Sterlo saw Walker unravelling before intercept

3 years ago 361

Everyone volition speech astir Cody Walker's intercept walk to Penrith winger Stephen Crichton arsenic the play that decided Sunday's NRL expansive final.

But legendary halfback Peter Sterling noticed the South Sydney five-eighth statesman to unravel minutes earlier, connected a play that nary 1 focused on.

The scoreboard was locked astatine 8-8 aft a Rabbitohs punishment extremity successful the 2nd half, erstwhile the Bunnies frantically attacked the Panthers' defence desperately hunting for their archetypal pb of the night.

It was aboriginal successful the acceptable erstwhile Walker attempted to enactment a grubber down the defenders and pursuit it himself, unbeknown to his teammates.

The play failed and 4 minutes aboriginal Penrith scored erstwhile an errant Walker walk recovered absorption winger Crichton, who snatched it retired of the aerial and sprinted to the tryline.

Sterlo's Wrap: Grand Final recap & Sterlo's Final Word

Sterling said South Sydney struggled to clasp their nervus erstwhile the premiership was connected the enactment successful the dying minutes.

"I thought with clip starting to tally retired and a small spot of scoreboard pressure… it's truly hard to beryllium captious of idiosyncratic who is truthful originative and has had specified a large season, and is looking to triumph the game," helium told Wide World of Sports' Sterlo's Wrap.

"But I thought determination was immoderate archer communicative signs of immoderate impatience starting to travel into the crippled for Cody with this play… this is astir 30 metres out, it's not the past tackle. It conscionable wasn't the close play.

"It was ne'er on. And past 4 minutes aboriginal that's the (intercept) pass.

Huge blunder arsenic Walker throws intercept

"So the mentality of Cody astatine that time, helium was looking for the large play, and that tin beryllium precise dangerous.

"When a ball-player plays truthful good into the line, immoderate agelong walk is fraught with danger, and Stephen Crichton was capable to snare that 1 and contention away."

Penrith won the expansive last 14-12 to assertion the club's archetypal NRL rubric successful 18 years.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!