Australian Ninja Warrior has been the talk of the town throughout its short existence and series 1 will officially draw to a close tonight when the 20 remaining athletes take to the arduous Grand Final course.
Australian Ninja Warrior has already been the base for countless outstanding feats of skill, strength, composure and athletic prowess and that is only set to increase tonight when the Grand Finalists get an opportunity to take on the world-famous ‘Mount Midoriyama’.
We have opened a betting market for the outright winner of tonight’s Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final and the Top 8 form guide below is essential reading ahead of the highly-anticipated decider.
Ashlin Herbert – $1.30
Tradies have been extremely successful in the first season of Australian Ninja Warrior, but 22-year-old carpenter Ashlin Herbert has undoubtedly been the best. The Victorian breezed through his heat in a time of 1:01:50, before making light work of the extended course in semi-final 1. He did not show a single moment of hesitation in either of his two runs so far and is a justifiable occupant of the top line of betting.
Jack Wilson – $3.40
Queenslander Jack Wilson made his first appearance on the Ninja Warrior course in Heat 1 and from that performance, it was clear that he would make a deep run in the competition. Having been mentored by Rob De Castella in the Indigenous Marathon Project, Wilson’s strength and stamina have been key in his bid for a Grand Final berth and while he failed to complete the course in the final semi-final due to a minor hiccup on the Pole Grasper, he remains a live chance of winning the competition. The 23-year-old has firmed into $3.40 second-favouritism, from opening odds of $34.
Mike Snow – $8
Stuntman Mike Snow has managed to hone his unique set of skills into a serious bid for this season’s Australian Nina Warrior title and he subsequently remains prominent in betting. The former Gymnast absolutely flew through the course in the heats and while his semi-final run was only briefly touched on in Channel 9’s edit, he calmly completed each obstacle with ease. The 24-year-old cuts a big and imposing figure and unlike several other large contestants, it has not at all been to his detriment.
Ben Polson – $11
Ben Polson was the fastest Grand Final qualifier from the final semi-final, but only a handful of contestants managed to complete the course on that evening and it is was therefore perhaps the weakest field from a form perspective, leading into tonight’s decider. The DJ and Music Producer was impressive on arguably the hardest heat course however and his tall frame has been extremely handy on obstacles that require reach and a dismount.
Lee Cossey – $17
One of Australia’s premiere rock climbers, Lee Cossey was outstanding in the second Australian Ninja Warrior heat and franked that form when he comfortably overcame the second semi-final course. Grip strength has been key to both completing the course and completing it in a winning time and Cossey, along with his brother Ben ($34) and fellow climber Tom O’Halloran ($21), undoubtedly have the field covered in this regard. Cossey did appear to tire drastically through the final few obstacles in his semi-final run, but he is not without a chance.
Rob Patterson – $21
The youngest contestant remaining in the hunt for this season’s Australian Ninja Warrior title, 20-year-old Rob Patterson has energy by the barrow full and the composure of someone twice his age. With eighteen years of gymnastics training under his belt, Patterson overcame several tough situations in his heat and while his semi-final run was also largely edited out of the final cut, he had clearly taken plenty of benefit knowledge from his first attempt. Reach could be an issue in the late stages of the Grand Final course for Patterson.
Tom O’Halloran – $21
Tom O’Halloran’s life revolves around Ninja Warrior-style activities and he is over the odds at his current $21 quote. A rope access technician by trade, O’Halloran spends his weekends scaling the Blue Mountains’ toughest peaks with the Cossey Brothers and he has been simply outstanding in his two appearances on the Ninja Warrior course so far. O’Halloran progressed into the Grand Final with an impressive time of 3:34:95 and his strength, composure and endurance should make him extremely tough to beat in the decider.
William Laister – $21
Carpenter and Personal Trainer William Laister is one of the fittest Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Finalists and remains a live chance of an upset. The twenty-five-year-old was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease which inhibited his ability to walk as a teenager, but his desire to return to peak fitness and his active lifestyle has also led to outstanding all-round ability on the Ninja Warrior course.