Sunday’s blockbuster NRL grand last shapes as a good, even affair – however there’s one space the place the Storm have an enormous benefit that might flip the sport.
And that’s the reason I imagine Melbourne are poised to finish Penrith’s marvellous run of three straight premierships.
In most positions on paper, there may be little between the gamers that completed first and second within the league… properly forward of the sector.
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However at hooker – one of the vital essential spots on the sector the way in which the trendy sport is performed – the Storm have a transparent edge.
Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny is an efficient stable professional who has gained premierships and held up the center for the Panthers in high quality model and that is no sleight on him.
However in Harry Grant, the Storm have probably the most harmful hooker within the league and a participant able to unlocking the Panthers’ defensive wall.
A comparision of the statistics of the 2 dummy-halves tells the story.
Kenny performed 23 video games, made a mean of two runs per sport and scored two tries in 2024.
Grant, in contrast, performed 22 video games, made six runs per sport and scored 11 tries.
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Kenny had six strive assists – Grant doubled him with 12.
Kenny made simply two line breaks and eight sort out breaks. Grant – 13 line breaks and 47 sort out breaks. Wow.
Panthers followers will problem this by saying Kenny’s defence is superior and he did make the third most tackles within the NRL within the common season.
However he missed 123 tackles… Grant missed 82.
So there you’ve it – my motive for believing that the Storm will edge out the Panthers in what shapes as a grand last basic.
I’ve been mistaken earlier than – many instances – nevertheless I see Grant because the big-match participant who will ship the title to the Storm on Sunday night time.