It’s finally here! The last match of the NRL season, with the Provan-Summons trophy and premiership glory on the line, sees minor premiers the Melbourne Storm square off with the Cronulla Sharks at ANZ Stadium on Sunday Evening.

For Melbourne, it’s their first trip to the big dance since 2012 when they beat the Canterbury Bulldogs by ten points to take out what is officially recorded as the club’s second premiership.

The Sharks meanwhile, come into this year’s decider with a potential feel good story, given the club has never won a premiership and haven’t been in a grand final since the Super League war of 1997.

If you don’t want to count that one then it’s all the way back to 1978, for their last appearance, which is a just a little bit of suffering for the Shire.

The Storm came into the finals displaying a little bit of shaky form, and certainly something they needed to pick up on. While they did win their final match in convincing fashion there were questions considering they hadn’t put a good game of football together in a number of weeks.

But as any Craig Bellamy coached team does, they found a way to catch a wave of momentum at the right time of the season and have looked very strong in their two finals games to date.

In the first week of the finals they hosted the North Queensland Cowboys, and after dominating possession and field territory, winning the wrestle and war in the middle of the park they took a six-point win to earn themselves a week off.

If that was a good performance, then their one against the Canberra Raiders in last week’s preliminary final was on another level.

While the margin of victory, at just two points, was smaller and the game went down to the wire – Melbourne were clinical against a Canberra side who put in 100 per cent and then some.

This will be another challenge though for Melbourne – their first foray outside of Victoria in over a month and up against a physical Sharks side who have attacking weapons left, right and centre the Storm will have to be on their game.

The Sharks came into the finals in similar form that left plenty of unresolved questions. With a youthful backline and experienced forward pack, all led around by James Maloney, on paper there is no reason they shouldn’t have reached this point.

After a 15-game winning streak during the season, they just haven’t looked the same and the first week of the finals was a testament to that as they struggled early, falling 12 points behind away from home to Canberra.

However, it seemed something sparked in the Sharks – they fought hard and played physical rugby league to bring the game back, eventually taking a thrilling two-point victory and earning a week off.

They then proved to be far too good for a worn out North Queensland Cowboys side who were coming off a 90-minute extra time victory over the Brisbane Broncos.

The Sharks put their foot down from the get-go, and never let the Cowboys have a sniff eventually running away and booking their spot in the decider by 12 points, although that included some late tries against them.

There are two keys to come out of that match – that the Sharks must start as fast as they did, trying to wipe their opposition off the park, and that they can’t afford to drop off in the final quarter of an hour.

Melbourne are too good of a side to do that, and if they do a lead of any nature could be surrendered before there is a chance to realise what is going on.

Last five meetings
2016, Round 26 – Storm 26 defeat Sharks 6 at AAMI Park
2016, Round 4 – Sharks 14 defeat Sharks 6 at Southern Cross Group Stadium
2015, Round 23 – Sharks 2 defeated by Storm 30 at Southern Cross Group Stadium
2015, Round 3 – Storm 36 defeat Sharks 18 at AAMI Park
2014, Round 23 – Storm 48 defeat Sharks 6 at AAMI Park

The last five meetings between the clubs don’t make pretty reading for the men from the Shire. They have been beaten and beaten well on four out of the five occasions including their last meeting during Round 26 of the regular season in the match that decided the minor premiership.

It follows the statistical history between the clubs with the Sharks only beating the Storm on a total of ten out of 21 occasions, although the clubs have never faced off in the finals.

Team news
There isn’t much in the way of team news for either side – just some extended benches. The Storm add Felise Kafusi, Matt White, Ryan Morgan, Slade Griffin and Young Tonumaipea, while the Sharks go with Sam Tagatese and Joseph Paulo.

Key players
While the forwards are going to have a big say about how the key men can play, there is no doubting the two key battles across the park – between the hookers Michael Ennis and Cameron Smith, as well as the kicking games of James Maloney and Cooper Cronk.

Smith has long been one of, if not the best in the game. He captains his club side, Queensland and Australia, all with good reason.

He is simply an inspirational leader, who will get the job done in every sense of the expression. Whether in defence or attack, he is clinical and goes about his work like a true professional.

Ennis, on the other hand doesn’t nearly have the big match experience of Smith – overlooked for Origin and international honours more times than he cares to remember, but this is a chance to get one over Smith in his final ever match.

As long as Ennis doesn’t get over emotional, he is the Sharks best and most important player. The way he niggles in defence, or attack to win penalties, knows when to kick or run and is a threat close to the line is a massive advantage for the Sharks, and towards the back end of the game with tired defences, this only becomes more important.

Cronk and Maloney both have huge jobs to do as well – their kicking game is the key element which could split the sides, but Maloney’s running game also offers plenty.

The Storm must play from in front
Melbourne are a side who are much better off playing from in front. While they can and will come from behind to win games, the high pressure and attacking flair of Cronulla is going to make that difficult.

While being clinical is the minor premiers greatest asset, it can also become their biggest weakness. The bottom line is that when they fall behind, they look lost.

Scoring points in a hurry against a good defensive side is not the forte of the Cronk led Storm attack. The kicking game always seems to become rushed and his decision making blurred when chasing points.

