PREVIEW: NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership - 2018 Finals Week 1

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It's finals time for the 2018 Intrust Super Premiership season and all eyes will be on Panthers Stadium this weekend, where all four matches will be played across Saturday and Sunday.

The Intrust Super Premiership finals structure works identically to the NRL finals system where the top 4 teams are guaranteed at least two weeks in the finals while the bottom four sides play a sudden death clash to move into week two.

Qualifying Final 1
Penrith Panthers (1st)  v Canterbury Bulldogs (4th)

Kick Off: Saturday, 1:10pm (Live Channel 9 NSW)

The opening match of the Intrust Super Premiership finals sees the minor premiers and defending champions the Penrith Panthers take on the fourth placed Canterbury Bulldogs. 

The Panthers come into the match having not tasted defeat since Round 11 when they fell to the Wests Magpies at North Sydney Oval. Penrith have seen a consistent turn-over of players with many called up to the NRL for periods of time as well as injuries striking key players within their own side. They've have had to call up a number of Jersey Flegg players to fill gaps and despite the upheaval of players the side has consistently taken victory. The ISP Panthers side of recent weeks has seen similar performances to the NRL side with the Mountain Men having to come from more than 2 tries behind including coming from 18-0 down against the Roos three weeks ago before winning 36-32.

Unlike their NRL counterparts, the Canterbury Bulldogs ISP side has spent most of the season comfortably in the top 8 with the likes of Lachlan Lewis and Rhyse Martin in the side for the first half of the season. The form for the Dogs has been good with three straight wins leading into the finals re-entering the top 4 a fortnight ago and keeping their top 4 spot with a win last week against Wentworthville. The Bulldogs side has been one of the more stable sides in the competition with just 35 players used compared to the 43 players used by the Panthers.

Key Players: Adam Keighran - The ex-Bulldog has made a home for himself at the Panthers in 2018 becoming an integral part of the Panthers side spending the majority of the season in the centres before being moved into the halves where he has excelled at leading the Panthers around. Keighran is the competitions leading points scorer and his combination with Liam Coleman has been electric for the Panthers with speed around the ruck and a great instinct for a quick tap.

Josh Cleeland - Tipped to be an NRL star when in QLD, Cleeland has yet to break through to NRL level but he has again shown he is a quality player this season. The Bulldogs five-eighth has made twenty appearances in the ISP this season and has chalked up an impressive 8 try assists and 7 tries to his name this season. Cleeland will be a must watch for the Panthers with an impressive kicking game and speed able to cause issues for even the best sides.

Previous clashes: The Panthers have taken victory in both clashes between the two sides this season, the first was a comprehensive 38-16 win at Panthers Stadium before the Panthers held on to an 18-16 victory at Belmore.

Tip: Both sides come into the game in good form although the Panthers will be concerned that they could only manage a draw against Blacktown last week. The Bulldogs have enough quality to push the Panthers, but it's hard to see the home side losing their first home game in almost five months. Panthers by 6.

1. Caleb Aekins 2. Ratu Tuisese 3. Tyrone Phillips 4. Brian Too 5. Sam Smith 6. Adam Keighran 7. Liam Coleman 8. Kaide Ellis 9. Reed Izzard 10. Liam Martin 11. Billy Burns 12. Dean Blore 13. Jack Hetherington 14. Siosifa Talakai 15. Andy Saunders 16. Jed Cartwright 17. Paea Pua 18. Nick Lui-toso

1. Mason Cerruto 2. Tom Carr 3. Morgan Harper 4. John Olive 5. Jayden Okunbor 6. Josh Cleeland 7. Fa'amanu Brown 8. Renouf To'omaga 9. Zac Woolford 10. Francis Tualau 11. Asipeli Fine 12. Bronson Garlick 13. Jack Nelson 14. Josh Bergamin 15. Jesse Martin 16. Lachlan Burr 17. Zac Cardassilaris 19. D'rhys Miller

Elimination Final 2
Mounties (6th) v Warriors (7th)

Kick Off: Saturday, 5:15pm (NSWRL.com.au live stream)

The second match of the Intrust Super Premiership finals is a battle between the sixth placed Mounties and the seventh placed Warriors side.

