Storm forced into late change after star's injury blow

Melbourne skipper Harry Grant will miss the Storm's Good Friday game against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium after suffering a hamstring injury at training. Grant has been ruled out of Craig Bellamy's match-day squad with Bronson Garlick named as the replacement at hooker. Kane Bradley joins the bench. Speaking during Nine's Thursday night NRL coverage, sideline reporter Danika Mason confirmed the injury but said its severity was still unknown. Storm legend Cameron Smith is concerned about how his former side may go. "I think this is the first game Harry Grant has missed in quite some time," he said. "This is going to be a really tough one for Melbourne." Jeremy Marshall-King is also a late scratching for the Dolphins' side, with a laceration on the hooker's leg still healing. Marshall-King suffered the gash against Penrith last week. The wound was reportedly so deep that it required 20 stitches to close. Kurt Donoghue will start in Marshall-King's place, with Ray Stone joining the bench.

Benji's Storm Clones

In the early 2020s, one of the secrets behind the Storm's success was the superb one-two punch of hookers Brandon Smith and Harry Grant. Before his move to the Roosters, Smith was among the best dummyhalves in the league and worried teams with his strength and running game. Then when the opposition began to tire, master coach Craig Bellamy would bring in youngster Grant, who would carve them up with his speed around the rucks. Benji Marshall obviously remembers how effective it was - because he is using his two hookers Api Koroisau and rookie Tallyn Da Silva in similar fashion. The pair were outstanding in the win over the Dolphins on Saturday night, both scoring tries and worrying the life out of the Redcliffe defence. Significantly, both scored the final tries of the first and second halves against fatigued opposition - rival coaches beware!

Key inclusion to keep 22-year streak alive

The surprise inclusion of superstar Melbourne fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen for a round 1 home game the club demanded could prove the crucial element as the Storm looks to continue a stunning winning streak that has stretched for 22 years against Parramatta on Sunday. Storm captain Harry Grant said Papenhuyzen was ready despite battling knee and ankle issues during the pre-season, with the premiership fancies out to win their opening round match for the 23rd straight year, 21 of them under coach Craig Bellamy. Melbourne chief executive Justin Rodski confirmed his club wanted a home opener this weekend, with the opening round of the AFL moved north to Sydney and Brisbane and now reduced to just Friday and Sunday games due to Cyclone Alfred. Speaking on his podcast this week, Papenhuyzen said Bellamy had thrown him “under the bus” by declaring the fullback was doubtful to take on the Eels after missing both of his team’s trial games. “I had a little tear in my meniscus and while that’s sweet now I’ve got a little stitching from my knee surgery that’s calcified … that’s just caused a bit of irritation. “I’ve run the last couple of training sessions. It just seems to be one thing after the next, but it’s not too bad. I’ve just got to manage what it is. Hopefully, I get the all clear.” He was named in the team on Tuesday and Grant said Papenhuyzen was a “resilient bugger” and would take his place at AAMI Park on Sunday. “He’s just been training and completed all his training since off the back of that trial,” Grant said on Wednesday.

'Magic dust' to transform Storm recruit into 'elite' star

With the Panthers losing a host of strike power from their grand final winning team over the summer, the bookies have installed Melbourne as title favourites this campaign. And with maestro Craig Bellamy pulling the strings for possibly the final time and managing to keep most of his roster intact, the omens are good for the Storm. Melbourne got rid of some dead wood, have some great kids coming through their system and have added Tigers colossus Stefano Utoikamanu to their forward rotation. The line-up at the Storm is so strong that there may well not be a spot for budding superstar Sua Fa'alogo in the 17-man line-up for round one. Bellamy boasts the best spine in the NRL with pocket rocket Ryan Papenhuyzen at fullback, dynamic duo Cam Munster and Jahrome Hughes in the halves and the game's top hooker, Harry Grant, wearing the No.9 jumper. He has built a team around the four stars and everyone plays their part to perfection. The wing pairing of Will Warbrick and Xavier Coates score tries for fun, while in the centres Nick Meaney is highly underrated and Jack Howarth was one of the big improvers in the league in 2024. The forwards are basically honest toilers with the exception of Eli Katoa, who with a sprinkling of Bellamy's magic dust, became one of the most dangerous wide runners in the league last season and should only get better. Grant is a freak out of dummy-half and rival coaches know what he is going to do each week - but seem powerless to stop him, such is his class.

