Watch Rugby Championship:New Zealand All Blacks v. Argentina Pumas Live Stream 28 September 2014

Watch Rugby Championship Live Streaming. Argentina host New Zealand on Sunday, September 13 at 11.10am (NZT). New Zealand All Blacks vs Argentina live streaming online HD on your PC, Laptop, iPhone, Ipad  and Android over the Internet. Enjoy Now New Zealand All Blacks vs Argentina Live HD TV in anywhere or anyplaces. Just sign up and start watching now..

What: Argentina v New Zealand
When: Sunday, September 28 – 11.10am NZT
Where: Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, Argentina
I can view it on: Sky Sports


Coming up against Australia last round, Argentina continued what has become a familiar story for them since joining the Rugby Championship - they were good, but not quite good enough. They maintained a respectable score line going down 32-25, but still they remain without a win since joining the competition.

Heading back to Argentina may provide the Pumas with some added enthusiasm to finally claim that elusive win, but they’ll be playing host to a side who, regardless of where the two sides play, they have never beaten.

The All Blacks enter this game having not lost in their last 21 tests, but that record was on very shaky ground late in their clash against the Springboks last round as they held out for a 14-10 victory. Though the All Blacks could muster just one try against South Africa, this was testament to some stout Springbok defence.

The All Blacks amassed 611 metres with the ball in hand compared to the Springboks 282. They 61% possession and territory, made seven linebreaks, 31 defenders beaten and outnumbered the Springboks for offloads 16-1. Are the Pumas capable of withstanding such an onslaught the way the Springboks did? I don’t believe so.

Much of the lead into this game has focused more on the dropping of fly-half Aaron Cruden rather than the game itself. Failing to make the team flight after a late night drinking session, Cruden will not be making an appearance for the All Blacks in the test matches against Argentina or South African.

Without question Cruden is a classy player, but due to the wealth of talent that the All Blacks possess, the usual cliches about how there star fly-half can’t be replaced do not apply, with a more than ample deputy lurking in the wings in Beauden Barrett.

The 23-year-old has quickly amassed 23 tests, though started just three, and has spent a lot of time in the uncustomary position at fullback. He’s now been afforded a great opportunity to stake his claim as the top number ten in the country. Don’t be lured in by the thought that the All Blacks may be weakened here, Barrett has a full tool shed that he’s very competent in using.

Since joining the Rugby Championship, the Pumas have teased with gritty challenges on the road offering a glimmer of hope of what they could potentially do once they get back to Argentina, only to ultimately prove to be a let down in front of their home crowd.

Since the introduction of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks trips to Argentina have resulted in victories of 39 and 18. The Pumas have covered a 15.5-point line just once against the All Blacks going back to 2012 when they joined the SANZAR side’s competition, and even that was a 15 point loss.

The All Blacks have proven at this point that they have little regard for whether this game takes place in Argentina or New Zealand, they’re a far superior side, and they make it obvious. Despite the All Blacks being forced to make a few adjustments to their side, I don’t see this one playing out any differently.


Players List:

Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Manuel Montero, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe, 6 Benjamín Macome, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Mariano Galarza, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (captain), 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Matías Cortese, 17 Lucas Noguera Paz, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Rodrigo Baez, 21 Martín Landajo, 22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 23 Horacio Agulla.

New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Reid, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Jeremy Thrush, 20 Sam Cane, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Colin Slade, 23 Cory Jane.

Watch AFL Grand Final: Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks Live Streaming Online 27 September 2014

Watch AFL Grand Final Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks Live Streaming Online Saturday, 27 September 2014 at MCG Stadium. Watch AFL Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks Footy live streaming online HD on your PC, Laptop, iPhone, Ipad  and Android over the Internet. Enjoy Now AFL Grand Final Live HD TV in anywhere or anyplaces. Just sign up and start watching now..