Mounties were the form team of the Intrust Super Premiership competition for the first half of the season sitting in first place but some key call-ups for the Raiders in the NRL saw them have a back-end slide down the ladder to finish as low as sixth place. Mounties started the season with 7 wins from their first 10 games before winning just four of their last 12 matches. Their form leading into the finals has been terrible and they were the only side in the competition to not win any of their final 5 games of the competition. Just like the Panthers, injury and NRL call ups have forced a high usage of players with 42 players used by Mounties this season.

The Warriors come into the 2018 ISP finals series in marginally better form than their opponents Mounties and are one of two sides to reach the finals with more losses than wins in the season. Although the Warriors season can best be described as inconsistent they have been settled in the ISP top 8 since Round 6 bouncing around the positions between fifth and eighth for the majority of the season. The men from across the ditch have only tasted victory once since Round 16 and that came last weekend when the Warriors picked up a confidence boosting 24-22 victory over the North Sydney Bears. The Warriors are bang on average for players used with 40 player used this season.

Key Players: Tyler Cornish - Mounties Young-Gun Tyler Cornish will be the most important player on the park for Mounties if they are wanting to progress to week 2 of the ISP finals series. Cornish has been impressive in a side that has slid down the table late in the season and has had to play the senior role teaming up with youngster Brendan O'Hagan in the halves. Cornish has notched up 10 try assists for the season as well which will be key for Mounties.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - Cook Islands international Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will be an important key to the Warriors attack and defence for the clash against Mounties on Saturday night. Klokstad possesses impressive speed and attacking potency that has seen him called up to the NRL on 7 occasions over the past two seasons. The strength of the Warriors centre can't be underestimated with a whopping 66 tackle breaks for the season to go with 7 line breaks and 8 tries in 2018.

Previous clashes: The two matches between Mounties and the Warriors were split with Mounties taking victory at GIO Stadium back in Round 9 with a 30-26 win whilst the Warriors had their own 4 point in Round 16 when they won 24-20 at Mount Smart Stadium.

Tip: This game could go absolute anyway, both sides are in poor form although the Warriors do have the momentum of a final round win boosting their stats. The important factor is to see which Raiders players don't make the trip to Auckland for the NRL and could potentially make an appearance for Mounties here. The Warriors have the class on their side but it's hard to pick a winner, the game could be a blow out or it could end up in golden point. Warriors by 10.

1. Sitiveni Moceidreke 2. Tony Satini 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Ed Murphy 5. Taane Milne 6. Brendan O'Hagan 7. Tyler Cornish 8. Royce Hunt 9. Sam Duggan 10. Liam Knight 11. Makahesi Makatoa 12. Jarrett Boland 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Mitch Cahalane 15. Steven Tavita 16. Daniel Roberts 17. Joshua Saunders-jones

1. Hayse Perham 2. Charnze Nicoll-klokstad 3. Blake Ayshford 4. Anthony Gelling 5. Fetalaiga Pauga 6. Chanel Harris-tavita 7. Sam Cook 8. Ligi Sao 9. Karl Lawton 10. Tevita Satae 11. Matiu Love-Henry 12. Joseph Vuna 13. James Bell 14. Tom Ale 15. King Vuniyayawa 16. Patrick Sipley 17. Preston Riki

Elimination Final 1
Western Suburbs Magpies (5th) v Wyong Roos (8th)

Kick Off: Sunday, 11:45pm (Live Fox Sports)

The first of Sunday's finals sees the fifth placed Western Suburbs Magpies return to finals action when they take on last season's Intrust Super Premiership runners-up the Wyong Roos who finished in eighth spot.

