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The father-son combination of Ivan and Nathan Cleary remains a close and beloved storyline for Warriors fans, who still remember how dad led the Auckland club to the 2011 Grand Final, and the little tacker who grew up in the margins of Mt Smart.
Melbourne has its own unfolding story, with Cam Smith’s decision to retire, or he won’t, still pending.
For Kiwi fans, a couple of juicy matchups stand out, with Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes taking on Penrith’s Jarome Luai in the halves and Nelson Asofa-Solomona on a collision course with James Fisher-Harris in the middle.
Surprisingly, Melbourne has been installed as favorites.
TONGUE: Melbourne Storm $ 1.66, Penrith Panthers $ 2.18
Penrith Panthers: 1-Dylan Edwards, 2-Josh Mansour, 3-Brent Naden, 4-Stephen Crichton, 5-Brian To’o, 6-Jarome Luai, 7-Nathan Cleary, 8-James Tamou, 9-Apisai Koroisau, 10-James Fisher-Harris, 11-Viliame Kikau, 12-Liam Martin, 13-Isaiah Yeo
Trade: 14-Tyrone May, 15-Kurt Capewell, 16-Moses Leota, 17-Zane Tetevano
Melbourne Storm: 1-Ryan Papenhuyzen, 2-Suliasai Vunivalu, 3-Brenko Lee, 4-Justin Olam, 5-Josh Addo-Carr, 6-Cameron Munster, 7-Jahrome Hughes, 8-Jesse Bromwich, 9-Cameron Smith, 10-Christian Welch, 11-Felise Kaufusi, 12-Kenny Bromwich, 13-Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Trade: 14-Brandon Smith, 15-Tino Faasumamaleaui, 16-Dale Finucane, 17-Nicho Hynes
*****
Penrith Panthers have enlisted a World Cup winning duo of the All Blacks to help them prepare for Sunday’s NRL Grand Final against Melbourne Storm in Sydney.
Unbeaten in 17 games, the Panthers are chasing their first NRL Premier League since 2003, while the Storm will contest their fourth Grand Final in five years.
Early in the playoffs, the Panthers playing group had Richie McCaw address the team, and coach Ivan Cleary repeatedly included key messages from the All Blacks legend. Chasing cool documentary during team talks and weekly game plans.
On Saturday, another great All Blacks player addressed the Panthers, with Dan Carter offering his support for the team.
According to the Daily telegraph, Carter addressed the entire Grand Final team via video, before the Panthers captains ran off, talking about “staying in the zone” and “trusting each other.”
The great Australian surfer Mick Fanning has also spoken with the team during the playoffs.
