After seven months of grit, grind and guts, the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership comes down to the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos to decide who takes home the ultimate prize.

The Storm won their way through to a sixth decider in 10 years by taking care of the Sharks at AAMI Park while Broncos produced a mighty comeback to end the Panthers’ reign in an epic preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.

With Adam Reynolds ice cool under pressure and Payne Haas immense in the middle, Michael Maguire’s men overcame a 14-point half-time deficit to advance to their first grand final since 2015.

The Storm are back in the big dance a year after going down to the Panthers in the 2024 decider, with 15 of the 17-man squad who endured that heartbreak back to seek redemption.

Among a host of epic match-ups the battle of flashy fullbacks Ryan Papenhuyzen and Reece Walsh will be a beauty, while NSW Blues teammates Stefano Utoikamanu and Payne Haas will slug it out in the middle of the park.

Playmakers Jahrome Hughes and Reynolds are pivotal to the outcome while Cameron Munster and Ezra Mam provide the X-factor and can break a game open in a split second.

The sides clashed twice in the space of 19 days late in the season with the Storm winning 22-2 at AAMI Park in Round 23 and the Broncos saluting 30-14 in Round 27 when Melbourne were without Jack Howarth, Shawn Blore and Utoikamanu.

Both contests had huge ramifications on the injury front with Reynolds, Mam and Selwyn Cobbo popping their hamstrings in Round 23 while Hughes broke his arm in Round 27 and looked long odds to make it back, let alone play a starring role in a prelim final as he did against the Sharks.

Team News

Storm: Coach Craig Bellamy heads into a record-breaking 11th grand final with the same 17 that downed the Sharks in the preliminary final. Grant Anderson has been listed as 18th man, a role that was filled last week by Joe Chan. Playmaker Jonah Pezet and speedster Sua Fa’aalogo are listed among the reserves. Lock Trent Loiero makes his 100th NRL appearance.

Broncos: Just the one change for Michael Maguire with skipper Pat Carrigan’s return from suspension at lock pushing Tyson Smoothy to the interchange. Ben Talty is the unlucky man to drop out of the side that came from the clouds to down the Panthers in the preliminary final. Selwyn Cobbo is again listed among the reserves while Jesse Arthars has again been named as 18th man, as he was in the club’s two finals matches against the Raiders and Panthers.

Stat Attack

The Storm have won 17 of their last 19 games against the Broncos.
Broncos utility Ben Hunt will join Darren Lockyer in third place on the all-time appearances list.
Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes has scored 12 tries in 13 games against the Broncos.
Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs has scored eight tries in his last eight games.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy has won 14 of 16 games against Michael Maguire-coached teams.
The Broncos have scored 197 points in their last six games.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy will break Wayne Bennett’s record of 10 grand finals as coach.
The Broncos have won only three of their last 11 games at Accor Stadium.
The Storm have 15 players who have played a total of 21 grand finals.
The Broncos have 12 players who have played a total of 14 grand finals.

Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.