If they play from in front, then it’ll be one-way traffic – play from behind though and it throws a big spanner in the works. For that reason among others, making a positive start is of paramount importance for the Sharks.

It’s going to be won up the middle. It won’t be exciting, but it will be a war
As most grand finals are, it’s going to be won up the middle of the park. As mentioned, the creative players will need to overcome point scoring issues, but to be in any position to do that the forwards must win their war.

The Storm are the kings of the wrestle – Jesse Bromwich, Dale Finucane, Tohu Harris, Kevin Proctor all led by Cameron Smith – you only need to rattle off that list to know how tough of an assignment this is for the Sharks pack.

While the Sharks have a strong pack, it doesn’t quite match up to that of Melbourne. For that reason, the Sharks can’t really afford to get into that wrestle more than they need to.

While they will hold their own for most of the match, there are times when fatigue and the skill of Melbourne will get to them – and that’s going to make it very hard to compete. Any mistakes will be punished and so they must be cut out.

It’s all about staying patient for the Sharks, especially during periods when the match does break down into the grind.

Cronulla’s outside backs have to take pressure off the forwards
It’s no secret that playing the Storm fatigues the oppositions forwards at a much faster rate than taking on any other side.

For that reason, the role of the Cronulla back five is huge – Ben Barba, Siosaia Feki, Ricky Leutele, Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes must add plenty through the middle and take that need to run the ball off the forwards.

They are going to be stacked with defence, and under fatigue especially during the second half, which simply means they will spend the first half of the set recovering.

This is where those players mentioned have to come into the middle and do a job – that is run the ball hard, look for opportunities and attempt to stretch the Melbourne defence early in the count just a fraction.

Essentially, if you don’t put the Storm under pressure with the ball in hand through the outside backs, you can forget about competing in the match during the second half, let alone winning it.

Is the drought and big match experience a factor?
Yes, absolutely. The Sharks fans will be emotional and loud, and any of the players who have bought into the history of the black, white and blue will know exactly how much this means to the Shire.

So there will be that side of the emotional rollercoaster, as any grand final is really. It’s the biggest match of the year, and when you haven’t been involved in one before it’s a lot to take in.

For the Storm, a lot of them are experienced in this environment, and none more so than Cronk and Smith.

While the Sharks key men, Maloney and Ennis have had big match experience and Maloney in particular has stood up well in the past, most of their squad simply haven’t.

The problem is, they could all come out and be over-awed by the occasion. To beat Melbourne, every member of the side must be playing at the top of their abilities so it could catapult the Sharks on a slippery slope down in the first quarter of the game.

The Craig Bellamy element
Out of all the coaches in the NRL to take a team into the grand final, you wouldn’t pick many others over Bellamy. Maybe Wayne Bennett, but even he seems to be losing the magic touch.

Bellamy, working with Cronk and Smith, who he has worked with for a decade now is a formidable combination.

He brings out the best in players all year – you only have to look at guys like Cheyse Blair, Dale Finucane and Blake Green to know that, but it’s not about that on grand final day – it’s about being able to get a team ready for battle, and as he has proven time and time again he does just that.

Despite having premierships stripped from them, Bellamy has been involved in three grand final winning performances and it could become a fourth because of his leadership.

So, who’s going to win?
Cronulla will fight hard, as they always do. It’s not going to be a runaway victory for either side, but Melbourne are just clinical.

If the Sharks make a mistake, you can bet money that the Storm won’t make the same. As long as the Storm enter halftime in an arm wrestle, with a lead of within a try of the Sharks, they aren’t going to be stopped down the stretch when experience and execution of plays under pressure come into the contest.

Sorry Cronulla fans, Harold Holt isn’t coming home just yet.

Prediction: Storm by 4

Kick-off: 7:15pm (AEST)
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Homebush
TV: Live, Nine Network
Betting: Storm $1.83, Sharks $2.05
Overall Record: Played 31, Storm 21, Sharks 10
Last meeting: Round 26, Storm 26 defeat Sharks 6 at AAMI Park
Last five: Storm 4, Sharks 1
Record at venue: Never played
Record in finals: Never played
Match officials: Matt Cecchin and Ben Cummins

Melbourne Storm
1. Cameron Munster 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3. Will Chambers 4. Cheyse Blair 5. Marika Koroibete 6. Blake Green 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Jordan McLean 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Tohu Harris 13. Dale Finucane
Interchange: 14. Kenneath Bromwich 15. Tim Glasby 16. Christian Welch 17. Ben Hampton 18. Young Tonumaipea 19. Slade Griffin 20. Matt White 21. Felise Kaufusi 22. Ryan Morgan

Cronulla Sharks
1. Ben Barba 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Jack Bird 4. Ricky Leutele 5. Valentine Holmes 6. James Maloney 7. Chad Townsend 8. Andrew Fifita 9. Michael Ennis 10. Matt Prior 11. Luke Lewis 12. Wade Graham 13. Paul Gallen
Interchange: 14. Gerard Beale 15. Chris Heighington 16. Sam Tagataese 17. Jayson Bukuya 18. Kurt Capewell 21. Joseph Paulo

Don’t forget, The Roar will have a live blog and highlights of the match.