2020 Grand Final - Panthers vs Storm

Discussion on anything to do with Melbourne Storm - games, players, rumours - anything!
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bula
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I watch Penrith every week they're my second side and they have a real weakness in defense around Kikau. That's where we target. Neither Viliame, Luai or Crighton are solid defenders.
Kicking to Suli up against Mansour is definitely on. All night.

We can definitely win.
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Whilst not taking them lightly I just haven't rated the Panthers all season. Of the final top six teams they have only played the Raiders, Rabbits, Storm and Roosters once and the Eels twice (who handed the Panthers their only defeat). I think if they'd played each of those sides twice we might have a clearer indication of their actual abilities. Oh, and if they had played anywhere else other than Sydney...
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Mattpoet
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Still not playing outside of Sydney though...
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yourhero
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We simply have to win on Sunday.

We have made 4 or the past 5 Grand Finals and to only come away with 1 win after all that would be horrendous...
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blazza18
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For such a great team/club we do have the ability to completely no show a big game sometimes. We were never in that Roosters GF and it took an age for us to get into the Sharks game, still yet to confirm if a few players actually even played.

Big test for Bellamy to make sure our guys are primed and ready.
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We simply have to win on Sunday.

We have made 4 or the past 5 Grand Finals and to only come away with 1 win after all that would be horrendous...

I agree. I hate losing grand finals.

They have had the easiest draw of all teams. But they have got the results. The whole of NSW will be with them
moffla
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I tend to agree with the recent Grand Final record. I think 2 from 4 would be an absolutely fair reflection of where this team sits, alongside the Roosters in the past 5 years.

It's a must win, and I think we will do it. Panthers will get their go next season
Utha
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Squad announced

1 Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 Suliasi 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 Kenneath Bromwich
13 Nelson Asofa-Solomona

INTERCHANGE
14 Brandon Smith
15 Tino Faasuamaleaui
16 Dale Finucane
17 Nicho Hynes

RESERVES
18 Tom Eisenhuth
19 Paul Momirovski
20 Tui Kamikamica
21 Ryley Jacks
RobbieRoss
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Agree we need to win this , for history properly to recognise the Smith/Bellamy years. At the moment they only show 2 premierships and 2 blank entries ( 07 and 09) for 18 years. This is a must-win. I am so nervous I may go for a very long walk and not even watch ! Having been lucky enough to travel to Sydney for 5 grand finals over the years (and stuck in Melbourne for this one ) I reckon it is a lot harder watching on TV than being there .
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Gerard Sutton is the referee. Much better than Klown
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RobbieRoss wrote: Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:04 pm Agree we need to win this , for history properly to recognise the Smith/Bellamy years. At the moment they only show 2 premierships and 2 blank entries ( 07 and 09) for 18 years. This is a must-win. I am so nervous I may go for a very long walk and not even watch ! Having been lucky enough to travel to Sydney for 5 grand finals over the years (and stuck in Melbourne for this one ) I reckon it is a lot harder watching on TV than being there .
Agreed totally on both fronts. For all our success the record books don't seem to show much although the ride has been good. Having been to 7 of our 9 GF's this will be the first time I'll be in Aus and cannot attend (yeah I know, poor planning for the two missed) this is gunna be hard, very hard. Harder than watching the Doggies set the precedent in 2016, and unfortunately set the same precedent for the Sharks.
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riders of the storm
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I'm not sure this helps comfort the nerves of anyone here.

But it's really important to note the last time the Storm played these guys they didn't have Josh Addo-Carr or Jahrome Hughes playing.

I'd say those two guys have been two of Melbourne's best the past two weeks or so if not all season.
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yourhero
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I’m such an idiot for continuing to watch NRL360, but I watch last night’s show on the way to work this morning...

It was a full episode on how the Panthers can win, why they should. Took a break for Crawley and Kent to tell everyone that Smith is not the GOAT and calling him such is “an insult to RL”.

The only other sidebar was a journo called Jahrome’s management to ask about 2022. The manager said, “Jahrome is solely focussed on the GF. After that and he has had a break, we will chat about his future but he is going well and no doubt there will be interest.”

Kent claims this is his management “shopping his player around” during GF week :roll: :lol:

Even Ikin has stopped pretending to defend us.
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yourhero
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https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... unchanged/

Panthers v Storm: Kikau back on deck; Melbourne unchanged
Troy Whittaker
NRL.com Reporter
Tue 20 Oct 2020

Is a fairytale finish looming for arguably the greatest player of all time, or will youthful exuberance and confidence take a special group of kids to the top?

Melbourne and Penrith will meet in the 2020 Telstra Premiership decider having been the two best teams all year, finishing second and first respectively.

All eyes are on Storm captain Cameron Smith. Will he retire after a peerless 430 matches across 19 seasons?

He's given nothing away despite the intense interest, but the scenes at Suncorp Stadium after Melbourne's preliminary final win over Canberra were perhaps indicative of a man bidding farewell.

The Panthers are shooting for 18 straight victories, led by star halfback Nathan Cleary and his father, coach Ivan.

Penrith are conceding vast experience to the Storm, but they're yet to be overawed as belief courses through them.

The last time the Panthers played in a grand final was 2003, when they collected the club's second title, while Melbourne have now made four of the past five deciders, losing in 2016 and 2018 and tasting success in 2017.

The Rundown

Team news
Panthers: Viliame Kikau returns from a one-game suspension in the back row, with Kurt Capewell dropping to the bench and Mitch Kenny out of the 17. Brent Naden has been named to start at centre after not getting on the field from the interchange last week, with Tyrone May reverting to the pine. Hooker Api Koroisau insisted his shoulder was fine after Saturday's win over South Sydney despite having to leave the field in the second half. He returned late in the match.
Storm: The Storm have named the same side that beat the Raiders last week. Bench forward Brandon Smith copped a head knock but was cleared of anything serious. Five-eighth Cameron Munster (knee) made it through the prelim with no dramas, so too Dale Finucane (calf).

Key Match-up
Cameron Smith v Api Koroisau. Smith's controlling influence is still unrivalled and his endless big-game experience - this will be his seventh grand final - could prove crucial. Koroisau's return to Penrith this year has been a key reason for their form and he was immense in the preliminary final, creating constant havoc by jumping from dummy-half.

Stat attack
Penrith beat Melbourne 21-14 in round six in what was the start of their winning streak. They've gone on to smash their previous club record of nine straight victories. But the Storm have had the wood on the Panthers overall, losing only three games against them since 2006.
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yourhero
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yourhero wrote: Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:32 amSmith's controlling influence is still unrivalled and his endless big-game experience - this will be his seventh grand final - could prove crucial.
Actually his 8th...
2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
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