Leeds Win The 2009 Super League Grand Final

Oct 13, 2009 League Freak European Super League News 0

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When they look back through history they will say that this was the moment, this is when nothing was the same ever again.

Well, that’s what I’m guessing anyway, after the way Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield carried on about this being an historical Grand Final win!

Yes, I watch the game, delayed by only 11 hours by Channel Nine. Like Melbourne viewers of the NRL Grand Final, we didn’t get to see who was the Man of the Match or the trophy presentation.

Still it was about as good of a Super League game as you are going to get. Terrible mistakes, stupid decisions and a video referee that….well, lets get to that later on shall we.

The Match
As I said, it was about the best Super League game you are going to see. The score lines were low, the defenses turned up, the momentum changed….it got a pass mark.

The mistake by Francis Meli was terrible. It prompted someone I was watching the game with to ask if I would “Pull him off”. The idea of wanking off Francis Meli hadn’t crossed my mind until that point, but I suggested I would simply by happy to replace him on the field with another player.

Leon Pryce was bloody hopeless. None existant. It was suggested to me he would have had the same impact sitting in the stands watching the game with fans. I’d have to agree with that.

Longs kicking game was flat out shit. Still, it was great to see that one unblinking eye all game, you have to laugh at that.

Leeds didn’t do anything all that impressive. Diskin scored a try off some terrible goal line defense, Smith scored one try off a terrible blunder and his second try on that video refereeing decision.

As for St Helens, Eastmond scored their only try when he pounced on a kick and took it the rest of the way, a good effort.

It gave me a footy fix, thats all I needed until the Four Nations gets under way.

Cunningham, Feel His Aura
It was clear that had Keiron Cunningham been on the winning team he was getting the Man of the Match award. With talk of his supposedly broken hand (Which I’m calling bullshit on by the way!) was enough to cement that decision.

Then come the funniest call from the sideline commentator, Bill Arthur I think it might have been.

With Cunningham on the bench, probably eating a sandwich, Arthur was sitting infront of him on the sidelines. He said he could feel “His aura pumping out of him” as KC was sat behind him.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Then again maybe all he felt was the gravity that bellows from the sheer mass of a man who should be known throughout the world simply as “Titties”.

That Field Goal
Kicking a field goal a couple of minutes into the second half of a tied game. There were talckled remaining…

My first thought was that I now knew someone that had money on the first scoring play in the second half being a field goal.

I don’t understand this fascination in England with Field goals. Apart from the Sky Commentary team babbling on about them for the entire second half, players in SL kick them all the time in situations they are simply not needed.

It was a dumb decision, sacrificing field position on the St Helens try line with tackles remaining for one point, as opposed to going for four!

Crazy.

At least Sean Long has told us why so many are kicked in Super League, lets hope someone got a tidy little sum for that one.

That Video Referee Decision
In real speed I was shocked that St Helens had allowed a Leeds players to beat them to the ball so easily to score what ended up being the game winning try. On the first replay though Smith was offside, it all become clear now, penalty St Helens.

But wait a minute…

When they started looking at the grounding of the ball I was disgusted. The reason the video referee was invented was so that, on Grand Final day, a possible game changing decision could be reviewed so we got the right decision.

This wasn’t benefit of the doubt, he was just offside, clear as day. I had no interest in who won the game, I don’t like either side, but this was a disgraceful decision that should see that video referee sacked for ever.

All in all, it wasn’t anything all that special to watch, but historic…..well, it wasn’t that either.

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• Channel 9, Francis Meli, Keiron Cunningham, Kevin Sinfield, Leeds Rhinos, Leon Pryce, Referees, Sean Long, St Helens, Super League Grand Final

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