MATCH INFORMATION
AFL Grand Final 2014
Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks
Day: Saturday, 27 September 2014
Time: 2.30pm (AEST)
Venue: MCG Stadium
TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy

The two best teams of 2014 both delivered on Preliminary Final weekend to get through to the Grand Final. With the Sydney vs Hawthorn arguably the biggest rivalry in the sport now, Blindside Sport gives their most comprehensive analysis of the big matchups, the key areas to watch and a final prediction

Form

The Swans rank third in points for and first for least points conceded per game this year. Sydney is 9-4 (7-6 against the line) vs top-8 teams this year.  They are 5-1 both head-to-head and against the line vs top-four sides this year and totally outclassed North Melbourne in their preliminary final. The Hawks rank first in both disposals and points per game this season and held on for a tight win over Port Adelaide in their preliminary final. They’re 7-5 (6-6 against the line) vs top-eight sides and 5-3 (4-4 ATL) vs top-four teams this year.

Sydney Swans Players:
B: Nick Smith,Ted Richards,Rhyce Shaw
HB: Gary Rohan,Heath Grundy,Dane Rampe
C: Kieren Jack,Josh Kennedy,Lewis Jetta
HF: Dan Hannebery,Lance Franklin,Harry Cunningham
F: Adam Goodes,Kurt Tippett,Ben McGlynn
Fol: Mike Pyke,Luke Parker,Jarrad McVeigh
I/C: Craig Bird,Jake Lloyd,Nick Malceski,Sam Reid
Emg: Tom Mitchell,Jeremy Laidler,Dean Towers

In: No Change

Hawthorn Hawks Players:
B: Josh Gibson,Brian Lake,Grant Birchall
HB: Sam Mitchell,Ben Stratton,Luke Hodge
C: Bradley Hill,Will Langford,Isaac Smith
HF: Luke Breust,Jack Gunston,Jordan Lewis
F: Ben McEvoy,Jarryd Roughead,Paul Puopolo
Fol: David Hale,Liam Shiels,Shaun Burgoyne
I/C: Cyril Rioli,Taylor Duryea,Matt Spangher,Matt Suckling
Emg: Jonathon Ceglar,Jonathan Simpkin,Brad Sewell

In: Ben McEvoy,Cyril Rioli
Out: Jonathon Ceglar (Omitted),Jonathan Simpkin (Omitted)

Milestones: Luke Hodge  – Playing 250th game

Review of Last Week

Sydney

The Swans were at their devastating best against North Melbourne. In a match that posed a bit of a threat to the their challenge for the flag, the Swans completely shut down the powerful running game of North Melbourne, leaving them with absolutely no way of winning. It all started with the intense pressure on the North Melbourne ball carrier – with numbers around the ball, no quick and easy exit from stoppages were allowed for North Melbourne, giving them no outside run and quick delivery into the forward line. Probably the most frightening thing coming out of this match was the strength of the Sydney forward line. With Buddy kicking five, Tippett with four, and Goodes and Parker chipping in with three each, there was no stopping them. This all came about from hard running from half back, giving the North Melbourne defenders a lot to cover when the ball was coming in quickly. If this happens again, only poor goalkicking will beat Sydney on Saturday

Hawthorn

Hawthorn fans are probably still trying to calm down from the fright their team gave them on Saturday evening. In a match that was sewn up half way through the fourth quarter, the Hawks lost all run and pressure on the ball and were overrun for the final ten minutes in devastating fashion by a powerful Port Adelaide side. Luckily for the Hawks, they had built a solid enough lead from early in the second half, which was essentially the difference between the two sides. The ability of the Hawks to weather the storm and stay solid in the first quarter is a real testament to the side. Port Adelaide was all over them in the first quarter, and could have easily built a big lead, but thanks to great possession play and slowing the game down, Hawthorn was able to stop the Port Adelaide momentum from getting out of control. One big question heading into Saturday is the fitness of Jordan Lewis. After sustaining a knock to his knee/lower thigh area, the star midfielder was subbed out the game. If they are down a rotation in the midfield against arguably the best midfield in the competition, they will really be fighting an uphill battle

