The Storm have been brilliant this year, winning the minor premiership and making the grand final, both for the second consecutive season.
What’s more, they have only lost four games – at the hands of the Sharks, Titans, Roosters, and Eels. Their two deepest losses were against Parramatta and Cronulla, with the other two decided by less than a try.
This will be Cooper Cronk’s final game in Storm colours, and may well also be Billy Slater’s swansong too, although the latter has yet to announce his future.
Meanwhile, it’s been a fairytale finals run for the Cowboys.
They have been in the top eight since Round 9, however never looked like really threatening for the premiership after losing co-captains Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston.
North Queensland had two lucky escapes in the regular season, over the Raiders and Broncos, winning in extra time – in hindsight, had they lost either of those, they wouldn’t be here now.
Since September’s start, they have got over the reigning premiers in extra time, won a semi-final over Parramatta, then beat the Sydney Roosters to the tune of 13 points.
It’s a finals run that can be compared to Western Bulldogs in the AFL last year, when they won the premiership from seventh following wins over West Coast, Hawthorn, the Giants, and Sydney. They also did it without their skipper, Robert Murphy.
My prediction for the match is Melbourne to win by eight, with Cameron Smith to win his first Clive Churchill Medal.
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