League: 5 key match-ups in Grand Final

By PETER JESSUP

PROP/SECOND ROW

ADRIAN MORLEY/CRAIG FITZGIBBON (Roosters)

v

WILLIE MASON/ANDREW RYAN (Bulldogs)

Features: Power and intimidation from Morley versus Mason, smart link-play from Fitzgibbon and Ryan.

The 115kg Mason makes an average 14 hit-ups for 140m gained and Morley makes an average 12 carries for 103m.

Mason makes 15 tackles, Morley 20 and they hurt more than his bigger rival's do. Morley is more likely to produce a tackle-turnover - Mason more likely to provide the big bust up the middle of the field.

Both will have a say on Sunday and the winner of the intimidation stakes between the pair will lift his team.

Fitzgibbon and Ryan are the tireless support acts, always around to take the off-load and deliver it elsewhere.

Ryan has 13 tries from 25 games and has the better off-load and an occasional dab with the boot whereas Fitzgibbon, two tries in 20 games, confines his kicking to goals but is the more accurate defender.


FIVE-EIGHTHS

BRAD FITTLER (Roosters)

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BRAITH ANASTA (Bulldogs)

Features: Both have vision, line-breaking ability and strength to stand and deliver when caught.

It's Fittler, 32, the master - in his last game of a career that began in 1991 - against the new hot kid Anasta, 22, almost a mirror image of him. The Rooster is 96kg and 1.86m, the Dog 96kg and 1.82m. Both have played 25 games this year, Fittler scoring 10 tries, Anasta eight. But while Anasta mainly involves himself in the attack, Fittler is a force in defence too, making an average 20 tackles, one miss per game to Anasta's eight tackles, one miss. Anasta's error rate is higher, too, 1.4 per game to 0.4. The Bulldog is more dangerous with his kick, providing the greater number of try-assists from the boot. On Sunday it may be composure that wins this battle and there, Fittler has a decided edge via his 336 games and four grand finals, two of them victories.


HOOKER

CRAIG WING (Roosters)

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COREY HUGHES (Bulldogs)

Features: Wing's acceleration and speed versus Hughes' toughness in defence. Pretty boy versus workman.

The Dogs open games with 94kg Adam Perry at hooker to take the early big hits, but then the 89kg Corey Hughes comes on, offering a kicking game, smarter acceleration and the same reliability in defence, if not the same power as Perry. Hughes plays games right out at full speed. Wing is the better dummy-half runner, and at 86kg has more speed than either of the Dogs hookers, but he is more prone to dropped balls and missed tackles, especially as he tires. Hughes makes 20 tackles for one miss on average, Wing plays more minutes and makes 23 tackles, with an average of two misses. That one extra miss might be vital.


HALFBACK

BRETT FINCH (Roosters)

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BRENT SHERWIN (Bulldogs)

Features: Kicking games of both are vital. Finch is the better runner, Sherwin the better passer.

Finch runs more with the ball, particularly from dummy-half. He has 11 tries from 26 games, Sherwin five from 25 games, but the Dogs half is higher in the try-assists stakes and plays more of a part with attacking kicks in the red-zone.

Each misses an average 2/3 tackles a game and each makes an average 1.5 errors.

At 23, Finch is in his second consecutive grand final though Sherwin, 26, has the mettle on him in terms of experience.

Sherwin is the more nuggety defender and when the Dogs enjoy possession that lets them run at Finch and force him to tackle big men repeatedly, they'll do it, pressing attacks from the scrum.


FULLBACKS

ANTHONY MINICHIELLO (Roosters)

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LUKE PATTEN (Bulldogs)

Features: Kick-return and broken-play from Minichiello. Patten is not as flash but is the better support player and defender.

Both are 24, and permanent features at the back for their teams. Patten is Mr Reliable under the high ball - sent there to assist Matt Utai with that since the latter's frailties were exposed by the Cowboys - and in cover defence. Minichiello's defensive positioning is sometimes suspect and he can be particularly vulnerable to quick counter-attack. But his kick-return to get sets rolling is second-to-none.

His average gain is 165m per game, Patten's 95m. But Minichiello's error rate is 2.2 per game, Patten's 0.4.

Minichiello has 17 tries from 24 games, Patten 12 from 27 games.

But Patten's try-assist rate is high while Minichiello doesn't feature there at all, sometimes a greedy player who costs his team with wrong options.