It all comes down to this! The two best teams throughout the season battle it out in the 2024 NRL Grand Final, as the Melbourne Storm look to end the Dynasty by beating the Penrith Panthers, who are aiming to win their fourth straight Premiership. This should be a cracking contest.
This should be a fitting end to the season, and Draftstars are bringing you a massive $50,000 contest for the big one, with the winner pocketing a cool $4,935. It’s your last chance this season to get involved in Rugby League at Draftstars, and we will bring you all our tips to give you the best chance to win.
Team News
The Panthers head into the Grand Final unchanged from the 17 that defeated the Sharks last weekend in the second Prelim, with the only possible change being if Scott Sorensen proves his fitness. If he does, I expect him to come in for Matt Eisenhuth, with the possibility of Luke Garner shifting to the bench.
As for the Storm, they have one forced change, with Nelson Asofa-Solomona suspended. Tui Kamikamica has been named to start, with rookie Lazarus Vaalepu named on the bench. With both these big boppers not expected to assume much game time, there’s some solid value on other Storm middles to get involved with.
Betting Markets
Melbourne Storm - $1.90
Penrith Panthers - $1.94
Total O/U – 40.5
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We also have a full NRL Grand Final Betting Preview where we take you through our best bets for all the key markets!
Overview
The fact the Storm are the favourites for the Grand Final show just how good they’ve been this season, to come into the biggest game of the season against the three-time defending Premiers and still be favoured, confirms that. And if we’re betting purely on numbers from the season, these prices are just about spot on. So, if the numbers make perfect sense from an objective point of view, we have to look more subjectively at the two teams.
The Panthers and Storm met twice this season, with the Storm getting the better of the Panthers in round 1 at AAMI Park, beating the Panthers 8-0. I will take very little from this result, as it was played in Melbourne, and in the first round of the season, when both teams were far from their finished form.
The teams met again in round 24 at BlueBet Stadium, in a game I’ll look at far more closely. The Storm came into the game near full strength, and with an almost identical 17 to what we will see on Sunday. The Panthers, on the other hand, saw Dylan Edwards returning from injury, and were without both starting back rowers. They were also without Paul Alomoti and had dropped Sunia Turuva to reserve grade. Despite this, the game was exceptionally close, with the scores 22-apiece when Nathan Cleary was taken from the field with a shoulder injury. The Storm received a contentious late penalty, with Meaney slotting the penalty goal to get the Storm home 24-22. All this is to say that this contest should be tight, and value needs to be found if you’ve got a chance in the Grand Final Draftstars contests. For what it’s worth, I like the Storm to win 22-20.
Best Fantasy Selections
OB - Love It – Izack Tago - $8,820
Tago is averaging 38.8 points per game this season, but that number bounces up to 45.8 when playing alongside Nathan Cleary. I know he’s had a down year, but to put it into perspective, Tago was valued at $16,340 for the Grand Final last season. With nine scores above 40 this season, Tago is solid value in the OB slot in this contest.
OB - Hate It – Ryan Papenhuyzen - $12,750
Papenhuyzen will more than likely be well represented in Draftstars teams for the Grand Final, but he’s not a working fullback and desperately needs two or three attacking stats to get the score you want from a big money OB. I would imagine the Panthers will look to keep Papenhuyzen shut down throughout this contest, and whilst there’s a chance he busts through and scores a couple of tries, I trust the Panthers’ defence to keep tabs on him.
HH – Love It – Cam Munster - $17,750
Munster seems primed for a big game in the Grand Final. With all the focus on the newest Dally M Medalist Jahrome Hughes, Munster will want to remind everyone who runs this team when it matters most. Munster has played in the biggest games in the league for a long time now. He, more than anyone, will know that even if you are playing for the Storm, Grand Finals are never guaranteed. Munster will be taking on the weaker right edge of the Panthers defence, and I expect him to take over this game when it matters most.
HH – Hate It – Harry Grant - $18,490
Whilst I don’t hate Harry Grant in this game, I had to pick one of the big four (Cleary, Hughes, Grant, Munster). Grant has struggled against the Panthers this season, with scores of 40 and 51. The Panthers are the best team in the competition defensively through the middle, and I expect them to keep a lid on Grant throughout the game. He’s the best hooker in the game for a reason though, and there’s always the chance he produces some magic, but I like the other three players mentioned more.
FWD – Love It – Christian Welch - $8,000
This is specifically the player I was talking about when mentioning the forward rotation for the Storm above. With no NAS, Kamikamica and Vaalepu surely won’t command big minutes, indicating to me that Welch could be in for some big minutes in the Grand Final. Priced at bottom dollar due to his lack of minutes in the recent past, Welch, like Munster, has played in the biggest games over the past few seasons and knows what it takes in these games. Yes, he probably doesn’t have the ceiling of edge forwards like Garner and Katoa, or the tremendous floor of Yeo, but he is a hell of a lot cheaper and is the best value for money on the board in this game, in my opinion.
FWD – Hate It / Who Knows – Luke Garner - $13,260
This will definitely change if Sorensen is not named to play, however at this price Garner needs to play 65+ minutes, which isn’t a guarantee. All the forwards around this price point and slightly lower are better options in my opinion, however if Sorensen isn’t named then Garner becomes an option on the left edge, coming up against the weaker defensive edge of the Storm. Keep an eye on team lists and decide on Garner accordingly.
Suggested Draftstars Team