Key Matchups

Lance Franklin vs Josh Gibson

Without doubt, this is the biggest matchup on Saturday. If Buddy fires, Hawthorn will have a hard time winning this match. Based on their two matches in 2014, the star forward has been getting enough opportunities to really blow out the score, kicking 2.7 and 3.5 in their first and second matches respectively. He is certainly getting the shots on goal, but just hasn’t converted. Is this because of the extra pressure he faces against his former side, or was it just the positioning of the Hawthorn defence not letting easy shots on goal for Buddy? Either way, the added pressure of a Grand Final is something which may have an impact on Buddy’s confidence in front of goals

Lewis Jetta vs Bradley Hill

The battle of outside run will be crucial in a match that will feature a lot of contested ball. Streaming past on the outside of stoppages, both Jetta and Hill can easily gain 80-90 metres with their pace on the ball. Both teams are masters of the stoppages, knowing their structures and easy exits, a lot of which will end up in the hands of these two runners. Neither will play particularly defensive roles on each other, so there should be some lightening action between these two. Lewis Jetta has added some great pressure acts to his game throughout 2014, so his value in the one on one stoppages shouldn’t be underestimated. With Hill in great form after a big showing against Port Adelaide, this will be a great battle to watch

Josh Kennedy vs Liam Shiels

This is all about damage control for Hawthorn. Can Shiels put enough body on Kennedy to limit his impact around the stoppages? Leading the Swans in contested possessions, clearances and disposals, his first use of the ball is so crucial to the Swans and their ability to extract the ball out of tight situations. Shiels won’t be able to match him physically (no midfielder can), but he really must tie up the ball whenever Kennedy gets his hands on it. He was limited to 25 possessions in their Round 18 match, but in their Round 8 match, he completely tore apart the Hawthorn midfield with 36 disposals (23 of them contested), 10 clearances, 11 tackles, 5 inside 50s and a goal. Stopping Kennedy will be a tough ask, but it needs to be done

Jarryd Roughead vs Ted Richards

Possibly the most crucial matchup for the Swans. It might not be on the level that stopping Buddy is for the Hawks, but when Roughead is on song, the forward line is deadly. His effort against Port Adelaide last week earned him best on ground honours with six goals in a tight match. His ability to play like a small forward around stoppages inside the forward 50 makes him a brutal matchup for opposition defenders, and his leading ability and strength just adds so many dimensions to his game. Richards may be one of the best defenders in the game, but he certainly can’t match him in mobility on the ground. He must rely on his other defenders and midfielders to clog up the space around Roughead to deny him easy access to the ball.

Ben McGlynn vs Sam Mitchell

Another crucial matchup in the battle of two elite midfields, this one will be intense. You have the scintillating possession of Sam Mitchell and the ferocity and hard run of Ben McGlynn coming together. McGlynn may have been used more of a tagger earlier in his career, but now with more offensive capabilities, including moving forward for a couple of goals a game, Mitchell may have to be a bit more accountable in this matchup than previously. With McGlynn playing in his first Grand Final after missing 2012 through injury and a Preliminary Final loss to Fremantle in 2013, there is no chance McGlynn will let this game go by without a fight.

Nick Smith vs Cyril Rioli

This matchup is obviously conditional on Rioli being fit for the big one, but assuming he is, this will be the most obvious matchup. In the 2012 Grand Final, this matchup was won comfortably by Nick Smith, who really announced himself to the AFL world with his defensive efforts on Cyril. Gathering only 14 possessions and zero goals, the lightning fast small forward was really only noticed when he was burned on the wing by Lewis Jetta. If he actually does play on Saturday, he will only be around 90% fit at best, but he is not to be underestimated. His touch and tenacity around the ball in the forward line will still light up opposition defences. A shut-down role by Smith is a must here

