Papenhuyzen bolsters Storm as Sharks hunt finals win

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Papenhuyzen bolsters Storm as Sharks hunt finals win

A GUIDE TO THE NRL QUALIFYING FINAL BETWEEN MELBOURNE AND CRONULLA:

* When: Saturday, 4:05pm AEST

* Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne

* The form:

Melbourne (home-and-away season: first, 19 wins, 5 losses): Winners in eight of their past 10 matches.

Cronulla (home-and-away season: fourth, 16 wins, 8 losses): Winners in six of their past 10 matches.

* Head-to-head:

Overall: Played: 46. Storm 29 wins, 17 losses.

In finals: Played: 3. Storm 2 wins, 1 loss.

Last time: 2024 round 10. Sharks 25 defeated Storm 18 at AAMI Park

Last final: 2018 preliminary final. Storm 22 defeated Sharks 6 at AAMI Park.

* Key players: Jahrome Hughes (Storm). Arguably the player of the season, critical to locking up the minor premiership. Hughes cemented himself as the Storm’s attacking mastermind while halves partner Cameron Munster spent 10 weeks sidelined with a groin injury. As a playmaker, he’s got it all – a dynamic boot, a burst of speed and the ability to create opportunities for the men on either side of him. He finished the season with more try assists than in any previous year of his career (25) and could bring up his 150th NRL appearances this finals series.

Nicho Hynes (Sharks). Few NRL players attract more public attention than the Sharks halfback, who has been under particular scrutiny this year amid his State of Origin starting debut, a long-term ankle injury and the Sharks’ up-and-down form. This is only his third game back from injury but he would have had a boost in confidence after Cronulla put Manly to the sword last week. The trick for Hynes is to make his touches quality, rather than just quantity. He’s at his best when he’s able to share the load with halves partner Braydon Trindall, who is in career-best form. Will be raring to show what he can do against his old side.

Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm). The fullback returns from the minor leg injury he suffered in the Storm’s penultimate regular-season game to firm as vital out of the backfield and as an attacking X-factor. He might not possess all of the lightning pace he had before a cruel run of injuries, but Papenhuyzen reads the game beautifully and has a history of standing up in big games, winning the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match in the Storm’s 2020 grand-final win.

Briton Nikora (Sharks). The key player in what shapes as a tantalising battle between elite second-row units. Nikora is coming off a blistering performance in the Sharks’ statement win over Manly. He’s a lighter build than most modern second-rowers but what he lacks in size he makes up for with his ability to hit a ***** better than almost any other edge forward in the competition. Watch for his combination with Hynes on that right edge.

* The stat: The Sharks have lost their last six finals matches and eight of their past nine, having last tasted victory in a post-season match in the second week of the 2018 finals series. Cronulla have also not won a week-one finals match since 2016.

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