Coaching the coaches

Revenge is the theme of Friday night’s brutal encounter between the two rivals from the south of Sydney, writes the GRL Phantom.

Sydney Roosters (4th) V South Sydney Rabbitohs (14th)
Friday August 29th, Sydney Football Stadium
Kick-off: 7.30pm

The two-arch rivals of the competition meet in a special centenary game.

It's exactly 100 years to the day, when the Rabbitoh's and Roosters played in the foundation year of the game. Since that time there has been no love lost between both camps.

Over the years there have been several Roosters leave to join the Rabbitoh's and also several Bunnies hop over to Bondi Junction.

Craig Wing has been in both camps. He was a Souths junior who then shifted to the Roosters where he spent eight years.

Now's he back in red and green colours.

Wing got badly injured in the opening game of the season against the Roosters and missed 14 weeks of the season with a bunged up shoulder.

Former Souths and Roosters great, Ron Coote won grand finals for both clubs.

He played in nine overall and won four with Souths and two with the Roosters and was a runner-up on three occasions.

In fact Souths and the Roosters are playing for the Ron Coote Cup, such is the high esteem in which Coote, the former champion lock, is held.

I fancy the Rabbitohs to clip the Roosters;wings this Friday.

The Roosters' forwards have been relying on a power game and appear flat.

Too many times in recent weeks the Roosters have played ''one out footy'', by simply belting the ball forward while making themselves easy targets for tacklers.

The Sharks exposed this one out play last Friday night, gang tackled the forwards and effectively slowed down the play the ball tempo.

Halves Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta have been passing too far before the line and are also crabbing across field.

Pearce isn't playing square at the line but is rather drifting across field and turning the ball back inside.

Souths' defence was poor against the Raiders in the second half.

However their attack, variety and innovation has been much better than the regimented, stagnate and non-attacking football they played in the first eight weeks of the season.

Chris Sandow and Craig Wing have improved the variety.

Verdict:

Souths by 7 at the Sydney Football Stadium before a bumper crowd.

Manly Sea Eagles (2nd) V Gold Coast Titans (13th)
Monday September 1st, Brookvale Oval
Kick-off:  7.00pm

I still believe the Eagles will win the title and stop a rampant Melbourne in the grand final, But that piece is for another time.

Manly love playing at Brookie and they won't leave the arena without a win for their champion Menzies.

Manly will take advantage of the fact the Titans lost an extra-time thriller to Brisbane.

Preston Campbell, whom I believe should be named the Dally M Player of the Year, just in front of Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk, is a huge loss.

He played 45 minutes last week against the Broncos with a broken jaw.

Scott Prince has made a difference in recent weeks with his ball play, scheming, kicking in general play and orchestrating of the Titans' attack and defence.

Manly will play it tight early and work the Titans centres and halves either side of the rucks with his power plays.

Glenn Stewart who wears 13 on his back, tackles like a lock, but runs like a centre and ball plays like a five-eighth, will work down the right side of the field and look for his brother, Brett, right centre Steve Bell and flying winger David Williams.

Adam Cuthbertson when he takes the field works the left edge and links with Menzies and power centre Steve Mattai and the vastly underrated winger and flyer Michael Robertson.

Verdict:

Manly by a dozen and two tries for Menzies.