Storm hooker Harry Grant’s masterful milking is back under the microscope after he left Sharks players up in arms in their preliminary final with an act of “genius”.
Ben Hunt’s foray as Brisbane No.9 will also be crucial in Sunday’s NRL decider — but have the Broncos already played their grand final after dethroning four-time reigning premiers Penrith?
Read on for the key Talking Points ahead of the NRL grand final.
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‘GENIUS’: THE IMPACT OF HARRY GRANT’S MASTERFUL MILKING
It was the latest milking masterclass from Storm hooker Harry Grant, an act of “genius” that nearly led to a try.
About five minutes into the second half of Melbourne’s preliminary final win over Cronulla, Grant sniffed an opportunity at dummy-half when Sharks forward Siosifa Talakai was slow to clear the ruck, failed to get to marker then loitered in an offside position.
Grant ran to put Talakai between himself and Jahrome Hughes and as he was tackled around the legs by legal Sharks marker Teig Wilton, he feigned an intended pass to the Storm halfback. With Talakai in the way, Grant made clear that his ‘pass’ was being impeded and completed the sales pitch by dropping the ball then appealing to referee Ashley Klein, who duly blew the penalty.
“He’s trying to pass it and you’re offside,” Klein said as the bemused Sharks questioned the call.
The moment made former hooking dark arts master Michael Ennis chuckle with delight on the Fox League call.
“Gee he’s clever, isn’t he? He is a genius, Grant,” Ennis said.
Caller Dan Ginnane added: “Some may that say that was perhaps not in the spirit (of the game), of trying to milk a penalty, but that’s too good.”
Ennis continued: “He didn’t do anything wrong. He was in the road, he was offside, Talakai, and Grant just took it for what it was worth.”
Harry Grant milks a penalty by creating an obstruction from offside Sharks defender Siosifa Talakai, feigning an intended pass to Jahrome Hughes (L).Source: FOX SPORTS
Referees can now penalise players who attempt to milk penalties in a gratuitous way that goes outside the (rather nebulous) spirit of the game. Grant walked the fine line, playing to the rules while bending them to his will — and it almost paid off, big time.
After two sets strung together by a six-again, Melbourne nearly scored off a Grant grubber that went uncontested for backrower Shawn Blore; the kick was a touch too heavy and went dead in-goal. In an easy goalkicking position, the try would have made the score 22-8; a three-score lead, and all but game over.
Should such a situation unfold again in the grand final, perhaps a decisive try is scored.
Grant already decided a game this season through an act of cynically-brilliant milking in Round 24, when he collided with Panthers prop Moses Leota while supposedly trying to charge down a Nathan Cleary field goal attempt. Leota was standing in the wrong position, where he was adjudged as illegally blocking a defender, and Grant deliberated clattered into him — leading to Cleary’s match-winning kick being waved away and a penalty given (again by Klein).
Not only did Grant hang out an arm to ensure contact with Leota and theatrically fall down, former Storm teammate Cameron Smith noted that he was running towards the wrong side of Cleary, as a right-footed kicker, if his charge-down attempt was genuine.
When Grant then scored a stunning dummy-half try in golden point, he ended a nine-game winning streak for Penrith and crushed their charge for a top-four spot, while Melbourne moved clear of the Bulldogs into outright second. His act of ruthless rulebook exploitation had big consequences.
As NRL legend Greg Alexander said after the prelim incident: “He’s just good enough at exploiting anything. Any weakness, any rule that’s available to him.”
Grant said “hats off to the officials” after getting the penalty that wipe out Cleary’s field goal. Grant Atkins will referee the grand final, after Klein was demoted in the wake of blowing 18 penalties in the Storm-Sharks prelim.
Milking has gradually become a significant factor in the NRL, met with a mixture of revulsion and grudging admiration for those who are able to manufacture situations in which the letter of the law means they get a penalty. Expect the debate to explode if such an incident plays a pivotal role in the outcome of the grand final.
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Sharks captain Blayke Brailey questions referee Ashley Klein after he blew the penalty for Harry Grant.Source: FOX SPORTS
HUNT’S HOOKER POWER AS MAM ENTERS FRAY
We’ve seen it in State of Origin for years: Ben Hunt is an awfully good hooker.
When he was first signed for a Broncos return, it was envisaged that he would primarily slot in at No.9 once Ezra Mam returned from his behaviour-related suspension. Yet after success in the halves alongside Adam Reynolds, plus injuries to both the veteran halfback and Mam, Hunt has spent far more time in the playmaking positions than at hooker.
