Why Manly and Souths not Penrith can trouble Melbourne Storm

August 5, 2021 â€" 5.00amImmortal Kombat

Who is going to beat the Storm? That’s the question with five rounds until the finals.

Apart from being at full strength, with no injuries, the key is ball movement: you must offload the ball with unstructured, unorthodox attack to break down the Melbourne machine.

To do that, you first need to get through your sets and earn that right. If you make errors, they’ll crush you.

The big thing required to beat them, though, is you need just that little bit of magic. You need a superstar who says: “Come with me.”

There are two teams that tick those boxes right now: Souths and Manly.

Both move the ball, offload and have those magicians I’m talking about.

The Sea Eagles have Tom Trbojevic, whose performance against the Sharks resembled the under-6s, when the big kid just dominates.

They’re impressive. They have pockets of attack all around the field, with Josh Schuster on the left side combining with Kieran Foran. On the right, they’ve got Daly Cherry-Evans combining with Jason Saab and Haumole Olakau’atu, who gets better each time I see him.

Tom Trbojevic’s performance against the Sharks on Monday night reminded me of the under-6s.Credit:NRL Photos

The Rabbitohs, of course, have Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker. They’ve got the sort of magic you just can’t coach. You ask them how they do it and they just shrug their shoulders. They’re brilliant.

Most importantly, both these clubs are healthy. Penrith aren’t healthy. They have injuries to key players and that’s a concern this close to the play-offs.

Knight v Broncos

This should be a really entertaining match because both teams love to attack â€" and have very questionable defence.

Last week, the Broncos scored 37 points and the Knights scored 34. It will be a shootout.

It’s a shame Kotoni Staggs is out for the Broncos because I would have loved watching him go at it with Bradman Best, who is the go-to man for Newcastle on that left side.

That’s the side fullback Kalyn Ponga also likes to play, sweeping right to left.

The Knights need to come up with sets and plays that get Bradman one on one. He’s a beast. Bradman Beast.

But the match-up I’m really looking forward to is Broncos prop Payne Haas up against the Saifiti brothers, Daniel and Jacob. This clash will shake the stadium.

Payne Haas has incredible agility for a big man.Credit:Getty

In my time, I’ve always put Glenn Lazarus at the top of the tree of front-rowers. He was a genetic freak: he had a huge motor, playing 8o minutes, but he was also agile, with speed off the mark.

Above all, he was footy smart.

When I played Origin in 1996, as hooker for the Blues, he taught me so much; just some little subtleties in defence, especially around the ruck. Never giving up your inside shoulder.

When we were in the middle, it was like a lightbulb moment: Oh, this is what Lazzo was talking about.

Haas is even more of a genetic freak than Lazarus. I’m constantly blown away by his agility and speed for someone of that size. He finds his top speed after three steps.

But, in my mind, Daniel Saifiti was the best forward of the Origin series. The Blues really missed him in game three.

Daniel and Jacob are that rare breed of player who can inflict damage when they run the ball. Watch how they use their bumper bars, their forearms and elbows, when defenders go high on them.

Kalyn Ponga’s return has lifted the Knights.Credit:Getty

I expect both of them to be playing for NSW next year.

Newcastle win this one because they have halfback Mitchell Pearce returning from injury. When he and Ponga are playing together, it’s a win-win for the Knights.

Pearce brings a kicking game, a voice that organises, but mostly that feel, knowing when to speed a game up and when to slow it down.

The packs cancel each other out. Pearce, Ponga and Best get Newcastle home.

JOEY’S TIP: Knights by 10.
FIRST TRY-SCORER: Bradman Best.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kalyn Ponga.

Cup runneth over a year

I agree with the NRL and the clubs: the World Cup needs to be postponed for a year.

Because of the pandemic, and with none of the players vaccinated, it’s a no-brainer.

It’s disappointing for the English game but putting it back a year won’t hurt it.

The worrying thing for me is Shane Warne, who is coaching cricket in London, has tested positive for COVID-19.

What chance do us mere mortals have of avoiding it if Warney can’t?

Now I think of it, COVID should be more worried about being in Warney’s body.

If COVID can survive being inside the King, maybe we should vaccinate Australians with a pinch of Warney’s blood.

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Andrew Johns is an Immortal, a Newcastle great and a commentator for Channel Nine

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