This Sunday, the Manly Sea Eagles and the Melbourne Storm will once again go head to head for the NRL Premiership.

The two sides met in last year's Grand Final, where the Storm proved to strong for the Sea Eagles - who looked like they had the Grand Final jitters.

But that was a long time ago, and the Sea Eagles definitely look like a much better team this time round. And they'll need to be if they want to win their first Premiership since 1996.

The Storm are not in the best form, and losing Cameron Smith will take it's toll on the team come Sunday - but at this point, all that matters to the Storm is that they have a shot, and they do seem to save their best efforts for the Sea Eagles.

They have a whole lot of talent in their side, so don't write them off just yet. Cooper Cronk will need to have a big game if the Storm want to win their third NRL Premiership, and he will need to take a lot of the responsibility - especially since being given the captaincy.

For the Storm to beat the Sea Eagles they'll need to put pressure on Matt Orford, who has been criticised in the past for not handling the big occasions. He, too, will need to be at his best come Sunday night.

The Sea Eagles, though, do have the advantage of having Jamie Lyon at number 6 - he can take a lot of the pressure off Orford by doing a lot of the general kicking, and pitching in with on-field leadership.

Believe us when we say this game will be one you won't want to miss. Manly have seemed more determined than ever since last year's loss, and (despite loosing to the Storm earlier in the year) if they play like they did against the Warriors, then they'll walk away with the win.

And wouldn't that be a fitting way to send Steve Menzies out - with one last Premiership victory?

We certainly think so.

It's all over for the two biggest surprises in this year's finals.

Not many people would have picked the Sharks to make the Top 8, let-a-lone the top four - and no one EVER seems to think the Warriors can make the eight. That is, except for us here in the Attic.

A top four finish for both sides is an excellent result, and both teams are looking to build on this year's success with some decent signings for 2009.

Here's how the two teams went in 2008:

Cronulla Sharks (3rd): The Sharks have definitely been one of the NRL's biggest improver's, and have made a name for themselves with their solid defence. While their offensive game needs work, the signings of Anthony Tupou and Trent Barrett will certainly add a spark to their attacking game.

They have certainly had some serious issues, especially with Greg Bird, but the players really rallied together and continued their drive to the Top 8. They won't be happy with the way they bowed out of the finals, but overall we think they'll be pleased with how the year went.

They can definitely improve on this year's efforts, and going one step further next year isn't out of the question.

2009 Gains: Anthony Tupou (Roosters), Trent Barrett (Wigan), Corey Hughs (Bulldogs)
2009 Losses: Brett Kimmorley (Bulldogs), Issac De Gois (Knights), Lance Thompson (mid-season, retirement), Greg Bird (sacked), Adam Peek (Celtic Crusaders)



New Zealand Warriors (4th): After a terrible start to the year, the Warriors really muscled up and made a fantastic run to the finals. They certainly struggled with injuries early on, and losing Steve Price, Wade McKinnon and Manu Vatuvie didn't help. Once the team was fully fit, though, they looked in great form, and picked up wins against the Storm, Broncos and Sharks (all top four teams at the time).

Their efforts against the Storm and the Roosters in the finals were something no one could believe (although, to be fair, we did...loyal, we are), and they even made history, becoming the first eighth placed side to beat the minor premiers under the McIntyre system.

They'll be very extremely pleased with 2008, and the outlook for 2009 is equally as promising.

If they can continue to improve their defensive game, and play with the confidence they have shown over the last few weeks, then they too can make a real threat on the competition next year.

2009 Gains: Jacob Lillyman (Cowboys), Denan Kemp (Broncos), Joel Moon (Broncos), Liam Foran (Storm)
2009 Losses: Ruben Wiki (???), Wairangi Koopu (???), Logan Swann (???) - all three are yet to decide on their futures.

Stay tuned for a 2008 review of the Sea Eagles and the Storm, as we head towards the Grand Final.

Great news for Northland and Tasman fans - they're no longer facing life without a team in the Air New Zealand Cup.

On Friday afternoon the NZRU backed down from it's previous decision to axe both teams from the competition, which would have left only twelve teams in the top provincial competition in New Zealand.

The NZRU has said that their decision to keep the two teams is based on the need for player depth being fed into the five New Zealand Super 14 franchises, and therefore dropping two teams could have serious consequences for those five teams - namely the Blues and Crusaders, who would suffer the most.

It's great that the NZRU has allowed them to stay - the current format is working nicely, and both teams deserve their place in the Air New Zealand Cup.

With only one round left in the competition both sides still stand a chance (albeit a slim one) of making the quarter finals - although Northland will have to beat Auckland, who will be playing their All Blacks. Tasman, on the other hand, only have to play Manawatu, who currently sit at the bottom of the ladder.

It would be great if at least one of the two could make the quarter finals - it would definitely show the NZRU has made the right decision in keeping them.