Dragons v Roosters
ANZ Stadium, 7pm tomorrow
The grand final Nathan Fien has yearned to play for 11 years looked light-years away 36 minutes into this season.
Carried from Parramatta Stadium on March 12 with a broken fibula and dislocated right ankle, the St George Illawarra utility feared his campaign was over before it began.
It took until August 8, and round 22 against the Sydney Roosters, to recover from injury. It was a case of perfect timing for the Dragons, who had dropped three of their last four games.
Fien's probing runs from dummy half once he appears from the interchange bench have invigorated the Dragons' attack, a transformation which started during that 19-12 win over the Roosters at the SCG.
Since the Australian-born Kiwis hooker has been available, the minor premiers have won six from seven - a sequence that sees St George Illawarra approach tomorrow's title decider against the Roosters at ANZ Stadium as favourites.
While the occasion will be revered by all players involved, it will be particularly poignant for Fien given his injury drama and mid-season departure from the Warriors in 2009.
"It's worked out all right hasn't it?" a wry Fien remarked as he closed in on the biggest game of his NRL career.
A fans' favourite at Mt Smart Stadium, Fien realised his days in Auckland were numbered when given the equivalent of a board's vote of confidence in an embattled coach: he was free to negotiate with other clubs.
It was a worrying development for Fien, who had played 105 games for the club since being coaxed from Townsville at the end of the 2004 season.
He had a three-year offer from Huddersfield but the north of England didn't appeal so he cold-called legendary coach Wayne Bennett - the Kiwis' assistant coach at the 2008 World Cup - to see if the Dragons could accommodate him.
Fien signed and made eight appearances in 2009, and despite another abbreviated year he shapes as a key figure if the Dragons are to shed their tag as the NRL's champion chokers.
His value was evident in last Saturday's preliminary final against the Wests Tigers - Fien made the dart to set up Jeremy Smith's try and with the scores locked at 12-all he provided the perfect pass for Jamie Soward's match-winning field goal.
And if Fien can exert a similar influence on proceedings tomorrow, those hours weighing up his rejection at the Warriors will not warrant a second thought.
"The grand final's been a long time coming. It's my 11th year in the NRL. To finally get there, it just goes to show all that hard work can pay off," he said.
"I'm just very grateful to be given an opportunity by Wayne [Bennett] to come back into the side."
Fien made his first-grade debut a decade ago in his native North Queensland and has twice seen his grand final dream thwarted a game short - in 2004 with the Cowboys and four years later at the Warriors.
Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, he will have some cause for celebration the morning after - barring injury he will be included in the Kiwis' Four Nations tournament squad. Although Issac Luke has a mortgage on the starting hooker's role, Fien's utility value enables him to cover there and at halfback, given Kieran Foran is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Fien preferred not to dwell on his international future.
"I'm just trying to improve week in, week out, get the fitness back and the confidence back in the ankle," he said.
He may well need that joint to be fully functioning against the Roosters, if only to sidestep the attention of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves - a Kiwis teammate he would rather play with than against.
"I've got to keep Jared away from me," he smiled.
"I don't want him ripping my head off."
DRAGONS v ROOSTERS
Dragons
Darius Boyd
Brett Morris
Mark Gasnier
Matt Cooper
Jason Nightingale
Jamie Soward
Ben Hornby (c)
Neville Costigan
Dean Young
Michael Weyman
Beau Scott
Ben Creagh
Jeremy Smith
Interchange: Nathan Fien, Trent Merrin, Matt Prior, Jarrod Saffy, Nick Emmett, Kyle Stanley, Jon Green, Luke Priddis (4 to be omitted).
Roosters
A. Minichiello
Joseph Leilua
Kane Linnett
S. Kenny-Dowall
Sam Perrett
Todd Carney
Mitchell Pearce
Jason Ryles
Jake Friend
F. Nu'uausala
Nate Myles
M. Aubusson
Braith Anasta (c)
Interchange: Martin Kennedy, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Daniel Conn, James Aubusson, Nick Kouparitsas, Tom Symonds, Lopini Paea, Phil Graham (4 to be omitted).
- NZPA
