Sunday‘s NRL Grand Final 2017 match is between Melbourne Storm and Nth Queensland Cowboys. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:15 local time with the game to be played at Stadium Australia. Melbourne Storm head into the match as the favourites. View our preview and teams for the game between Melbourne Storm and Nth Queensland Cowboys.
When: 19:15 | Sunday 01/10/2017
Where: Stadium Australia
Preview:
Melbourne head into the match as short-priced favourites after one of the most dominant seasons of the NRL era. But history says such a regular season record is no guarantee to a title. The Storm are looking to send off Cooper Cronk a premiership winner, while Billy Slater could also play his last game for the club. The Cowboys have become just the second team in the NRL era to qualify for the grand final from eighth spot. After they lost representative co-captains Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott early in the season, they only made the finals after Canterbury upset St George Illawarra on the final day of round 26. But since then they have shocked Cronulla, Parramatta and the Sydney Roosters in come-from-behind efforts. Coach Paul Green was coy when questioned on Scott’s possible return from his knee injury next weekend.
Key: Cooper Cronk’s clash with Michael Morgan could represent a passing of the baton in Queensland and Australian rugby league. Cronk could hang up the boots after Sunday’s grand final, while Maroons utility Morgan has established himself as one of the best players in the game over the past month. Few would have picked this as the key battle of the grand final at the start of the season, but whoever comes out on top out of the two halfbacks will go a long way to lifting the trophy.
Tip: Melbourne by 10 points
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $250 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Melbourne Storm at $1.28
Value BET: First Try Scorer: Josh Addo-Carr at $7.50
More Info:
Head to head: Played 35, Melbourne 25, North Queensland 10
* Last clash: Melbourne 26 beat North Queensland 8 at 1300SMILES Stadium, Rd 22, 2017
* Head to head in finals: Played 3, Melbourne 2, North Queensland 1
* Last final: North Queensland 16 bt Melbourne 10 at AAMI Park, Preliminary Final, 2015
* Tab: Storm $1.30, Cowboys $3.60
Teams:
Storm: 
1. Billy Slater 2. Suliasi Vunivalu 3. Will Chambers 4. Curtis Scott 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Cameron Munster 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Jordan McLean 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Tohu Harris 13. Dale Finucane 14. Kenny Bromwich 15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Tim Glasby 17. Slade Griffin 18. Ryley Jacks 19. Robbie Rochow 20. Joe Stimson 21. Young Tonumaipea
Cowboys: 
1. Lachlan Coote 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin O’Neill 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Michael Morgan 8. John Asiata 9. Jake Granville 10. Scott Bolton 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Ethan Lowe 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Ben Hampton 15. Coen Hess 16. Corey Jensen 17. Shaun Fensom 18. Ray Thompson 19. Javid Bowen 20. Braden Uele 21. Matt Scott
NRL News:
Castleford’s Super League domination will count for little when they put their season on the line on Thursday, according to coach Daryl Powell.
The Tigers won the League Leaders’ Shield for the first time in the club’s 91-year history, finishing 10 points clear at the top and eyeing a maiden grand final.
They lost to Hull in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals. In the first Super League semi-final, they face a testing visit from St Helens.
“That’s the challenge: to be able to do your job when the pressure is on,” Powell said.
“We’ve just got to turn up, be nice and relaxed, play well and put Saints under pressure.”
Castleford suffered a 48-16 home defeat to Hull. They also lost in the Super 8s’ opening round two months ago to Saints, who became the first team in 2017 to win at the Tigers’ home ground.
“They beat us fair and square,” Powell said. “Their scrambling defence was outstanding and we’re going to have to make some better decisions on the edges and be a bit more clinical and patient because they’ve started to improve significantly. (Former NRL player) Ben Barba has added another dimension.”
St Helens, the 2014 champions, had three-consecutive Super 8s defeats and only finished in the top four with victory over Salford in their final game.
They finished the regular season with three-straight wins, recording 11 victories from 17 games under Australian coach Justin Holbrook.
“It’s always good to have that in the back of your mind, knowing you have won there. It’s a very tough place to play,” Holbrook said.
St Helens were in danger of missing the top four in May when Holbrook succeeded Keiron Cunningham. The coach has the chance to emulate fellow Australian Peter Sharp, who took Hull to the grand final within six months.
“I’ve loved every minute since I got here,” said Holbrook, in his first job as a head coach. “The playing group have been fantastic.
“I haven’t needed to make any changes. I was happy with the playing group; it was about them changing the way they went about things on and off the field and they’ve done that.
“I’ve got confidence that we’re as good as any side.”
Holbrook has Jonny Lomax available, while Castleford’s influential halfback Luke Gale might play just 16 days after having his appendix removed.