Dan Hannebery vs Will Langford

With Hannebery back in top form after coming back from injury, his all round game is crucial to the Swans’ chances of winning. This bloke does it all – hard contested clearance winning footy, outside run, courage heading into the contest, goals, and hard two way running. As one of the fittest, if not the fittest in the AFL, Hannebery will not stop running. Will Langford has a big job here, especially after his tagging efforts in Round 8 had no effect on the Sydney midfielder. Hawthorn can’t afford another 40 disposals, 6 tackles and 9 inside 50s from Hannebery, so expect a tighter performance from Langford. He has improved throughout the year, but is still questionable against the heavyweights of the competition – namely Boak and Ebert from last week and Mundy, Hill and Fyfe from Round 21. His performance after being moved to Selwood at half time in the Qualifying Final against Geelong was excellent though, showing that when he really applies himself, he can shut down the big names. A little inconsistent as a young player, but expect him to shut down Hannebery from time to time.

Key Areas to Watch

Sydney’s delivery into forward line

If Sydney gets easy run from half back and into the forward line, they won’t be stopped. It is actually that simple. Franklin and Tippett on the lead are impossible to defend, and when you have Goodes and the other small forwards running through at pace to gather the easy crumbs, their forward line is lethal. Hawthorn must put pressure on through the midfield, something which they managed to do in the second half of their Round 18 match where they started to take control. By doing this, Sydney is forced to kick long to a forward 50 contest, which although still dangerous with contested markers and crumbers, is far easier to defend than the quick delivery

Sydney defence on the MCG

Can the Swans defend the MCG? It is a noticeably bigger ground than their two home grounds at the SCG and ANZ, giving their opponents more room to lead to. They showed in 2012 and in Round 18 this year that it shouldn’t be a deciding factor, but it certainly must be considered heading in. Hawthorn should look to spread the Swans in a way similar to what Richmond did at the MCG in Round 14. If they manage this, and Sydney brings slightly less intensity and pressure on the Hawthorn players leading into space, it will be very hard for the Swans to stay in this.

Recovering from Preliminary Final

How much will the one day difference in recovery mean for this match? With the Swans playing on Friday night and the Hawks during twilight on Saturday, you have about 21 hours difference in recovery time. On top of that, you have the differences in intensity for both matches. The Hawks are coming off a bruising encounter they had real trouble running out against a fast side. Are their aging stars getting tired? Crucial players like Mitchell, Hodge and Lewis may struggle to recover fully from this match. Compare this to the Swans match which was pretty much sorted at half time. The Swans were able to run freely for the majority of this match and were hardly troubled in the fourth quarter – a time which they used to give extended breaks to key players on the bench. While Hawthorn will definitely be up for the match, in a close match late in the fourth quarter, any physical disadvantage will hurt

Hawthorn forward line potency

Unlike any forward line in recent memory, the Hawks rotate through an absurd amount of players that all contribute on the scoreboard. While you have the three keys up forward in Roughead, Bruest and Gunston, you have the resting ruckman Hale, Rioli if fit, plus a pile of midfielders to choose from. They’ll have to get past the best defence in the league, which only averages 67 points against throughout the year. In their two matches this year though, Hawthorn has averaged 96 points, showing they still have plenty of options against this stingy defensive unit. They must avoid bombing it long like they did in the 2012 Grand Final – a tactic that the Swans defence feasted on.

Prediction

Now the tough part, which is even tougher as a Sydney supporter, but I will put aside my ridiculous bias here to give what hopefully is a correct prediction. This match will be an absolute belter. These two sides were by far the best in 2014 and quite frankly, every other team should have packed up and watched these two play every week. Their matches in Round 8 and Round 18 were the two best of the year and rightfully so, they head into the Grand Final locked at one win each.

The two teams are both laced with stars at both ends. Their midfields are the two toughest and the Sydney defence is equally as impressive as the Hawthorn possession game and disposal efficiency. The Hawks have been at the top of the game since 2008, while the Sydney team has been labelled by Mick Malthouse as the strongest he has ever seen.


