tremendous assets for us. 

"They've got a lot of good role models around them with the older guys who can relate to them because a few of them have had chequered pasts too."

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