Rugby league legend and former Panthers premiership winning captain Greg Alexander has given his verdict on which players will hold the key to their respective sides getting over the line in Sunday’s NRL decider.
Alexander highlighted both teams' representative lock forwards in Cameron Murray and Isaah Yeo being key to guiding their teams to premiership glory on Sunday night.
While Alexander explained both players are very different in terms of attacking styles, both will play a vital part in the Grand Final, in particular both players' combination with their halves.
“Cameron Murray’s involvement both with the ball and defensively is a key to South Sydney,” Alexander said on Morning Glory with Matty Johns on 1170 SEN.
“Both locks are outstanding and do an outstanding job to get the attack going.
“Murray has learned the ability to run direct and get the ball out the back.
“He is such a threat because of his footwork, speed and his quick play the ball that he gives the impression to the defenders that he is running the ball.
“Which means that they converge, he goes out the back to Adam Reynolds or Cody Walker and creates that space.
“Murray is very good with the ball.
“Issah Yeo has the mindset of a half. He doesn’t run as direct as Murray but Isaah can veer out then straighten up.
“If he can get past the A defender he can get wider than the A defender and then square up the B defender.
“All of a sudden he’s got his half out near the half or the centre.
“Penrith left a few points out on the field against Melbourne and it was mistakes from Nathan Cleary that you rarely see.
“I think that combination with Nathan and Isaah with the ability to drag the A and B defender and get them involved will be a huge play for the Panthers.”
Murray has played 19 games this year for the Rabbitohs scoring five tries while Panthers co-captain Yeo has appeared 24 times in season 2021 with two tries to his name.