Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy will rely on the same 17 to get the job done in Sunday’s NRL grand final, electing to stick with Nicho Hynes over powerhouse prop Tui Kamikamica.
Bellamy was tossing up whether to risk Kamikamica, who hadn’t played for almost a month due to an ankle injury, and only featured in five games for the season following back surgery, or keep utility back Hynes on the bench.
Both players ran with the side in their final training session in Queensland on Saturday before boarding a plane for Sydney ahead of their title clash with Penrith.
But the Storm confirmed on Saturday night that 24-year-old Hynes, originally from the NSW Central Coast, had got the nod and is set for a grand final debut.
Playing his first NRL game last season, Hynes has impressed with his opportunities this year to make 11 appearances and can play anywhere from fullback to the halves.
Melbourne assistant coach Ryan Hinchcliffe said that Bellamy would have talked to senior players such as Cameron Smith before going with his “gut feel”.
“It’s a bit of a gut feel for him (Bellamy) – I can’t explain exactly but he talks to players in the team and people around whose input he values and then he goes with his gut,” Hinchcliffe said on Saturday.
“He will choose who he thinks is going to suit our team best.”
Melbourne players were unable to have a final training run at ANZ Stadium and had to settle for a walk around late on Saturday.
While relieved they did not have to travel on the match day as they had done through the season, and the Raiders had to do last week, Hinchcliffe said it was not ideal to miss a run-through.
“You’d prefer to have the opportunity but in saying that it’s been one of those years where things that you’d want to do you can’t, so it is what it is,” he said.
“We played Souths there in about round 17 so it wasn’t that long ago that we played on that field.
“The players will go to the field and have a look around and the enormity of the situation will sink in.”
Rain and cool conditions have been forecast as well as a heavy track, in contrast to the hard, fast fields at their adopted ‘home’ of Sunshine Coast Stadium and Suncorp Stadium.
“There will be some adjusting to the conditions, there’s no doubt about that,” said Hincliffe, who was part of Melbourne’s grand final wins in 2009 and 2012.
“We will have to tweak a few things with what we do when we’ve got the ball but we’ve got a style of footy we think can hold up in dry and wet.
“It’s more around decision making with your passing and catching, and being selective with not putting your teammates under too much pressure.
“The conditions will play a part and the team that adapts to the conditions of the game, will go a long way to getting the result they want.”
Source:: SportsNews
