NRL's immense physicality means favourites firm because they had a break

By kick-off in the preliminary finals this weekend, Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters will have been fine-tuned for a fortnightFour-time AFL premiership-winning coach Alistair Clarkson has a saying when it comes to dealing with injury: “Lose a soldier, replace him with a soldier.” It means that while your club may have a lost a player, it’s not like there’s now a gaping hole in the line-up. If the replacement is an AFL man, he brings plenty to the party.As it is in Australian rules football, so it is in rugby league. Though, as ever, it’s a little different. Rugby league is inherently more brutal than Australian rules. Each tackle isn’t a contest so much as a high-speed collision. And the new guy best be used to that or he’ll be owned in very quick measure. Related: Last-gasp Adam Reynolds kick gives Souths thrilling win over Dragons Maybe Cronulla have momentum, whatever you take that to mean Related: The reality is more nuanced than NRL players being blokey boofheads | Catharine Lumby Related: Sharks hold off Panthers fightback to stay alive in NRL finals Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian

---