The Magpies were reintroduced into the competition for the first time since 2012 when parent club the Wests Tigers opted against using the joint venture name in the Intrust Super Premiership for 2018. The Western Suburbs Magpies have enjoyed a relatively successful season spending every round well inside the ISP top 8 including time at the top of the ladder during the early stages of the season. Wests finished in fifth spot in 2018 which was a marked improvement to the last place finish of the Wests Tigers in 2017. The Magpies were able to score 12 wins throughout the season including being the last side to defeat the Penrith Panthers way back in Round 11. The Wests side comes into the finals off the back of a hefty loss against the Newtown Jets although they had won three of their previous four matches including a single point victory against Wyong a fortnight ago.

Last year's grand finalists, the Wyong Roos have found themselves in a tough scrap in 2018 sitting outside the top 8 for most of the season and then fighting to give themselves a top 8 spot in the final rounds. The Roos come into the game off the back of the bye which has given Wyong coach Rip Taylor the week off to adjust his side and get his side ready for the finals.  The Wyong side have lost their past three games which will be a concern including giving up an 18-0 lead against the Panthers before taking the lead back only to concede the match in the final 60 seconds. Despite the poor form of Wyong in 2018, they have been one of the more stable teams of the competition only using 37 players which is below the competition average of 40.6 players.

Players To Watch: Chris McQueen - The veteran of 157 NRL games, McQueen has found himself a consistent member of the Western Suburbs side in 2018. The second rower will be an important cog in the Magpies side with his experience at the top grade being important in leading a young side around the park. McQueen has averaged 93 metres per match and will need to step it up a level against a very fast and mobile Wyong side.

Mitch Williams - Arguably the most experienced Reserve Grade player in Australia, Mitch Williams has played in over 100 Intrust Super Premiership games and has been with Wyong for all 113 games. The hooker has been a consistent starter for Wyong in the dummy half role and his stability and experience has seen NRL regular and PNG international Kurt Baptiste forced to the bench for the Wyong side. A bread and butter player, Williams instincts at dummy half are impressive and he has notched up 13 try assists this season as well as 14 line break assists.

Previous clashes: Both games between the two sides this season have been decided by a solitary point with the Roos taking victory away from at Campbelltown Stadium back in round 3 when they won 23-22. The Magpies took revenge for the home defeat a fortnight ago when they took a 25-24 win at Morrie Breen Oval in extremely windy conditions.

Tip: Although Wyong have lost their past three matches leading into the finals, it's hard to see them losing this game. The experience in the side with the likes of Mitch Williams, Frank-Paul Nuuasala and Kurt Baptiste give the Roos the upperhand in this one. The Magpies do have plenty of strength around the park and whilst the game won't be a blow out, Wyong will use their experience to win this. Roos by 12.

1. Dylan Smith 2. Harry O'toole 3. Lucas Price 4. Sam McIntyre 5. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Pita Godinet 8. Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu 9. Kurt Aldridge 10. Cowen Epere 11. Christopher Mcqueen 12. Luke Garner 13. Patrice Siolo 14. Bayley Sironen 15. Alexander Seyfarth 16. Tuimoala Lolohea 17. Benjamin Seufale 18. Connelly Lemuelu

1. Luke Sharpe 2. Reece Robinson 4. Brendan Frei 3. Paul Momirovski 5. Billy Smith 6. Lachlan Lam 7. Mitchell Cornish 8. Eloni Vunakece 9. Mitch Williams 10. Frank Paul Nuuausala 11. Brock Gray 12. Reuben Porter 13. Poasa Faamausili 16. Benjamin Thomas 17. Jake Lewis 18. Kurt Baptiste 19. Wyatt Shaw

Qualifying Final 2
St George Illawarra Dragons (2nd) v Newtown Jets (3rd)

Kick Off: Sunday, 1:45pm (Delayed Fox Sports)

The final game of the Intrust Super Premiership finals could be the best game of all, with two sides that bring a lot of history to the NSWRL with the Red V of St George Illawarra taking on the Royal Blue of the Newtown Jets.