He ended up there for more than half a game as Brisbane introduced Mam off the bench at five-eighth in their preliminary final win over Penrith, as they are set to do again in the grand final. Hunt looked right at home as the dummy-half, which was always intended at the pointy end of this season.
“He was enormous last week,” Roosters premiership winner Bryan Fletcher said on Fox League’s Finals Footy with Matty Johns special.
“Against Penrith, they’d gotten into a bit of a hole and he was really laying down the law to them.
“I feel he’s always a better hooker than halfback. When he goes into nine, some of the defensive efforts he had last week were just phenomenal.”
However, Hunt’s running game will need to lift if he is to make a genuine impact on the grand final from No.9. Whereas he’s made a habit of troubling NSW defensive lines as a Maroons Origin hooker, he ran just 14m against the Panthers, meaning there’s clear upside in the grand final if he’s in a more aggressive mood from dummy-half.
“That’s a big weapon. For him to start in the halves, then Ezra comes on … if they can get lion’s share possession early, Ezra and (Reece) Walsh working in combination (is dangerous),” Matty Johns said.
Told Hunt ‘It wasn’t his fault’ | 01:44
THE ONE ‘FEAR’ FOR BRONCOS AFTER COMEBACK WINS
It is hard to get a genuine read of recent grand final history because for the past five years, it has been dominated by the Panthers.
But the one year this Penrith outfit didn’t win (2020) was the first time they qualified for the decider and that came against a Melbourne side that had been there before plenty of times.
The experience was nothing new for them. It was almost as if making the grand final in itself wasn’t that big a deal or that big an achievement. It was just part of the journey towards eventually winning it all.
The same has been true for Penrith since claiming its first premiership in 2021.
As for the Broncos … first, they pulled off that incredible, extra-time win to knock off minor premiers Canberra and then, eliminated the four-time defending premiers.
It is a lot emotionally for the team to go through, whereas the Storm have hard-fought wins against the Bulldogs and Sharks under their belt but didn’t seem to have to invest as much energy into either of those games.
‘Freakish’ Blocker heaps praise on Haas | 00:52
Commentator Dan Ginnane posed this exact question on NRL 360 this week.
“I had a fear … it was one of the greatest things I had ever been at on Sunday … I feared, is this their grand final?” Ginnane said.
“That they did it two weeks before against Canberra. Melbourne’s run has been much less dramatic.”
Broncos legend Gorden Tallis admitted that based on the way Melbourne walked off the field after their preliminary final and from Craig Bellamy’s press conference comments, it is “still business” for last year’s grand finalists.
“They know that it is unfinished,” Tallis added.
But he didn’t see anything wrong with the way the Broncos celebrated their comeback win over Penrith.
“For Brisbane to celebrate that, I don’t think it was over the top. I think it was the moment. I think it was the atmosphere,” Tallis said.
Speaking on SEN’s Broncos Radio, Brisbane great Corey Parker said that from speaking to coach Michael Maguire, he was confident that the team wasn’t mentally checked out after reaching the decider is such heady fashion.
It was an emotionally-charged win for Brisbane in the prelim final.Source: Getty Images
“I’ve spoken to Madge Maguire personally,” Parker said.
“And the one thing he has never wavered from is that they haven’t done anything yet.
“This has been going on for the last five weeks. He has kept that same mentality and kept that same steely resolve about him.
“And today they are one step closer.”
Former Broncos coach Kevin Walters warned his old team not to get too far ahead of themselves.
“Do you reckon the Storm fear someone too? Don’t underestimate the Storm,” he said on his podcast.
“This is my problem. This is where I am a bit worried, they think they are just invincible now. The five-time premiers showed that no one is invincible.”
‘Just hope he has an off day’ | 01:57
WHY STEFANO’S SLEDGE COULD BE A ‘GIFT’ FOR THE BRONCOS
This probably didn’t go down well with Craig Bellamy, with former Storm champion Cooper Cronk admitting it is “not something” his former coach “would want his players saying”.
Typically the ultimate professionals, the Storm like to let their work on the field do the talking. But someone better remind Stefano Utoikamanu.
The Storm front-rower generated headlines by claiming there are some Broncos players he doesn’t like, while even going as far as to call them “stuck up”.
It is not as if the Storm needed to give Payne Haas any more reasons to be fired up for Sunday’s decider, but Utoikamanu’s former Blues teammate responded by telling reporters he would “see if that’s still going to be thrown around” at Accor Stadium come game time.
