We are down to the final two, as the Panthers and the Storm fight it out to decide the 2024 premiers.
Melbourne will be looking to add a fifth trophy to their cabinet, while the Panthers are chasing four in a row – here is how each team is shaping up.
Grand Final: Melbourne vs Penrith at Accor Stadium: 7.30pm AEDT, Sunday October 6
Storm: Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16.Lazarus Vaalepu 17. Alec MacDonald 18. Grant Anderson 19. Joe Chan 20. Kane Bradley 21. Tepai Moeroa 22. Sua Faalogo
While disappointed to lose man mountain Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Melbourne are vowing their “next man up” mentality will ensure the prop’s role is ably covered in Sunday’s grand final against Penrith.
Asofa-Solomona failed in his bid to have a grade three careless high tackle charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary, meaning he will be on the sidelines for the Accor Stadium premiership decider.
The Kiwi Test heavyweight was charged following a tackle on Lindsay Collins in the opening minute of the preliminary final at AAMI Park which ended the Sydney Roosters prop’s game.
Standing two metres tall and weighing 125kg, Asofa-Solomona is a battering ram for the Storm, skittling players with his charging runs.
He’s also able to cause headaches for the defence with his offloads.
Melbourne playmaker Cameron Munster conceded the absence of the prop was a big loss, literally and figuratively.
“For me, it is a massive loss but we’ve got some good players coming through, and they can do the role for us,” Munster said.
“But yeah, he’s definitely a big hole.
“He just brings that presence in that middle and definitely brings a lot of aggression, so that will be sorely missed.”
Melbourne skipper Harry Grant also felt for his teammate, who had returned to some of his best form after a slow start to the season which prompted talk he could be traded.
“We know how important he is to our group, he’s been so, so good,” Grant said.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him over the last couple months what he’s put into our team, what he’s put into the club and he’s really reaped the rewards and we’ve reaped the rewards on the field.”
Melbourne named their squad on Tuesday afternoon with Tui Kamikamica coming into the starting front row, with Lazarua Vaalepu joining Christian Welch on the bench.
Josh King, also a starting prop, backed any of the players in the Storm squad to cover the loss of Asofa-Solomona, who missed selection in the first five games of the season as Melbourne only lost once.
“We’ve used a lot of players this year, a lot of forwards, and we’ve got some really good experienced boys on the bench (Kamikamica and Welch) that aren’t even in the side as well,” King
“Whoever comes in will be able to do a job just as well as he did.”
Welch was only used for eight minutes in their win over the Roosters and said he would play whatever role was required in the final.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The 30-year-old watched Melbourne’s 2017 grand final victory from the stands – albeit due to a knee reconstruction rather than suspension – and said he felt for his teammate.
“From my experience, in 2017, it’s a very bittersweet feeling,” Welch said.
“You’re so pumped for your teammates but you’re pretty devastated you’re not out there achieving that ultimate glory that as a player that you dream of.
“But Nelson is a real team-first guy.”
Harry Grant also finished the preliminary final with a calf injury but the skipper declared he would be at full strength come Sunday.
“I’m feeling good, it was just a little niggle,” the 26-year-old said.
“I’ve played enough footy over the years to understand if something’s serious, and it was just a little bit of an awareness.
“I think it was 15-20 minutes into the game, I played the whole game and had no dramas with it so I’m definitely not worried or thinking about it.”
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Luke Garner 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Brad Schneider 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 17. Matt Eisenhuth 18. Casey McLean 19. Scott Sorensen 20. Trent Toelau 21. Daine Laurie 22. Luke Sommerton
The Panthers are sweating on the fitness of enforcer Scott Sorensen, who is racing the clock to return from a hamstring injury.
The forward is confident he can force his way back into Penrith’s grand-final team even if it means ousting his carpool buddy for the spot.
Sorensen has been sidelined for four weeks and has missed all of the Panthers’ run to Sunday’s grand final against Melbourne.
The 31-year-old trained separately from the rest of the Panthers squad on Tuesday, with halfback Nathan Cleary also on limited duties as he nurses a shoulder injury.
New Zealand international Sorensen offers Panthers coach Ivan Cleary a versatile and experienced bench forward for the occasion.
