NRL 2020: Storm move to lock down Harry Grant after dream State of Origin debut
Craig Bellamy will have a selection headache when it comes to choosing his starting hooker in 2021 after Harry Grant’s incredible Origin outing.
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Melbourne will move to lock up Harry Grant to a long-term contract extension in the wake of the Queensland hooker’s matchwinning Maroons heroics in the Origin decider.
Grant had the game of his life in his Origin debut on Wednesday night, making two line-breaks before scoring the decisive 63rd-minute try which ultimately propelled Queensland to the shield with an epic 20-14 defeat of the Blues.
Grant’s future has been the subject of fierce speculation this year amid fears Cameron Smith’s dithering on retirement could convince the Maroons young gun to quit the Storm and remain at the Wests Tigers.
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Loaned to the Tigers this year to aid in his development, the 22-year-old was a revelation, playing so well for the joint venture club in 15 games that Maroons selectors could not ignore Grant’s class around the rucks.
The faith of Queensland hierarchy was vindicated as Grant tore the Blues apart - and his big night out in the Origin decider is now set to trigger a lucrative contract upgrade for the Rockhampton whiz.
Grant is contracted to Melbourne until the end of 2022 but the Storm want a longer-term deal for a player Queensland coach Wayne Bennett believes can be the Maroons’ hooker for the next 10 years.
Speaking in the wake of his Origin heroics, Grant confirmed he will return to Melbourne next year as he reflected on the Sliding Doors move to the Wests Tigers that helped him achieve his Queensland dream.
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“I’ll be absolutely going back (to the Storm),” said Grant, who played 56 minutes as Queensland’s supersub.
“I can’t thank Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers enough for the opportunity they gave me this year.
“It was great timing with the whole COVID situation, if I did stay in Melbourne I probably wouldn’t have played much NRL this season.
“I definitely wouldn’t be here playing State of Origin.”
Injected into the contest in the 24th minute, Grant immediately lifted the tempo for Queensland and typified the Maroons’ grit when he made a beeline for the tryline, using every inch of his 177cm frame to plant the ball on the white stripe for a 20-6 lead.
“It happened so quick,” he said of his matchwinning try. “My little limbs just got there but it was a good feeling.
“It’s a massive honour just to play for Queensland. It was special. As a young kid, I thought how it meant to me to go to school on a Thursday when Queensland won, it was always a pretty good feeling.
“That was in the back of my mind.
“I was pretty confident with all the boys around me to back myself and play my game how I see it.
“That’s the Queensland way. A lot of people gave us no chance at the start of the series, but we have a close group here and we have come together nicely after the last few weeks.
“It’s the best feeling ever. It was a lot faster than club level. I was trying to find my lungs on a number of occasions, but to hang in there and get the result in the end is something I will remember forever.”
Bennett lauded Grant’s toughness to battle on with a sternum injury. Twice he was tended to by the Maroons trainer.
“Harry came off the bench and he looked a lot better than everyone else because the other guys had been on the field since kick-off and they were already fatigued,” Bennett said.
“I love what Harry brought.
“I took a bit of a gamble, I had two hookers on the field for most of the night with Jake Friend, but it worked for us.
“I knew Jake and Harry were great defenders and I knew they would turn up on every play if we were in front on the scoreboard.
“Jake is my trench-warfare man, I can trust him and that allowed Harry to come on and do the nice things.
“Jake is such a great team man, his hard work allowed Harry to change the game for us.”
AAH, THAT’S WHY MAROONS ARE JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY
—Chris Honnery
Harry Grant has answered Queensland’s prayers as the long-term Maroons No.9 with a scintillating display on debut in Suncorp Stadium’s decider.
It took Wayne Bennett just 24 minutes and 30 seconds before deciding to throw the Yeppoon product into the foray of Origin footy, and he didn’t disappoint.
It was a performance that was reminiscent of Queensland’s former No.9 great – Cameron Smith – and the parallels between the two are uncanny.
Smith played 18 first-grade games before making his Origin debut at Suncorp Stadium, and the rest as they say are history.
Seventeen years later, and with 17 first-grade games under his belt, Grant made sure he will remain in the Queensland team for many more years to come.
After warming to the game in the first half with some exciting dummy-half runs, the 22-year-old lit it up in the second half.
The electric hooker had two linebreaks in the space of three minutes, both of which almost resulted in Queensland tries.
Such was his spark in the second half, it elicited this comment from Queensland legend Paul Vautin.
“Harry Grant will be the Queensland hooker for the next 10 years,” Vautin said.
“Wayne Bennett took a gamble and decided to put him on, give him a run and look what he can do.”
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The rising star put the icing on the cake in the 63rd minute with a crucial four-pointer to stretch out Queensland’s lead.
Queensland have been searching for a mainstay No.9 since Smith retired from Origin footy back in 2017.
Jake Friend, Ben Hunt and Andrew McCullough have been rotated through the role in the past few series but Grant’s performance on Wednesday night has all but ensured he’s the future No.9.
Having come off the bench, Grant finished the match with four tackle breaks, two linebreaks, a try and a monster 22 tackles.
It was another story for the other three Queensland debutants.
Maroons fullback Corey Allan had a rollercoaster evening, going from hero to villain within the space of a few minutes.
His first touch of the match was a crisp pass onto Valentine Holmes to score the opening try of the match.
But five minutes later, the Queensland fullback fumbled a high ball on his try line which resulted in a James Tedesco equaliser.
He was a little shaky in his first ever Origin match and probably didn’t do enough to claim the Queensland No.1 jersey over the likes of Kalyn Ponga for next year’s series.
His brain snap in the 77th minute – a professional foul on Josh Addo-Carr – saw him sent to the bin in a crucial moment of the game.
It left Queensland to defend their line with 12 players and down six points for a heart-stopping final moment of the game.
Edrick Lee, meanwhile, had some strong early carries and put the exclamation point on an incredible piece of play set up by superstar Cameron Munster.
The rookie Origin winger was caught out in defence at times though, especially in the 30th minute when Nathan Cleary booted a 40/20 kick.
Brenko Lee was solid at right centre before he was taken off in the 70th minute with what appeared to be an aggravation of his calf injury.
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