Foran backs Cherry-Evans for Dally M

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They are now rated the NRL's best halves combination - and Kieran Foran is backing his Manly scrumbase partner Daly Cherry-Evans to kick off grand final week celebrations by being crowned Dally M Medal winner for 2013.

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Cherry-Evans will take time out of his preparations for Sunday night's season decider for a gala night at The Star to see who wins rugby league's most prestigious individual award.

The Sea Eagles halfback is on a star-studded list of contenders that also includes Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Jarrod Mullen, John Sutton, Josh Reynolds, Robbie Farah and Todd Carney.

Thurston and Inglis are the favourites for the top prize, but Foran reckons no player in the NRL finished the season stronger than Cherry-Evans.

"I think he will win, I honestly do," Foran told The Daily Telegraph.

"I have said to a few people over the last few days, I think he is a massive smokie for it.

"He was up there at the beginning and I don't think another player would have finished with as many votes as he did."

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When voting went private after 16 rounds Cronk was leading on 16 points, one point ahead of Inglis, Sutton and Mullen who were all on 15. Josh Reynolds was on 14, just ahead of Cherry-Evans, Thurston and Robbie Farah all on 13, and Carney on 12.

Cherry-Evans wasn't getting his hopes up on Monday but says it would be a dream come true to be crowned the game's best player for 2013.

"I have got no doubt in my mind it is going to be one of the closest Dally M counts we have seen in a while," Cherry-Evans said.

"I am backing Queensland to win it through either Inglis, Cronk or Thurston.

"I'm the dark horse.

"I'm not expected to win it and I'm not expecting to win it.

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"But if I can walk out of there with the Dally M around my neck I'd be one of the proudest people on earth."

Foran is predicting this could be just the start of a couple of big months for Cherry-Evans.

With the awards followed by the grand final on Sunday, some are also suggesting Cherry-Evans could end up challenging Cronk for the Kangaroos No.7 jumper at the World Cup.

The Cronk-Thurston partnership has been a foundation for Queensland and the Kangaroos since Darren Lockyer's retirement but we are about to see the emergence of a new rivalry, similar to what Australia had in the days of Peter Sterling and Steve Mortimer, and Ricky Stuart and Allan Langer.

Foran says there is no doubt Cherry-Evans came back from Origin this year a better player - and if the Australia team was picked on form, Foran says Cronk would have a fight on his hands.

"I mean, I think Thurston and Cronk have got a great combination there and they have proved that together. But if you are talking on form, I think he has been the form half of the competition in the last 10 to 12 weeks," Foran said.

"When he came back from Origin I just think he must have got a lot of confidence out of playing those games and being around those world class players.

"I just noticed a massive change to him.

"I think he has been the best half in the competition by a country mile in this last 10 to 12 weeks."

Cherry-Evans admits his long-term goal is to be rated the best halfback in the game - but for now he just wants to win a seat on the plane to England at the end of the season.

"I definitely have a goal to be a part of that side at the end of the year," Cherry-Evans said.

"I know that to be in that side I need to play the best football I possibly can for Manly so as long as I worry about that first the rest will happen later.

"At some stage of my career I'd love to be known as the best player in the game but I think that is a few years off me.

"There are people who have had a lot more time in the game than I have and they have earned their stripes.

"So for me to think that I am in that echelon of players this early in my career I think would be a bit rude.

"I need to continue to play good footy over the next couple of years and then them accolades will look after themselves."

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Swans launch bid for Buddy

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THE Swans have made a $7m bid to steal Hawthorn's premiership winner Lance Franklin from cross-town rivals, the GWS Giants.

News Limited can reveal that the move, which will stun the AFL world and enrage Melbourne clubs, involves a five-year, $1.4m per season to lure Franklin to the 2012 premiers.

Franklin won his second premiership with the Hawks on Saturday but the superstar's transfer to the AFL's newest franchise, GWS, has been widely reported as a certainty all season.

The Hawks have cobbled together $1.1m a year to entice the goalkicking sensation to stay. and while the Swans' 11th hour offer is left in the shade by the Giants' $2m a season deal, there are a host of reasons that could win over Franklin.

* Franklin's close mate, Wallaby Kurtley Beale, has returned to Sydney to play Super Rugby for the Waratahs, who train at Allianz Stadium, next door to the SCG;

Kurtley Beale is confident his mooted Waratahs return would spark a return to form. Picture: Brett Costello Source: News Limited

* He would playing in a fearsome frontline alongside Kurt Tippett, the former Adelaide powerhouse;

* The Swans have room to move on the roster and salary cap, given recent retirements and transfers;

* Franklin could be contesting a premiership in 2014, rather than trying to avoid the wooden spoon with the young Giants; and

* The two-time Coleman medallist would be following in the footsteps of Tony Lockett and Barry Hall, St Kilda superstars who relished being out of the AFL spotlight in Sydney.