Confident he will be fit for the decider, Sorensen said: “I’m literally ticking boxes at the moment and making sure that I get through my training sessions to hopefully make myself available for Sunday.
“I’m feeling good and feeling strong.”
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Sorensen said he re-aggravated the hamstring during a recent training session and that was the reason why the Panthers have taken a cautious approach, leaving the utility forward on ice in their win over Cronulla.
“It wasn’t quite back to square one, but I had to get back into rehab and make sure it was strong so I could make myself available for the weekend,” Sorensen said.
“That wasn’t to be, but that’s all right.”
Penrith named Sorensen in their extended grand final squad but it is unclear if he will be given the green light to play and return to their starting 17.
If he does get the all clear that could spell bad news for Matt Eisenhuth, the forward who has profited from Sorensen’s absence.
The pair share driving to Panthers training and Eisenhuth in recent years watched on from the reserve team as the NRL side tasted three-straight premierships.
“I’m preparing to play no matter what,” Eisenhuth said.
“If I play, or ‘Sorro’ plays, my role won’t change.
“We live down in the Shire together and while most people think that might be awkward … we’re sweet with it either way.
“We’re all competitive beasts and you’re striving to be in that 17 and you can have days where it can frustrate you.
“That’s part of footy, some people are the superstars but you’ve also got your toilers and those last three years I’ve still partied with the boys.”
Meanwhile, star halfback Nathan Cleary may be given painkilling injections to help him get through the grand final according to the SMH.
Late in the preliminary final against the Sharks, Cleary was seen clutching at his troublesome left shoulder with just eight minutes remaining as his coach and father Ivan took him from the field.
Panthers star Nathan Cleary howls in pain after injuring his shoulder. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
He jarred the same shoulder that forced him out of three matches at the end of the regular season.
However, Melbourne players say they won’t go after Cleary’s shoulder in the premiership decider.
In the 2018 grand final the Storm got distracted by Sydney Roosters No.7 Cooper Cronk, who went into the match with a fractured shoulder blade.
Their former teammate marshalled the Roosters to an emphatic 21-6 victory.
While Storm skipper, Grant wasn’t part of that Melbourne line-up, he said his team wouldn’t make the same mistake in Sunday’s showdown.
Cleary missed three games after falling on his left shoulder against the Storm in round 24, returning for the finals, and he appeared to aggravate the joint “instability” late in Saturday’s 26-6 preliminary final win over Cronulla.
But with Cleary dominant since his return, including providing three try assists against the Sharks, Grant said the halfback had proven he could carry his injury without it affecting his contribution.
“We don’t need to focus on one player, on Nathan and his shoulder,” Grant said on Monday.
“I think he’s shown in recent weeks, in recent years, the class player he is and how he performs, whether he’s under a bit of an injury cloud or not, in these big games.
“He’s shown that in the last few weeks through his performances, and we won’t expect anything different, so we’re not going out to target him or handle him any differently than we normally would.”
While only Cameron Munster, Christian Welch and Nelson Asofa-Solomona remain from the 2018 grand final squad, Melbourne’s own star No.7 Jahrome Hughes said going after Cleary would come at a cost.
“I think if we focus too much on him and his injury, then I think that’s not going to go well for us,” Hughes said.
“A few of the boys played in the ’18 grand final and they bring up that they probably focused on Cooper too much, more than they needed to, and it probably came back to bite them.
“We’ve fully learned from that as a club, and we probably won’t be looking at that too much and be more focusing on what we could do as a team to be better.”
A neck injury flared for Hughes during their 48-18 preliminary final win against the Roosters last Friday night but he was moving freely on Monday.
The grand final could cap a huge week for the 29-year-old, who is a favourite to win the Dally M Medal on Wednesday night as the game’s best player in 2024.
With Cleary limited to just 12 matches this season due to hamstring as well as shoulder issues, Hughes said that his rival was still the best in the business.
“I think that Nathan’s probably the best player in the game,” Hughes said.
“Obviously he hasn’t played too much this year, but I think just the influence he has on that team, and just his plays are so skillful, and he can do pretty much everything, so he’s the full package.”
– with AAP
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