2025 gains - Stefano Utoikamanu (Wests Tigers), Moses Leo (NZ rugby).

2025 losses - Reimis Smith (Catalans Dragons), Young Tonumaipea (retired), Aaron Pene (Leigh Leopards), Chris Lewis (retired), Tepai Moeroa (released).

'Massive advantage' set to end Panthers dynasty

Sunday's blockbuster NRL grand final shapes as a tight, even affair - but there's one area where the Storm have a massive advantage that could turn the game. And that is why I believe Melbourne are poised to end Penrith's marvellous run of three straight premierships. In most positions on paper, there is little between the players that finished first and second in the league… well ahead of the field. But at hooker - one of the most important spots on the field the way the modern game is played - the Storm have a clear edge. Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny is a good solid pro who has won premierships and held up the middle for the Panthers in fine style and this is no sleight on him. But in Harry Grant, the Storm have the most dangerous hooker in the league and a player capable of unlocking the Panthers' defensive wall. A comparision of the statistics of the two dummy-halves tells the tale. Kenny played 23 games, made an average of two runs per game and scored two tries in 2024. Grant, by contrast, played 22 games, made six runs per game and scored 11 tries. Kenny had six try assists - Grant doubled him with 12. Kenny made just two line breaks and eight tackle breaks. Grant - 13 line breaks and 47 tackle breaks. Wow. Panthers fans will challenge this by saying Kenny's defence is superior and he did make the third most tackles in the NRL in the regular season. But he missed 123 tackles… Grant missed 82. So there you have it - my reason for believing that the Storm will edge out the Panthers in what shapes as a grand final classic. I have been wrong before - many times - however I see Grant as the big-match player who will deliver the title to the Storm on Sunday night.

New skipper's 'tough ask' after 'major disappointment'

The Melbourne Storm clearly missed star forward Brandon Smith when he defected to the Roosters last season, but no player missed him more than fellow hooker Harry Grant. Having provided the NRL's best one-two punch out of dummy-half in previous years, Grant was still a force without Smith, but he just wasn't quite as effective. The nippy hooker's metres per game were down on 2022, as were his try assists. His errors rose from 16 to a career high 28. In the 38-4 loss to Penrith that ended the Storm's 2023 season, Grant made just two runs for four post-contact metres – a major disappointment for one of the most dangerous dummy-halves in the league. Clearly, the challenge for Grant this campaign is to raise the bar and get back to where he was at his peak. Considering how well Grant and Smith worked together, that will be a tough ask. But Harry has the class to pull it off. The Storm roster has a formidable look coming into 2024, and they haven't lost any of their big-name stars – a rarity in previous seasons. If Ryan Papenhuyzen can have an injury-free run and regain his best form, the Storm will be looking in good for a top four finish. Former Tiger Shawn Blore, the one new signing, is a typical Craig Bellamy player. He looked good in patches at the Tigers, so chances are he will be great with the Purple People under the one and only Craig Bellamy.

Storm Eye Next No.9 Superstar

There could be a surprise contender to be Harry Grant's back-up hooker with the Storm in 2024.Melbourne feeder club North Sydney has signed promising Tigers hooker and Cook Islands international Rua Ngatikaura for next season. The 23- year-old is a genuine dummy-half with plenty of skill and was in the sights of plenty of NRL clubs in recent months. Grant will have a heavy workload at club and State of Origin level again next season and Ngatikaura could ease some of the pressure on the Storm superstar.

