NRL grand final 2017: Storm v Cowboys player ratings, who starred and struggled

NORTH Queensland gave it their all — but despite a wonderful run, they just didn’t have enough to stop a super Storm side. Here’s how we rated the teams.

Melbourne worked hard on shutting down Jason Taumalolo. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

NORTH Queensland gave it their all — but despite a wonderful run in the finals, they just didn’t have enough to stop a super Storm side.

The Cowboys can hold their heads high after a season that defied all expectations.

But Melbourne can be rightly proud of performance that proved they are one of the finest units the NRL has ever seen.

Here’s how we rated the teams.

REPORT: Super Storm too good for Cowboys

Michael Morgan found time and space hard to come by. Photo: Adam Head

COWBOYS

1 Lachlan Coote: Like the other Cowboys options, he was relentlessly given no time to get his kicks away. A couple of inspired tackles and he fully erased memories of his problems under bombs in last year’s finals. Rating: 7.

2 Kyle Feldt: Brilliant 60m kick return on the halftime siren but was unable to position a support. Made 153m. Rating: 7.5.

3 Justin O’Neill: Worked hard throughout and ran for 122m, but was isolated for Melbourne’s third try, being beaten by Billy Slater as the Cowboys left-side defence was punished again. Rating: 6.

4 Kane Linnett: Tired turnover on his own 20m line which Melbourne turned into a crushing fifth try. Ran for 100m from 14 carries. Rating: 5.5.

5 Antonio Winterstein: Made the most tackle busts in the game, eight. Shortened up Will Chambers and Billy Slater in important early tackles, but knocked a grubber on on his own line to concede field position for the third try. Rating: 7.5.

6 Te Maire Martin: Made a misread on the play which brought Melbourne’s second try and missed three tackles by halftime. Ran a gutsy line to step his opposite number for his try. Rating: 5.5.

7 Michael Morgan: Missed four of his first six tackles and was unable to get his hard-pressed back into the last game of a personal breakout season. His team made one line break only in the first half. Rating: 6.5.

Melbourne worked hard on shutting down Jason Taumalolo. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

17 Shaun Fensom: Taken from the field with a broken left leg with only three minutes played. Rating: N/A.

9 Jake Granville: Made two probing dummy-half runs and topped the first-half tackle count with 28. Game had got away when he returned. Rating: 6.5.

10 Scott Bolton: May have wished for more at the end of an admirable season, but he covered 78m from his 11 hit-ups. Rating: 6.

11 Gavin Cooper: Was limping by halftime, but kept trying. He had made 34 tackles by the time he misread the danger coming from Dale Finucane for the match-clinching try. Rating: 7.5.

12 Ethan Lowe: Bad miss on Jesse Bromwich in the first line break and missed another four tackles before halftime. Read two grubber kicks beautifully in the first 20 minutes. Rating: 6.

13 Jason Taumalolo: The Storm coach said pre-game he wanted to limit this opponent to 10m a carry and he made 101m from 12 runs. Rating: 7.

Interchange:

8 John Asiata: Good, abrupt try-saving tackle earlier in the set which gave Melbourne their 18-0 lead. Made 62m coming off the bench. Rating: 6.

14 Ben Hampton: Riled his former teammates with a lifting tackle on Cameron Smith in the 57th minute which was penalised. Did not run from dummy-half and missed two tackles. Rating: 5.

15 Coen Hess: Played more first-half minutes than he expected as Fensom’s replacement and covered 56m from his first eight runs. Made 39 tackles, second only to Cooper’s 41 in his team. Rating: 7.

16 Corey Jensen: His five carries off the bench brought 40m and defended well. Rating: 6.

Billy Slater got the victory his comeback deserved. Picture: Brett Costello

STORM

1 Billy Slater: Gave the last pass in Felise Kaufusi’s try for a 12-0 lead and made four tackle busts in a game which was a personal crusade, culminating in his receipt of the Churchill Medal. Safe under the high ball and ran for 137m. Rating: 8.5.

2 Suliasi Vunivalu: Faultless in his fielding of kicks, but, for once, was well held in possession. Rating: 6.

3 Will Chambers: Chanced an offload for his side’s first try and rose soon after to clinch a seven-tackle restart which brought about the second try. The most complete centre in the country. Rating: 8.

4 Curtis Scott: Cronulla junior scored a try in his first grand final and has learnt well at the Storm, making all of his 15 tackle attempts. Rating: 6.5.

5 Josh Addo-Carr: Raw pace gave his side a crucial 75m breakaway try, his 22nd try of his brilliant season. Skilful low catch of a turnover for Scott’s try showcased his range of skills amid a 218m game. Rating: 8.

6 Cameron Munster: Thwarted Cowboys when he fielded a dangerous Morgan grubber to preserve a 12-point lead. Gave his opposites headaches when he ran, including five tackle busts. Rating: 7.

Cronk finished his Storm — and NRL? — career in some style. Photo: Adam Head

7 Cooper Cronk: Had a hand in the second and third tries of his last game for the Storm. Most of the creativity came from his skipper in the grand final, but signed off in style. Rating: 7.5.

8 Jesse Bromwich: Owed his mates a big game after his late-night foolishness when on Test camp in May. Made 135m and two tackle busts. Rating: 7.5.

9 Cameron Smith: Incredibly made the third most first-half metres of any Storm forward, 75m. His range of options out of dummy-half asked too much of the Cowboys “middles’’ and he topped the tackle count with 43. Rating: 8.5.

10 Jordan McLean: Finished his Storm career with honours, including a 74m output from nine runs. Rating: 6.5.

11 Felise Kaufusi: Ran his line well to make the most of passes by Cronk and Slater for his try. Made 37 tackles. Rating: 7.

12 Tohu Harris: A constant danger on the left side and also made 90m from his first seven runs, with four tackle busts. Multi-skilled Kiwi even found a long pass for the last try. Rating: 8.

13 Dale Finucane: Topped the team tackle count in the first half with 25 and finally broke through for a grand final win, capping it with the clinching try. Rating: 7.5.

What a week, and a season, for the Storm skipper. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Interchange:

14 Kenny Bromwich: Quintessential Storm forward who made 21 tackles and gained 32m from five runs. Rating: 6.

15 Tim Glasby: Went off the field with a head knock in the 54th minute. Made 69m with the ball under his arm. Rating: 7.

16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona: The 200cm Kiwi made 102m with eight hit-ups in potent stints before and after halftime. Rating: 7.5.

17 Slade Griffin: Came on for his last game for the Storm and made 35m in his three carries. Rating: 6.