Looking at last week’s matches though, it is hard to go past the Swans. Yes they didn’t play a team as threatening as Port Adelaide, but the way in which they completely shredded the North Melbourne defence while putting a stranglehold on their fast paced uncontested possession game was something to behold. They come in fresher than Hawthorn and in a match that will no doubt go deep, four quarter fitness will be crucial. The depth of the Swans midfield is a tough one to handle for Hawthorn, and for me, that is where the match is won. They should be able to generate enough running power from the stoppages for enough forward thrusts and goals. The biggest question in 2012 was Sydney’s ability to stop the Hawthorn scoring, because without any dominant forward, they had to keep the Hawks down. Now with Buddy and Tippett, a Hawthorn score in the 90s may not even be enough here. With questions about Hawthorn’s ability to hold off a high scoring team like Port Adelaide last week, can they do it against a side which will be even another step up?

Watch NRL Semi-finals: Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs Live Stream 27 September 2014

 The Penrith Panthers meet the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, September 27 in the second NRL preliminary final. The match kicks off at 7.55pm (AEST). Watch NRL Live Online HD TV on Your PC, iPad, Mac, Android, iPhone. Everyone watch the live NRL live stream and other sporting events live has so easy. When you talk about a major sporting event, this term is one of the best. Get instant access to the widest possible coverage of NFL matches on the web directly to your desktop from anywhere. Just sign up and start watching Now..

What: NRL 2nd Preliminary Final
Who: Panthers v Bulldogs
When: Saturday, September 27 – 7.55pm (AEST)
Where: ANZ Stadium
I Can Watch It On: Channel 9

Not many NRL pundits would have predicted the Panthers and Bulldogs to be playing off for a spot in the Grand Final at the beginning of the finals series, but welcome to the wonderfully unpredictable competition that has encapsulated the entire season.

The Bulldogs came into the finals series in atrocious form, winning only two of their last eight matches before Des Hasler casually flicked the light switch on and his Canterbury side proceeded to triumph over the two most successful clubs of the past decade in consecutive weeks.

Penrith meanwhile have been written off constantly throughout the 2014 season - be it through injuries or accusations of a soft draw - but they certainly proved themselves towards the back end of the season, followed by memorable win over minor premiers and 2013 Grand Final winners the Roosters in the opening week of the finals.

So I think everyone can agree that while hugely unexpected this preliminary final clash is, each team more than deserves their spot in the final four. Which brings us to this Saturday night and who will emerge victorious and continue their fairytale run into the first week of October.

Canterbury are proven contenders in the big games at the end of the season and reached the decider only two years ago where they went down to the Melbourne Storm.

Their form has fluctuated immensely throughout the year, beginning with a bang when the club surged to the top of the table with seven consecutive victories - including a record-breaking three successive wins by a single point.

Ironically that wave of winning momentum began after the Panthers edged the Dogs 18-16 back in Round 3 courtesy of a Matt Moylan sideline conversion after the siren.

The Bulldogs were then left crippled by the Origin period however, dropping three straight matches during the middle of the series before regrouping and notching up a three-match winning streak of their own to consolidate their spot on the summit of the ladder.

Things went pear-shaped from there for the Bulldogs however, with the club dropping six of their past eight matches to drop to seventh on the ladder and elimination football from the get-go as a result.

But we all know what happened after that, and now the Dogs are gunning for their second Grand Final in three years while also trying to replicate their 2004 premiership winning feats exactly a decade after that triumph. Again - ironically - they defeated the Panthers in the 2004 preliminary final before going on to beat the Roosters in the decider.

Penrith meanwhile have put together a tremendous season, with Phil Gould's highly publicised five-year plan seemingly coming to fruition a few years early.

It's not many times that a team could lose to the wooden spooners (Cronulla) twice during the season and end up within one game of the Grand Final but that's exactly what the Panthers have done in season 2014.

They play wonderfully together as a team and don't rely on any single individual to win them big games. The Panthers play out the entire 80 minutes with the same intensity and determination throughout, something that could come in handy this Saturday night.