The Dragons have had a consistent 2018 spending 21 of the 24 rounds inside the top 8 having sat in the top 8 since Round 9. The Dragons finished the season in second spot with 14 wins from their 22 games. The Red ‘V' come into the finals off the back of three straight wins with victories over the Bulldogs, Blacktown and Mounties last weekend. The Dragons have been lucky in comparison to their rivals throughout the competition having only used 33 players this season which is the best in the competition by far. The Dragons have been advantaged in 2018 by having 2017 ISP Premiership winner Darren Nicholls in the Dragons rise from Eighth in 2017 to second in 2017.

Despite being out of the First Grade competition for 35 years, the Newtown Jets have seen a resurgence in recent years with a growing adoration from the Rugby League public as well as a loyal band of faithful fans from the old days. The feeder side to the Cronulla Sharks, the Newtown Jets finished the season in third spot after winning 12 of their 22 games along with two draws. The Jets in 2018 possessed the most potent attack of any side scoring 607 points for the season which was 57 more than the minor premiers the Penrith Panthers. Following the bye in Round 22, the Bluebags have arguably had the most impressive lead into the finals with big wins over the Warriors and the Wests Magpies.

Players To Watch: Darren Nicholls - Having joined from the successful Penrith Panthers side, Darren Nicholls brings to the Dragons the experience and knowhow of what is needed to win a premiership at this level. Nicholls is a veteran of the ISP competition having made 67 career appearances at this level including 17 this season for the Dragons. Nicholls' who now has one career NRL game under his belt, has been key for the Dragons this season with 6 try assists and 3 tries to his name.

Kyle Flanagan - The son of Sharks NRL coach Shane Flanagan, Kyle Flanagan is an NRL star of the future and he returns to this Jets side after making his NRL debut for the Sharks last weekend. Aged just 19, Flanagan has been a star for the Jets with 17 appearances this season and has been a large reason why the Jets side has been so potent in attack. The young halfback has notched 8 try assists for the season but has also scored 5 tries himself. The other majorly impressive aspect to Flanagan's season is that despite his age and stature, he is defensively strong with an 86% tackling efficiency rate.

Previous clashes: These two sides met twice within the first five rounds with the victories split. The Jets took a big 24-12 victory in Round 2 at Shark Park (although technically the away side) whilst the Dragons scored an 18-10 win at Henson Park. The previous games were too early in the season to be a decent enough form guide.

Tip:  Early on in the season, the Jets were my favourites to make the Intrust Super Premiership Grand Final along with the Panthers. There has been nothing this season that has changed my mind and although they did finish behind the Dragons it's hard to see them losing this. The Dragons do have the advantage of a stable squad and being lead by Darren Nicholls, but the Jets will be boosted by the return of Kyle Flanagan who brings back the confidence of a strong performance in the NRL last week. The game will be entertaining but the Jets attacking potency will be too strong. Jets by 12.

1. Patrick Herbert 2. John Tohi 3. Reuban Garrick 4. Steven Marsters 5. Shaun Sauni-esau 6. Adam Clune 7. Darren Nicholls 8. Pio Sokobalavu 9. Reece Robson 10. Mitchell Allgood 11. Jackson Ford 12. Jacob Host 13. Hame Sele 14. Josaia Lovodua 15. Damian Sironen 16. Ashleigh Nisbet 17. Josh Kerr 21. Fa'atui Uele

1. Will Kennedy 2. Matt Evans 3. Aaron Gray 4. Reubenn Rennie 5. Sione Katoa 6. Jack Williams 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Wesley Lolo 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Ava Seumanufagai 11. Briton Nikora 12. Anthony Moraitis 13. Jaimin Jolliffe 14. Billy Magoulias 15. Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga 16. Addison Demetriou 17. Malakai Houma 24. Matthew Jurd