With Patrick Carrigan returning from suspension, the Broncos will field a full-strength forward pack and based on Haas’ comments, you can guarantee they will be motivated to tackle and run that little bit harder now.
“Did he say it about Payne Haas? Probably not — but Madge will convince Payne Haas that he did!” Johns said.
Stefano Utoikamanu lit the fuse for the grand final with a big swipe at the ‘stuck up’ Broncos.Source: Getty Images
Broncos legend Shane Webcke went as far as to call it a “gift” from Utoikamanu.
“It’s great for him to say that,” Webcke told AAP.
“Someone is going to grab that and, motivation-wise, away we go. Things like that are a gift.”
Former Melbourne captain Cameron Smith, meanwhile, said on the Today Show that it was “very unlike a Storm player” and warned that Utoikamanu now needs to back up his words.
“I was a bit surprised because it’s very unlike a Storm player, or a player coached by Craig Bellamy. They tend to like to fly under the radar for a big game like this,” Smith said.
“(Bellamy) has probably had a quiet word to Stefano about his comments. But it’s been said. “What Stefano has to do now is back it up with his actions. I think that will be the message from Craig Bellamy … ‘you can’t let the team down’.
“He will be ready to go. I think he’s going to have a big game.”
“People I don’t like on this team!” | 00:31
THE NEW ROLE FOR REYNOLDS… AND ‘GAME-BREAKER’ SPARKING DEBATE
While Adam Reynolds was the hero in last week’s preliminary final, it is fair to wonder whether the conversation surrounding his performance would have been very different had he missed his go-ahead sideline conversion and the Broncos went on to lose.
It wasn’t necessarily a surprise to see how clunky Brisbane’s attack was in the opening half considering it was Reynolds’ first game back from injury, but there also isn’t much time for the Broncos to re-establish those combinations.
It has been a struggle all year for Brisbane to develop cohesion in the halves, with Mam first missing time before Reynolds and Hunt both went down; and then versatile fill-in Billy Walters, who was enjoying a career-year, suffered a season-ending injury.
But in some ways it makes it even more important that Maguire and Brisbane’s halves lean into what they know works — getting Reece Walsh the ball early and often.
“I think for Reyno, less is better,” Johns said.
“Because I think if Reyno tries to control the game too much, the tempo slows. That’s his natural game, he’s one of the few blokes who can — like Jason Smith — play slow. Where I think with the Broncos, just work them to an edge and get the ball into the hands of blokes like Walsh.”
Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh suggested that Reynolds should actually be copying the method that worked for Walters as he deputised in the halves late in the season.
“Very simple, let Walsh do the heavy lifting,” Hindmarsh said. “Just get to that point on the field … and let Walsh do his thing on the back of that.
“Everyone was a little bit concerned about Reynolds coming back last week, the way Walsh was playing, but Reynolds didn’t overplay his hand at all and just did what he needed to do; rolled those kicks in and got repeat sets.”
‘Biggest Recruitment Blunder, EVER?’ | 02:36
There were moments in Sunday’s game where Walsh and Reynolds weren’t on the same page, including one period late in the first half when Walsh motioned for a kick on the fourth tackle with Dylan Edwards ever so slightly out of position, only for Reynolds to instead opt for a pass to Xavier Willison.
It is a tricky balancing act for the Broncos given that Reynolds is the cool head who they usually turn to to make the right play and settle things down when the attack is looking erratic and in need of being straightened up.
But against an elite defensive unit like Melbourne, Brisbane may need to lean into the unpredictability that Walsh offers.
As for the other debate on Brisbane’s spine, Maguire seems to have put that to bed by naming Mam on the bench again for Sunday’s decider — even if former coach Walters disagrees, suggesting that the 2023 grand final hat-trick tryscorer should start.
“I think he nearly has to, doesn’t he?” Walters said on his podcast earlier in the week.
Adam Reynolds plays more of a steering role in Brisbane’s attack, especially with Reece Walsh in wild form. Picture: NRL ImagerySource: Supplied
HOW WALSH IS FINDING A WAY TO CONTROL THE CHAOS
Can Walsh find a way to control the chaos on rugby league’s biggest stage?
In his first grand final appearance, the superstar fullback was relatively quiet in the opening half with just 16 run metres and a few errors, before breaking through to set up Mam for a try in the second half.
Meanwhile, against Penrith last Sunday, Walsh again had an early error as he tried to set up something on Brisbane’s left edge, but then produced that miraculous pass to put Deine Mariner over for the game-winning try.