Canterbury remarkably have only scored three second half tries in their past six games, meaning that if the Panthers can maintain their same base level throughout the duration of the contest, they could well be able to outmuscle the Bulldogs during the latter stages of the contest - especially with Penrith having earned the week off last round while the Dogs were forced to tussle with Manly for 85 minutes.

Penrith also have perhaps the form hooker in the competition, with James Segeyaro providing his side with dynamic darts out of dummy-half consistently throughout matches and he will surely look to trouble the monstrous Bulldogs forward pack again on Saturday.

Ultimately, this match is without doubt up for grabs but one thing is certain - both clubs are more than well equipped to handle close games - with the Bulldogs winning four single-pointers in 2014 (a record) and the Panthers defeating the Roosters by one-point a fortnight ago and Canterbury at the start of the season thanks to the aforementioned Moylan sideline conversion.

Team News

Trent Hodkinson has declared himself fit to line up for the Bulldogs despite missing the majority of the team's training sessions during the week with a knee injury he picked up last week against the Sea Eagles. Moses Mbye is on stand-by as a precaution, while Josh Jackson will take his place in the second-row after escaping suspension for a chicken wing tackle last week.

Penrith meanwhile welcome back Adam Docker from suspension, with the versatile forward re-joining the team on an extended bench that also includes Kevin Naiqama and Sam Anderson.

Penrith Panthers Team

1. Matt Moylan, 2. Josh Mansour, 3. Dean Whare, 4. Jamal Idris, 5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 6. Will Smith, 7. Jamie Soward, 8. Sam McKendry, 9. James Segeyaro, 10. Brent Kite, 11. Sika Manu, 12. Matt Robinson, 13. Nigel Plum

Interchange: 14. Adam Docker, 15. Jeremy Latimore, 16. Ben Murdoch-Masila, 17. Lewis Brown, 18. Kevin Naiqama, 19. Sam Anderson

Canterbury Bulldogs Team

1. Sam Perrett, 2. Corey Thompson, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Tim Lafai, 5. Mitch Brown, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. James Graham, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Tony Williams, 13. Greg Eastwood

Interchange: 14. Reni Maitua, 15. Dale Finucane, 16. David Klemmer, 17. Frank Pritchard, 19. Moses Mbye, 20. Harlan Alaalatoa

Watch NRL Semi-finals: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters Live Stream 26 September 2014

The Sydney Roosters meet the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium on Friday, September 26 in the first NRL preliminary final. The match kicks off at 7.55pm (AEST). Watch NRL Live Online HD TV on Your PC, iPad, Mac, Android, iPhone. Everyone watch the live NRL live stream and other sporting events live has so easy. When you talk about a major sporting event, this term is one of the best. Get instant access to the widest possible coverage of NFL matches on the web directly to your desktop from anywhere. Just sign up and start watching Now..

Preview and Teams: Panthers v Bulldogs 
What: NRL first preliminary final
Who: Roosters v Rabbitohs
When: Friday, September 26 – 7.55pm (AEST)
Where: ANZ Stadium
I Can Watch It On: Channel 9

The Roosters and Rabbitohs remarkably haven't played each other in a finals game since the 1935 Grand Final - however this Friday night's preliminary final promises to make that 79-year drought well worth the wait.

Where do you even begin to describe the immense rivalry that these two Eastern Sydney teams have established over the last 106 years of rugby league history?

No teams in Australian rugby league history have met more times since their first meeting way back in 1908, when the Roosters overcame the Bunnies 13-12 - how ironic that even back then games were being decided by the single point that has so far encapsulated the 2014 NRL finals series.

Even though the Rabbitohs hold a current 108-96 head-to-head advantage over the years, it is Roosters fans that have enjoyed the last laugh in recent times - including a memorable Grand Final triumph last year.

Souths meanwhile haven't tasted premiership success for 43 years and even though players and officials are declaring that the 2014 version of the Rabbitohs is a far different one from previous years, you can never truly escape the significant pressure the team will feel in the dramatic build-up to Friday night's kick-off.

