Kikau is Storm target
Why Panthers ‘X-factor’ is crucial to Melbourne Storm’s NRL grand final game plan
Sydney: The Storm have sent a clear message to Penrith’s X-factor Viliame Kikau on Sunday night with their total domination of Canberra hit man Josh Papalii last week.
One of the key ingredients of Storm coach Craig Bellamy’s game plan is to pin-point the main metreeater in opposition teams in big games - and shut him down.
Papalii felt the full force of the Storm’s giant forwards last weekend, often being driven back in gang tackles.
The Maroons Origin star, who missed just one game in a mighty season, managed just 79 running metres - his lowest haul of the year.
With Papalii unable to get the Raiders on the front foot, star five-eighth and Dally M winner Jack Wighton was also relatively ineffective, making just 40 metres and having little impact on the game.
The Storm’s plan is to do a similar job on Kikau, and by doing so reduce the time and space for the Panthers’ main man Nathan Cleary. Kikau does his running wider than Papalii, a middle forward, but the principle is the same - stop the go-forward and you are halfway to victory.
Cleary has been the most dangerous attacking player near the opposition tryline in the NRL this season. He takes on the line himself or creates tries for the men outside him with pin-point kicks and bullet passes.
The big question going into Sunday night is will he get the field position to do so if the Storm neutralise Kikau and reduce the Panthers’ time in enemy territory.
NRL GRAND FINAL TEAMS Panthers:
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Brent Naden 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. James Tamou 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo 14. Tyrone May 15. Kurt Capewell 16. Moses Leota 17. Zane Tetevano 18. Mitch Kenny 19. Dean Whare 20. Matt Burton 21. Spencer Leniu Storm: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Suliasi Vunivalu
3. Brenko Lee 4. Justin Olam 5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Christian Welch
11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenneath Bromwich 13. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 14. Brandon Smith 15. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 16. Dale Finucane 17. Nicholas Hynes 18. Tom Eisenhuth
19. Paul Momirovski 20. Tui Kamikamica 21. Ryley Jacks.
Referee: Gerard Sutton, Reserve referee: Ashley Klein, Video official: Steve Chiddy.
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