Matchday Details<\/p>\n
Sunday 5th October \u2013 7:30pm (AEST) \u2013 Accor Stadium, Sydney
\ud83d\udcfa Broadcast: Nine
Referee: Grant Atkins | Bunker: Ashley Klein<\/p>\n
Broncos Storm Match Preview<\/p>\n The 2025 NRL season comes to a close this Sunday when the Broncos face the Storm, almost 20 years since their last Grand Final meeting. With history, rivalry, and storylines everywhere you look, this shapes as a thrilling conclusion to the year.<\/p>\n For Melbourne, questions over their consistency have been a constant theme, yet once again, they\u2019ve found their way back to the big stage. Last week, they overcame a brave Sharks outfit: the scoreboard was tight, but the result was always under their control. Brisbane\u2019s journey has been different. At times outside the eight and dismissed as no chance, they surged late to lock up a top-four berth and overcame the odds by knocking off the reigning champions, the Panthers, for a shot at the title.<\/p>\n There are no changes for Craig Bellamy\u2019s Storm, with the same 1-17 that played last week named. One milestone of note is that this game features as Trent Loeiro\u2019s 100th. Meanwhile, the Broncos made one change: the inclusion of Pat Carrigan, which pushes Tyson Smoothy<\/a> to the interchange. Selwyn Cobbo<\/a> is again named amongst the reserves but is unlikely to find a spot in the side.<\/p>\n The theatre of sport often lies beyond the action itself, and this clash is steeped in it. The last time these two clubs met in a decider, the NRL looked very different. Brisbane, led by Wayne Bennett, were still one of the competition\u2019s dominant forces. Their opponents, less than a decade old and coached by Bennett\u2019s former assistant Bellamy, were still finding their place. The Broncos lifted the trophy that night in 2006 for what remains their most recent premiership. The Storm\u2019s dynasty followed soon after. Now, two decades later, the question lingers: can Brisbane reassert themselves as a powerhouse, or does Bellamy \u2014 nearing the twilight of his career \u2014 erase the sting of that 2006 defeat and complete the circle?<\/p>\n There\u2019s more personal history for Brisbane. In 2015, they lost a Grand Final in the cruelest way imaginable. The Cowboys levelled the scores after the siren, Johnathan Thurston missed the conversion, then sealed it in Golden Point after Ben Hunt<\/a>\u2019s famous knock on. That moment haunted the club and Hunt himself. A decade later, with Hunt redeeming himself through key plays this finals series, a premiership would be the ultimate resolution to that pain.<\/p>\n So, who wins, and how? For Melbourne, it\u2019s simple: if their spine is in rhythm, they are almost impossible to contain. Jahrome Hughes<\/a> silenced doubts over his forearm injury with a try last week, though Payne Haas<\/a> and Patrick Carrigan will test him early. The real difference-maker remains Harry Grant<\/a> \u2014 the smartest and best hooker in the game \u2014 who will control tempo, pick apart gaps, and keep the Storm rolling forward. In an arm-wrestle, their structure is built to prevail.<\/p>\n For Brisbane, the path is risk and flair. Reece Walsh<\/a> is the most explosive player in the competition, and the Broncos must give him license to create. His off-the-cuff play set up last week\u2019s game-winning try, and while it doesn\u2019t always look textbook, the results speak for themselves. The danger is slipping into conservatism under the weight of the occasion. With Carrigan shoring up the middle and Haas demanding multiple tacklers, Brisbane\u2019s platform is set. If their stars take the chances, they can break Melbourne open.<\/p>\n Prediction<\/p>\n RLZ Tip: Storm by 10.<\/p>\n See our full NRL Grand Final Predictions (live Wednesday 12pm) here: 2025 NRL: Grand Final Writer Predictions<\/a><\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Reece Walsh<\/a>, 2.\u00a0Josiah Karapani<\/a>, 3.\u00a0Kotoni Staggs<\/a>, 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5.\u00a0Deine Mariner<\/a>, 6.\u00a0Ben Hunt<\/a>, 7.\u00a0Adam Reynolds<\/a>, 8.\u00a0Corey Jensen<\/a>, 9.\u00a0Cory Paix<\/a>, 10.\u00a0Payne Haas<\/a>, 11.\u00a0Brendan Piakura<\/a>, 12.\u00a0Jordan Riki<\/a>, 13.\u00a0Patrick Carrigan<\/a>, 14.\u00a0Ezra Mam<\/a>, 15.\u00a0Kobe Hetherington<\/a>, 16.\u00a0Xavier Willison<\/a>, 17.\u00a0Tyson Smoothy<\/a>, 18.\u00a0Jesse Arthars<\/a>, 19.\u00a0Jack Gosiewski<\/a>, 20. Ben Talty, 21.\u00a0Selwyn Cobbo<\/a>, 22.\u00a0Jock Madden<\/a>
Early Mail: Brisbane Broncos will see Patrick Carrigan<\/a> return, with Cory Paix<\/a> widely thought to miss out in the starting seventeen.\u00a0Billy Walters<\/a>\u00a0is out with an ACL.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Ryan Papenhuyzen<\/a>, 2.\u00a0Will Warbrick<\/a>, 3.\u00a0Jack Howarth<\/a>, 4.\u00a0Nick Meaney<\/a>, 5.\u00a0Xavier Coates<\/a>, 6.\u00a0Cameron Munster<\/a>, 7.\u00a0Jahrome Hughes<\/a>, 8.\u00a0Stefano Utoikamanu<\/a>, 9.\u00a0Harry Grant<\/a>, 10.\u00a0Josh King<\/a>, 11.\u00a0Shawn Blore<\/a>, 12.\u00a0Eliesa Katoa<\/a>, 13.\u00a0Trent Loiero<\/a>, 14.\u00a0Tyran Wishart<\/a>, 15.\u00a0Ativalu Lisati<\/a>, 16.\u00a0Tui Kamikamica<\/a>, 17.\u00a0Alec MacDonald<\/a>, 18.\u00a0Grant Anderson<\/a>, 19.\u00a0Bronson Garlick<\/a>, 20.\u00a0Joe Chan<\/a>, 21.\u00a0Jonah Pezet<\/a>, 22.\u00a0Sualauvi Faalogo<\/a>
Early Mail: Melbourne are at full strength going into the decider with no injuries and only\u00a0Nelson Asofa-Solomona<\/a>\u00a0suspended.<\/p>\n