But are Souths are different team, that's the question? The Rabbitohs were pipped at the post in the preliminary finals the last two successive years against the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs - and those two teams went onto to lose in the Grand Final the following week.

However this year's competition has been the closest in recent memory, and all it takes is a club to peak at the right time in order to triumph. Souths finished the season reasonably strongly - despite a final round hiccup against the Roosters - and then dominated Manly to lead 40-0 after 55 minutes of their opening finals hit-out.

After earning the week-off following that victory, it is kind of difficult to predict where the Rabbitohs are currently at with their form at present. If you subscribe to the theory that winning breeds confidence then the Bunnies could be in trouble - they would have only won two matches in 32 days by the time they run out onto ANZ Stadium - with those two triumphs coming against a below-par Manly side and a Bulldogs side who was in control until the 70th minute when Trent Hodkinson kicked the ball out on the full to give them field position. Throw in a loss to the Roosters during that 32-day period and things don't actually look too flash for the Bunnies.

The Bondi boys meanwhile will head into his contest on the back of winning momentum having survived a fast-finishing Cowboys side last week.

However - much like the Rabbitohs - the Roosters will be worried about how easily they let their opponents back into the game after a dominating early period.

While the Sea Eagles pegged back 24 points against Souths, the Cowboys rallied to draw level with the Roosters by notching up 30 unanswered points in the stages leading up to and after halftime.

Only a lucky bounce off the forearm of Robert Lui saw them escape with victory and a date with the Rabbitohs on Friday night.

However the Roosters are winners. They proved that last year and they have proved it again this campaign by finishing the season as minor premiers despite playing well below their best for the majority of the season.

They have a perfect combination of brutal forwards, skilful outside backs, savvy veterans and youthful exuberance. Couple that with their winning mentality under Trent Robinson and the huge pressure that is on the Rabbitohs this week, and I think the Tri-colours deserve to go into this clash as favourites.

Team News

The Rabbitohs welcome back key forward Ben Te'o from suspension as he takes his place on an extended bench that also includes Ben Lowe, Luke Burgess and Bryson Goodwin.

The Roosters also welcome back one of their main enforcers from suspension, with Dylan Napa re-joining the side on the bench.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Team

1. Greg Inglis, 2. Alex Johnston, 3. Dylan Walker, 4. Kirisome Auva'a, 5. Lote Tuqiri, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Adam Reynolds, 8. George Burgess, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Dave Tyrrell, 11. Kyle Turner, 12. John Sutton, 13. Sam Burgess

Interchange: 14. Jason Clark, 15. Ben Te'o, 16. Chris McQueen, 17. Thomas Burgess, 18. Ben Lowe, 19. Luke Burgess, 20. Bryson Goodwin

Sydney Roosters Team

1. Anthony Minichiello, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. James Maloney, 7. Mitchell Pearce, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Jake Friend, 10. Sam Moa, 11. Boyd Cordner, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Aidan Guerra

Interchange: 14. Mitchell Aubusson, 15. Frank-Paul Nuuausala, 16. Isaac Liu, 17. Dylan Napa, 18. Remi Casty

Watch NRL Semi-Final: Manly Sea Eagles vs Canterbury Bulldogs Live Streaming Online 20 September 2014

The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles meet the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, September 20 in the second NRL semi final. The match kicks off at 7.45pm (AEST). Watch NRL Live Online HD TV on Your PC, iPad, Mac, Android, iPhone. Everyone watch the live NRL live stream and other sporting events live has so easy. When you talk about a major sporting event, this term is one of the best. Get instant access to the widest possible coverage of NFL matches on the web directly to your desktop from anywhere. Just sign up and start watching Now..

What: NRL 2nd Semi Final
Who: Sea Eagles v Bulldogs
When: Saturday, September 20 – 7.45pm
Where: Allianz Stadium
TV: Channel 9

What a blockbuster match we have on our hands on Saturday night. There is a seemingly endless conveyer belt of sub-plots for this clash between the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs that by the time we got through them all it would be kick-off already.