The signs were good early on, with Walsh constantly scheming and trying to create something and for the most part, you’d expect Maguire is only telling his fullback to continue chasing the ball and the moment — even if occasionally it will end in an error.
But sometimes controlling the chaos for Walsh isn’t just about picking his moments better. It is also about not getting dragged into personal battles, as was the case against Canberra when he was sin-binned after being provoked by Hudson Young.
Reece Walsh embraces the chaos. Picture: NRL ImagerySource: Supplied
Walsh revealed earlier in the week that he has been working with a renowned sports psychologist Jacqui Louder, who has also helped Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster, and that the two had a “really good conversation” after that win over the Raiders.
“They were trying to niggle me and get into my head, and I probably took the bait there a little bit,” Walsh said.
“I was just lucky enough, we came away with the win, so she’s someone that I talk to a lot, that helps with the mental side, and some little tips where I can be better in those moments.
“I’m really grateful for what she does. She clears my mind, and she helps a lot with my mindset if I’m feeling a certain way or how to approach certain things if I’m feeling down or I’m feeling not quite my best.”
Johns said that Walsh would be most dangerous targeting Melbourne’s troubled left-edge defensive pairing of Munster and Jack Howarth.
“Reece at the moment, he’s got dynamite in his pockets — but he’s about width,” Johns said. “He’ll put a lot of pressure on Jack Howarth on the left-hand side of the Storm defence.”
Former Warriors teammate Shaun Johnson said that while Walsh’s talent was obvious early in his career, he was stunned that the Broncos star had become so good, so quickly.
“What he’s been able to do for the Broncs I guess the last month, six weeks, while he’s had some leadership out, he’s put them on his back,” Johnson said.
“And he’s not just waiting until he gets down to good ball or inside the 20 to strike, he’s having an impact on the game right throughout the field. He’s kicking early, finding 40-20s, or he’s just turning defences around early to start building pressure for his side. His IQ has gone through the roof.
“What I’m seeing from him right now, and it’s scary, because we always knew how good he was and how good he could be … I honestly didn’t expect him to put it together this quick.
“From what I seem from him and his involvements in the game at the moment, elite involvements. Not over-forcing his hand. Yes, he’s still got the odd error in him, but having an impact in his role, in his side right throughout the park, has been pretty special to watch.”
Matty and Cronk heap praise on Walsh | 01:21
DO THE BRONCOS TARGET JAHROME HUGHES?
There aren’t too many question marks over Melbourne heading into the grand final. That is what you get with a team and coach that has been here and done it so many times before.
But if there is one concern it still has to be surrounding halfback Jahrome Hughes’ health, even with an extra week under his belt.
Hughes was impressive in his first game back from injury against the Sharks and instead of shying away from contact he was embracing it, taking the line on early and often, splitting the defence for an early try — complete with a fend using the bad arm — to send a clear message that he was more than healthy.
“That was the moment where I knew that he was going to be OK, because he actually extended that arm, he extended that shoulder and he still scored the try,” Johnson said.
“I’ve realised Jahrome Hughes is really tough. Some of the things he gets up from … he copped a head knock and most halfbacks are probably staying down, but the stackhat comes on and he just goes. He’s obviously such a lift for their side and he was a key factor in how they got through that semi.”
But at the same time, the Sharks didn’t really test Hughes that much in defence, with the Storm halfback only making nine tackles.
Cooper Cronk famously played through the 2018 grand final for the Roosters with a busted shoulder blade and was essentially a passenger, recording 74 kick metres and making nine tackles while not making a single run metre, try assist or linebreak assist. He only touched the ball 18 times.
Cronk was surprised with how little attention Melbourne’s current halfback got from Cronulla’s defence.
Do the Broncos target Jahrome Hughes? The Sharks didn’t, and paid the price.Source: Getty Images
“If I’m in a prelim final, I’ve got a stuffed shoulder, broken forearm, I’m playing in a dinner suit trying to get through to the GF,” Cronk said on Fox League after the game.
“Jahrome Hughes, with his first opportunity to run, just does what he’s done throughout his career. Breaks off that right foot, just goes through. He did it all in the first half and the other part, he didn’t get found out defensively, did he?”
This is a Melbourne team with very few weaknesses and based on Hughes’ performance last week, it is hard to definitively say he could be a liability. But the Broncos would be well-served to test out that arm and shoulder more than the Sharks did.