The Swans will also be pinning their hopes on the desire of Franklin for a change from the fish bowl existence of an AFL star in Melbourne.

Franklin is a regular on the Sydney social scene and loves the relative anonymity the NRL-loving city provides.

The Swans must clear the decks to fit Franklin into the salary cap but are helped by a combination of retirements and players on the move.

Space in the salary cap has been created by the retirement of three 2012 premiership players Jude Bolton, Marty Mattner and Mitch Morton.

Power forward Jesse White has also requested a trade and has met with Collingwood.

The big blow for the Swans would be the almost certain departure of premiership ruckman Shane Mumford.

Sydney are yet to make an offer to extend Mumford's four-year stay at the SCG.

Hawthorn are known to be very keen on his services and have regularly added to their talented with quality players from other clubs including Norm Smith medallist Brian Lake (Western Bulldogs), Jack Gunston (Adelaide), Shaun Burgoyne, David Hale and Josh Gibson (North Melbourne)

If the Swans do manage to pull of the audacious move Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold will be screaming blue murder over Sydney's nine per cent cost of living allowance.

The Melbourne presidents were up in arms when the best talent on the open market Tippett made his way to the Swans last year.

If Sydney do manage to snare Franklin and Tippett the pressure on the AFL to remove their allowance would further grow.

From a pure football point of view the sight of Tippett and Franklin playing in the same team and on the same forward line would be tantalising.

If Franklin does find his way to the SCG, Mumford is certainly gone and Tippett would have to carry some of the ruck duties with Mike Pyke.

His 202cm and 104kg frame is capable of handling the workload.

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Lack of top-up could see Mowen walk

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JUST three weeks after captaining the Wallabies, Ben Mowen is considering walking out of Australian rugby due to a payment dispute with the ARU.

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If Mowen walks, he will do so mid-next year and take up a lucrative deal in France.

It would be a massive blow to Super Rugby franchise the Brumbies, who are still reeling from the shock departure of coach Jake White last week, if their skipper left after the 2014 season.

Mowen is understood to be frustrated because he is not receiving a top-up contract from the ARU despite being a regular starter in the team - and the national captain against Argentina in Perth.

Mowen agreed to terms with the Brumbies until 2015, on the proviso he also gets an ARU top-up, which is not forthcoming.

The cash-strapped ARU is limiting top-ups to players.

They have introduced a policy where players will only get top-up payments if they have played for more than two years with the Wallabies.

In that scenario, Mowen would have to wait until 2015 for a top-up to his Brumbies salary, because he only made his Test debut this year at the age of 28.

But a frustration among players is that the ARU makes concessions for code-hoppers, such as current Wallabies fullback Israel Folau.

The ARU paid Folau a top-up to reject league and play rugby after he left the AFL, and he received a significant upgrade when he renegotiated his contract in late August, having played just five Tests.

They did the same with ex-leaguies Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers.

Mowen confirmed he had no deal with the ARU but referred the matter to his manager David Shand, who confirmed his client's predicament.

"He signed with the Brumbies, who have been good, now we're trying to get the ARU part of the deal done," Shand said.

Asked if Mowen has been approached by European clubs, Shand replied: "Of course, for the player the calibre of Ben who has captained his country".

In the absence of injured regular skipper James Horwill, Mowen took the honour of becoming Australia's 80th Test captain since 1899 when he led the Wallabies to a 14-13 win over Argentina on September 14.

But he was leading a dressing room of players earning significantly more.

Mowen still retains the vice-captaincy in the team and has developed his leadership credentials in the past two years by dragging the Brumbies from the tale of the Super Rugby ladder to grand finalists within two years.

White appointed Mowen skipper in 2012 even though he had been flicked from the Waratahs in favour of Rocky Elsom.

Mowen is not considered worthy of a top-up from the national body despite long-running talks.

The ARU believes that most Test players and aptly compensated by match payments, which are set at $14,000 per Test.

If a player was to feature in all 14 Tests this year, they will earn $196,000 in match payments alone, separate from their Super Rugby deals.

But the top-up element has been a crucial part of negotiations in past deals, and is guaranteed payment that is a safety net for players who miss Tests due to injury or non-selection.

Mowen was going to attempt to talk White out of his decision to quit the Brumbies last week when the pair met in Cape Town during the Wallabies preparations for the Springboks.

Mowen said he did not bother once White told him the decision was based on family, and the desire to be closer to his South African-based sons.

Mowen, a father, must now also weigh up what is best for his young family.

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From little boys to Manly legends

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AS little boys they were born just 13 months apart and grew up as best mates - as men Brett and Glenn Stewart remain inseparable.

On Sunday night they will team up together for their fourth NRL grand final when underdogs Manly take on the minor premiership winning Sydney Roosters.