This semi-final clash at Allianz Stadium pits the losing grand finalists of the 2013 season against the losing grand finalists of the 2012 season with the winners to advance into a 2014 grand final decider against the Panthers next week.

The Bulldogs succumbed meekly the following finals series after they made the big dance, going down without so much as a whimper against the Knights last year, and the same thing could potentially happen to Manly this finals series.

One year after going down to the Roosters in the 2013 decider, Manly face the prospect of being bundled out of the 2014 finals series without a win after their disastrous capitulation to the Rabbitohs last Friday night.

Manly have now lost three of their past four matches and are looking like a club searching for answers - both on and off the field. It seems the year-long rumours of inner turmoil engulfing the club has finally risen to the surface and in plain sight of the entire rugby league community, with several star players failing to produce their best form over the last couple of months.

Add to that a mounting injury and suspension toll and the Sea Eagles are looking like a team on the outer. But then again, that is exactly where the club traditionally fire. Who knows how they will react on Saturday night. It certainly wouldn't surprise anyone if they came out on fire and pummelled the Bulldogs like the way they were manhandled by the Rabbitohs. But their current form is saying that is a far cry from occurring.

The Bulldogs meanwhile shocked everyone last week with their superb performance against the Storm after they came into the finals series with just two wins from their past eight outings.

Canterbury produced almost the perfect first half to lead 24-0 at the break, and while they struggled somewhat to go on with it in the second stanza, the damage was already done and they were no doubt thinking about this week's clash with Manly.

Former Manly premiership winning coach Des Hasler has been in top form during the week, desperately vying to wrestle the underdog tag back from the Sea Eagles in a series of classic media conferences that illustrated the absolute genius of the man.

Hasler knows what it takes to win big games - both on the field and off - and he has prepared his Bulldogs side perfectly for this contest.

While their has been much criticism in the past of the Bulldogs inability to score points, that will not be the main focus in this encounter against the Sea Eagles.

With Manly's forward pack severely dented by the loss of their starting back-row (Watmough, Stewart, Buhrer), the Bulldogs have the capacity to roll right over the top the Sea Eagles' second-string back-row with their monstrous forward pack.

This in turn will create the required space halves Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson need to systematically orchestrate a victory through a series of backline plays and kicks to the edges.

The last time these two teams met in a finals match was in the first week of the 2012 finals series where the Bulldogs overcame the Sea Eagles 16-10 on their way to the Grand Final.

Canterbury also edged out Manly in the last meeting between the two sides back in July this year, winning 23-16.

Team News

Anthony Watmough is out suspended for the Sea Eagles, with Tom Symonds shifting to the second-row and Dunamis Lui coming off the bench to start at lock.

Jayden Hodges seems likely to take the field at hooker after recovering from a neck injury, while James Hasson also makes his return from injury on the bench.

The Bulldogs have only made the one change from the side that defeated the Storm last week, with Reni Maitua coming onto the bench for the injured Pat O'Hanlon. Moses Mbye and Harlan Alaalatoa have also been named on an extended bench.

Manly Sea Eagles Team

1. Brett Stewart, 2. Jorge Taufua, 3. Jamie Lyon, 4. Steve Matai, 5. Peta Hiku, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 8. Jason King, 9. Jayden Hodges, 10. Brenton Lawrence, 11. Tom Symonds, 12. Justin Horo, 13. Dunamis Lui

Interchange: 14. Jesse Sene-Lefao, 15. Cheyse Blair, 16. James Hasson, 17. Josh Starling

Canterbury Bulldogs Team

1. Sam Perrett, 2. Corey Thompson, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Tim Lafai, 5. Mitch Brown, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. James Graham, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Tony Williams, 13. Greg Eastwood

Interchange: 14. Reni Maitua, 15. Dale Finucane, 16. David Klemmer, 17. Frank Pritchard, 19. Moses Mbye, 20. Harlan Alaalatoa