Round 1
Sydney Roosters 6 l. South Sydney Rabbitohs 18

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Souths seal 12 point win in Monday opener
Mon March 19, 2007
On a miserable Sydney night, the brave and foolhardy people were rewarded with an excellent game of rugby league, as the South Sydney Rabbitohs began their season in ideal fashion with a grinding 18-6 victory over the Sydney Roosters. It was a deserving win for the Bunnies, as they went some way to justifying the pre-season hype with an established display on the field.

The match began with Souths applying plenty of pressure through a vast dominance in ball possession and field position. Initially, the Roosters held themselves astutely in seeing off numerous Rabbitohs' raids. Yet this only delayed the inevitable as Joe Williams crossed for the visitors' first four-pointer of the season. Yet one try soon became two, as Nigel Vagana produced a stellar piece of magic to ground the ball just before the dead ball line. It was an example of solo brilliance that made him famous at Canterbury that equally eluded him at Cronulla.

As the rain continued to pelt down mercilessly, many attacking raids were spoilt as ball handling errors increased. To the Roosters' credit, to hang on at half-time only 12 points down given their lack of possession would have been heartening. Yet after the interval, a penalty from close range saw the Rabbitohs extend their lead by another two points. However, in the 60th minute, the Roosters finally opened their 2007 points account, albeit due to Nathan Merritt's poor ball security. Flirtations of a second half comeback was quickly put to the backburner as Vagana scored his second through the excellent vision of Joe Williams and a great pass from David Peachey. Although Williams missed his conversion attempt, it was enough to see off the Roosters' challenge to hand Souths a valuable two competition points.

For the victors, halfback Williams was the standout with a performance that indicated his increasing maturity. Meanwhile, the decision to lure players of more experience paid off handsomely, as all the new recruits left their imprint on the game, which points to a brighter future for Souths. As for the Roosters, Danny Nutley reminded NRL viewers of the insatiable appetite for hard work he made famous at Cronulla, and will be a great asset for Chris Anderson. Other notable performers were Braith Anasta, who looked at home in No 13, while the new halves pairing of Mitchell Aubusson and Josh Lewis showed enough to suggest they will improve with time. In a less than ideal Sydney night, it was a fantastic entry for Monday night football.



Local derby kicks off new Monday night venture
Mon March 19, 2007
In what has already been an eventful opening round in the 2007 Telstra Premiership, it reaches its end tonight with the Sydney Roosters hosting South Sydney at Aussie Stadium. Both clubs have a distinctly unfamiliar look to them as they both embark on improving on a poor 2006 campaign. Yet the NRL administrators won't necessarily be focusing on the scorecard, rather than their new efforts to re-instill Monday Night Football to the football calendar.

David Gallop presents an appealing case. He predicted the success of the format due to the idea of people coming home from work, proceeding to the pub for a few drinks before heading to the football. Admirable sentiments from the NRL's head honcho, even if it lacks eloquence.

However, one needs to look past potential disgruntled employers on Tuesday morning to see whether the idea holds weight. The last time it was utilised was during the maligned Super League era, where the game in itself was struggling to cope both financially and failing to draw big crowds due to the division. In 2007 however, Monday Night Football returns on the back of another stellar season in terms of crowd numbers the year before, and seems set to succeed where it once failed.

There is an argument that the prospect of a round of rugby league lasting over four days will become tedious. Looking past the respective fan bases, it may also impact the management of all the clubs concerned, as they now potentially face up to ten days without a game, or as short as four. Gallop insists that no team will have to endure a four day turnaround, but the NRL's decision to reschedule Souths' Round Five clash indicates they are open to changing the schedule. So it bodes well to keep a close eye on how Gallop and his team organise this new aspect of the season. Depending on how well their execution is, Monday Night could be a permanent fixture beyond 2007, or will be gleefully dumped at season's end.

Looking to the game concerned, it bodes as an ideal way to cap off the opening round. As mentioned before, both Souths and the Roosters endured horrible 2006 campaigns, and begin this season looking to brighter pastures. Both teams have new coaches, with the highly rated Jason Taylor hitting all the right notes at Souths, while the invaluable experience of Chris Anderson will surely see things head upwards at Bondi Junction.

The team that has received all the headlines has been South Sydney, with numerous high profile signings, and a professional edge in the club not seen by many younger generation Souths fans. Meanwhile the Roosters also made moves in the player market, signing Queensland forward trio in Nate Myles, Danny Nutley and Chris Beattie. However, their trump card could be Anthony Minichiello, who many rugby league fans will be heartened to see return back on the field where he belongs.

Local derbies tend to bring out the savage competitive edge, so a contest will surely be on show. It's merely a question of which of the strugglers can make a better start, while for Gallop, it's whether Monday Night Football holds the weight necessary to befit the hype.

At half-time Souths lead 12-0. The next 40 minutes will be interesting......

Tue November 14, 2006
• 2007 NRL Premiership Fixture List (Full)
  

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