Many good judges believe this brotherly connection is the Sea Eagles' secret weapon - and it's not just because of the way they play football together.

As Manly stalwart Peter Peters put it yesterday, it's like their bond has been the magnet that has pulled this team together.

"I have never known a closer bond and I am from a close knit family and family means everything to me,'' Peters said.

"I have seen a video of Brett and Glenn playing as kids.

"Their parents had put it together of their greatest tries and just to see the mateship even back then.

"And now at training you will see Glenn throw a pass up without looking and Brett will come through from 20 metres away and take it.

"You can't train for that, you can't coach it.''

On and off the field, it's like they would do anything and everything if it meant protecting each other.

"We are certainly close,'' Glenn said.

"I can't speak for other brothers but I couldn't imagine being closer than what we are.

"Like, I don't think it is possible, you know what I'm saying?''

To get a picture, Peters takes you back to a story when they were teenagers and Brett was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

"I reckon that is where their bond really started,' he said.

Then there was Brett's court case back in 2010 that dragged his name and his reputation through the mud before he was finally found not guilty.

Peters continued: "I have sat in the dugout with (Brett) and fans have said terrible things to him and he has sat there and copped it.

"And he listens to everything, he hears everything.

"A couple of times, I didn't think he'd heard. And he'd say; `Did you hear that?'

"It was hard to take.''

But then Peters tells you about their family and what they all mean to each other.

How their dad was a coal miner and a butcher and a father most importantly, who would do anything for his kids.

"Salt of the earth,'' Peters said.

Brett started laughing at training yesterday when we asked about his Dad.

"Dad doesn't sleep before the game, he is worse than us,'' Brett joked.

"I don't think Mum is much better.

"They just spent the weekend up here. They brought up our nieces and I spent the weekend with them and I guess next week will be the same.

"Sometimes you've got to tell them to go home.''

You saw in last Friday night's win over South Sydney what these brothers mean to this team.

One minute the Sea Eagles were trailing Souths 14-0 and mistakes from Glenn had directly led to every single point.

But then he did something magical, a deft little kick off his left boot that no one expected, except his brother.

And from there Manly marched into another grand final.

"There is definitely a connection,'' Glenn agreed.

"We were only 13 months apart and we grew up extra close and as best mates and we certainly played a lot of footy together and games around the backyard.

"I don't know if it's anything extra to what other brothers have but Brett seems to chase everything at 110 per cent so it certainly makes things look a bit easier.''

Brett added: "I am certainly not saying that I can read his mind, what he is going to do, but it definitely helps.

"This is our fourth grand final and you know if someone would have said 10 or 11 years ago we would have played in one I would have been stoked.

Brothers Glenn (left) and Brett Stewart have a very close bond. Picture Gregg Porteous

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SBW, Matai defied life of crime

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IMAGINE how many of these players would also be playing in NRL grand finals had they not been caught up in street gangs and drugs.

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Steve Matai and Sonny Bill Williams made it, emerging from the same high school and defying the luring shadows of Auckland's underbelly to shine on the biggest stage in rugby league.

Twelve years after they played together for Mt Albert Grammar's first XIII, the pair will face off in the NRL decider.

But many of their former teammates wound up on the wrong side of the law, including one of Matai's best friends who has only just been released from prison.

The Sea Eagles centre can only shake his head at the thought of the wasted talent he once played alongside.

"Our whole team that year, a lot of us could be here playing, but the boys were taking different options, walking different tracks," Matai told the Daily Telegraph.

"It was me, Tommy Leuluai (Warriors) and Sonny in the same team. It's good to see we still carried on playing.

"There were some talented boys in that team, if not better than me, who just made the wrong choices.

"It's good to see us all playing at the top level, coming from the same high school. I knew Tommy and Sonny were going to make it, I didn't see myself playing first grade but things went my way," he said.

"We had a good team, a few boys made the Auckland squad, we had a lot of talented boys who went the other way.

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"Just to see them make those choices was a bit disappointing.

"I'm happy I made the decision to keep playing, I'm happy Tommy and Sonny also made that decision, and not follow the crowd but knuckle down and train hard.

"I've been here almost 10 years, it shows that hard work pays off."

Both Matai and Williams have represented their countries, and are pillars of the hard-work ethic.

Both have had injury history and are meticulous with their training and preparation.

That discipline has served the pair well, with Matai on the verge of winning his third premiership and Williams his second.

Matai and Williams first encountered each other when they attended rival primary schools and played against each other.

They then attended Mt Albert Grammar where they became friends and teammates, though they rarely hung out together given Williams was younger.

Matai marked Williams when he burst on to the NRL in 2004 in the centres, but has rarely been on the field with him since given Williams's rugby union and boxing pursuits.

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