Bellamy continues to revive players | 01:57
‘CAN’T KEEP DOING IT’: BAD HABIT COULD LAND BRONCOS IN ‘TROUBLE’
The Broncos sure know how to score points in a flurry.
First it was against Canberra and then they rallied late to run down the Panthers, becoming the first team since Canterbury in 1998 to have two 13-plus point comebacks in a finals series.
But can they afford to fall behind early against a Storm team that historically rate as the best frontrunners under Bellamy in premiership history?
Melbourne have won 14 of 18 games when leading at half-time this season. Meanwhile, the last time the Storm lost a final when leading at the break was 2000.
Brisbane, on the other hand, have won 12 of 15 games when leading at half-time this year.
It is a daunting proposition for a Broncos team that has proven itself capable of chasing down big scores, but that kind of scoreboard pressure in a grand final invites risks — and potentially mistakes — from the likes of Walsh and Mam.
“They always start well,” Walters said on his podcast.
“You don’t want to see the Storm scoring first. It’s not the end of the game but you’d prefer a nice fast, hard start for the Broncos.”
Veteran journalist Brent Read and Dan Ginnane agreed on NRL 360 that it was unsustainable for the Broncos to bank on another miraculous comeback against Melbourne, especially considering the Storm’s record under Bellamy in big games.
Can the Broncos afford another slow start? Picture: Adam HeadSource: News Corp Australia
“They can’t keep doing it,” Read said, while Ginanne said the Broncos would “be in trouble” if they found themselves down 14-0 again.
“At some point you’re going to run out of luck. You’re going to run out of time,” added Read.
Although, News Corp’s Michael Carayannis offered an interesting counterpoint.
“What they’re not going to run out of is key players who can turn a game,” he said.
“They’re still going to be in there. So, I don’t think 14 points scares them regardless of who they’re playing against.”
Plus, it is worth remembering that Sunday was Penrith’s first loss in 99 games since 2020 when leading by more than 12 points.
So, what do a few numbers really mean for a Broncos team playing with this level of confidence?
If you want a number that should really worry Brisbane it is that Maguire has his worst record against Craig Bellamy (12.5%) of any coach that he has faced at least five times.
But again, that didn’t prove much of an issue in their Round 27 clash earlier this year.
So maybe this Broncos side is just that good and that unpredictable that you have to throw history and trends out the window.
Extra rest not an advantage for Storm? | 02:27
IS THIS THE LAST GRAND FINAL WE COULD SEE PAPS IN PURPLE?
Maybe? Of course, if the Storm make it again next year it won’t be.
But beyond that the Melbourne fullback’s future remains clouded after he was linked to the Rugby360 competition.
Ryan Papenhuyzen met with competition organisers while they were in Australia for the British and Irish Lions tour two months ago and told Newswire this week that he hasn’t really thought about it since then.
“We spoke about that we’d look at it again in the off-season and see how serious it is,” he said.
“But once it was spoken about in the media, I said ‘let’s just wait until the end of the year to discuss it more’ because there are still things I want to achieve in this game.
“We’ll let that do the talking at the end of the year.”
So for now, the focus is on Sunday’s game. But with the breakaway rugby union competition only gaining further steam this week, there will be even more eyes on the Storm fullback than usual.
‘One name keeps coming up!’ | 01:14
Brent Read said on NRL 360 this week that he believes the Storm are “resigned” to Papenhuyzen leaving the club.
“They really love Ryan, he’s been a great servant for them. But they’ve got some cap difficulties,” Read added.
“At the moment the cap is really tight and he would solve a problem for them and they’ve got Sua Fa’alogo waiting in the wings. Whilst they would be disappointed to see him go, I don’t think they’d be devastated.”
While the constant battle with injuries has somewhat hampered his speed and ability to break tackles, the 27-year-old is still a dependable weapon at the back for Melbourne. He is currently contracted until the end of 2026 with a mutual option the following year.
Of course, none of this is to say that his production in the grand final — good or bad — will ultimately sway the direction Melbourne goes in moving forward. But it is nonetheless an intriguing storyline to monitor, especially with a player of Sua Fa’alogo’s talent as an alternative.
For now, he is being backed by Matty Johns to lead Melbourne to a grand final win on Sunday with another Clive Churchill Medal-winning performance, as he delivered five years ago.
“I think he is the greatest threat to the Broncos,” Johns said, tipping the Storm by about six points.
“First try Ryan Paps (and) Clive Churchill. I’m really bullish on Ryan Papenhuyzen.”