Tempers boil as Origin teammates go at it

There were some doubts coming into the finals whether the Broncos had the depth of talent on the bench to go all the way - this dynamic duo erased that fear on Friday night as the Broncos moved within a game of the grand final.The Broncos' plan going into Friday night was to neutralise the Storm's two danger men - Cameron Munster and Harry Grant. It worked a treat as the pair - the heart and soul of the Storm attack - were both well below their best and Melbourne never scored a point as a result.Denied time and space, the Storm had little impact.Munster had just eight runs for 65 metres and barely troubled the Broncos defence.And Grant did little of his crafty work from dummy-half, making just seven runs for 44 metres.Of more concern to Craig Bellamy was the fact that Grant missed 10 tackles in the middle, several of which saw the Broncos break through on attacking raids on their march to victory.

One-Two Punch Key To Storm Title

Do the Storm have the best one-two punch in the game in Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant?It's no secret you need a great halfback and a great hooker to win a comp in league's new fast-paced era and the Melbourne duo tick all the boxes.The pair were sublime in Friday night's 46-16 thumping of last year's grand finalists Parramatta.Hughes was simply superb - he boasted five assists, three line breaks and a try to smoke the Eels.And Grant wasn't far behind, scoring two first-half tries and five tackle breaks and two line breaks.Throw in the likes of Cameron Munster, who scored a stunning solo try, and big Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who missed the massacre through injury, and it's easy to see why the Storm are the team all the other big guns fear.

Storm's Grant wins points in hooker battle with Smith

Harry Grant has silenced Brandon Smith on and off the field after the Storm hooker outpointed his Sydney Roosters pal in Melbourne.The star rakes squared off in the NRL for the first time since Smith's departure from the Storm, with Melbourne triumphing 28-8 in their Thursday night clash.Smith started well but as the Roosters went off the boil, Grant and the Storm fired up with coach Craig Bellamy describing the performance as "first class".The Storm No.9 showed off his array of skills with a second half 40-20, which gave his team ideal field position to set up winger Xavier Coates's third try.Smith meanwhile copped jeers from the AAMI Park faithful when he knocked the ball on from dummy half.Queensland State of Origin starter Grant told reporters post match his usually chatty mate was quiet in the lead-up to the AAMI Park match.He joked he was expecting photographs of Roosters hard man Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as Smith used to send snaps of Storm giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona to wind up their opponents."He (Smith) didn't send me any of Jared, I think he was playing hard ball this week," Grant said."He was a bit serious, he wasn't texting or anything."He wasn't too chirpy (on the field), he was pretty quiet but it was still good fun and it's always fun playing against people you know."It was good to catch up with him and he's done a lot for the club and won a grand final here, so he's always welcome back."Usually toiling for 80 minutes, Grant got an early shower with Bellamy saying the 25-year-old had earned a rest."I thought the Cheese (Smith) played pretty good too and Harry was great," he said."I thought he (Grant) overplayed his hand a couple of times, but I'd rather have him do that than underplay because he's a very talented player and a very talented dummy-half and we always look a little bit better when he's running."With halves Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes back together for the first time since round one following injury and suspension, the Storm looked unstoppable.Fullback Nick Meaney was also a major threat in attack before being forced off to undergo a HIA, which he passed.Regular No.1 Ryan Papenhuyzen is still to return from injury this season and Bellamy is unsure of what that will mean for Meaney.He said he would make room for him somewhere in the side."I'm still not quite sure when Paps is going to be back but I'm pretty sure we'll find a spot for Nick there somewhere," Bellamy said.

Grant's perfect timing in Storm win

Champions know how to pace themselves - and so it was with Harry Grant as Melbourne extended their first round winning run to a stunning 20 straight years.The livewire hooker made 59 tackles against the Eels - more than any player on the field - but kept himself fairly quiet in attack.Until the 84th minute, that is, when Grant darted out of dummyhalf, with the Eels expecting a field goal shot, to snatch a golden point victory for the Storm.Craig Bellamy may have lost some forward power over the off season, but with Grant in the side, the Storm pack will always be a menace.

Horror luck for young hooker

Wests Tigers have a champion young hooker playing for the Magpies in the NSW Cup - but bad luck struck Rua Ngatikaura last weekend.Ngatikaura - a quick, elusive hooker in the Harry Grant mould - scored two tries against the Dragons but then broke his ankle late in the match.The youngster, who was given a run in first grade in the trials and is held in high regard in Tiger-town, isn't expected to play again this season.