The NRL grand final Kiwis
Kenny Bromwich, who tonight plays in his fourth NRL grand final, recalls cheering on Stacey Jones, writes David Long.
When the Storm’s Kenny Bromwich was growing up in Auckland, he’d more often be out in the street playing footy when the NRL grand final was on TV.
However, he can still remember the 2002 grand final, when New Zealand came to a standstill to watch the Warriors play the Roosters.
‘‘I watched a few when I was growing up. I watched the Warriors one when I was living back home,’’ Bromwich said ahead of tonight’s grand final against the Panthers.
‘‘I remember trying to cheer Stacey (Jones) home in that one.’’
In the eyes of some New Zealanders, Bromwich is perhaps overshadowed by the achievements of his older brother, Jesse.
That’s unfortunate, because he is a world-class second-rower and has become one of the Storm’s key players in recent seasons.
They’re both part of a Storm team that never seems to go through rebuilding years, even when the likes of Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater retire and for Kenny, it’s a joy to be able to spend his career playing alongside Jesse, especially in a season where the team have had to relocate to the Sunshine Coast for four months, because of the high number of coronavirus cases in Victoria.
‘‘Both of us are getting on now,’’ he said.
‘‘ I’m 29, he’s 31 and these opportunities don’t come around too often, so you have to make the most of them.
‘‘ It’s been a really different year, moving away from home and everything that’s happened.
‘‘But something we always set out to do was to be in the position we’re in and
I’m stoked we’re here.’’
There has always been a strong connection between the Storm and Kiwi league fans.
Not just because the Storm play the Warriors on Anzac Day every year, but also because of the large number of New Zealand players who’ve worn their purple and navy jersey.
They include Kiwi greats Stephen Kearney, Adam Blair, Tawera Nikau, and the current squad includes not only the Bromwich brothers, but also Jahrome Hughes, Nelson AsofaSolomona, Brandon Smith and Albert Vete.
So because of all the New Zealand connections, Bromwich is hoping Kiwis are cheering on the Storm tonight.
‘‘ I do hope that everyone back home can get behind us,’’ Bromwich said.
‘‘We’ve had a lot of Kiwi representatives come through the Storm ranks and every time we go home and play at Mt Smart, we get a pretty good turnout.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of fans everywhere and we know we’ve got a big base in New Zealand and we’re proud of that as well.’’
One of the most impressive players for the Storm this year has been Hughes, who has grown over the last couple of seasons from being a talented prospect, to one of the best halves in the NRL.
‘‘ He’s been massive,’’
Bromwich said of Hughes.
‘‘Just a year ago he was at fullback and killing it there. But he’s been given a new task of steering the team around and having a kicking licence.
‘‘But what a lot of people don’t see is the work that he’s put in.
‘‘He’s done hours and hours of work, trying to fine- tune the things that are important for us.
‘‘ His leadership and game management has gone to a whole new level and that’s from the hours of work he’s put in at training and after training also.’’
This will be the Kenny’s fourth grand final, but for the first time his family won’t be able to attend, because to border restrictions on people coming from Victoria into New South Wales.
‘‘I think they’ll be watching it at home,’’ Jesse said of his parents.
‘‘My sister, her partner and their little boy, they live with my
parents too, so they’ll be all at home on the couch, watching it on TV and I think my old man will put on a bit of a spread for everyone at home.
‘‘They’ve been to every grand final. So it will be a bit different for them to watch it on TV. But it is what it is.’’