NRL 2022: Harry Grant talks Munster, Smith, Bellamy and the Maroons
Harry Grant opens up on losing Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith’s battle for redemption and where his own future lies.
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Melbourne hooker Harry Grant believes former Wests Tigers teammate Benji Marshall has the one quality any coach needs to be a success and that’s the “respect” of his players.
In a wide-ranging interview, Grant opens up about his time under sacked coach Micheal Maguire and reveals the secret to Queensland’s State of Origin success in this year’s series.
The Melbourne hooker also sounded a warning to rivals willing to write-off the Storm’s premiership chances, revealing Brandon Smith is hungrier than ever to make amends after copping a three-match suspension for calling referee Adam Gee a “cheating b------”
Grant, a DoorDash ambassador, has backed Cameron Munster in any decision about his playing future, even if it means leaving the Storm.
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WILL MUNSTER STAY OR WILL HE GO?
While Grant is locked in at Melbourne until the end of 2025, five-eighth Munster only has another season on his current Storm deal.
Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins have been relentless in pursuing Munster, forcing the Storm to take the issue up with the NRL.
Grant believes a lucrative offer from Redcliffe, or another rival, might be too hard to refuse for Munster.
“Everyone here at the Storm hopes he stays but there is more to it than staying put at Melbourne,” Grant said. “He has a little family to think of now … whatever decision ‘Mun’ makes I’m sure he is going to make the right one. Everyone will be supporting him no matter what decision he makes … we will all back him.”
With fellow hooker Smith Bondi-bound next season and Munster’s long-term future up in the air, Grant is committed to Melbourne even if Bellamy isn’t in the “coaching seat”.
“I know Craig is going to be involved with the club, it’s great he is going to be coaching next year and will be involved for a few years, no matter what, whether it’s from the coaching seat or afar,” Grant said.
“I love this club, it has given me great opportunities and we have so many great people involved in this organisation, I’m looking forward to the years ahead.”
WESTS TIGERS
Grant is expecting Marshall to lead with a mix of tough love and respect.
While many have questioned Marshall’s appointment as head coach from 2025, after a two-year stint under Tim Sheens, Grant believes the 37-year-old is the right man for the job.
“It’s pretty exciting for Tigers fans to have Benji back in the box seat,” Grant said.
“He’s honest. As a player he would always tell you how he was feeling, if he liked something or didn’t like it, which is a great trait to have as a coach.
“He’s also got so much respect from the boys because of everything he has done, his experience and he’s faced adversity over the years as a player. A lot of things he has achieved and been through will set him up to go well in a coaching gig.”
The Tigers turned Grant into an overnight success and the Concord cult hero finished his only season at the club as the NRL’s rookie of the year in 2020.
It was only possible because sacked coach Maguire took a punt on Grant, who was stuck behind Brandon and Cameron Smith at Melbourne.
“I think Madge still has a lot to offer as a coach, for sure … but the club has gone another way,” Grant said. “Madge gave me a great opportunity at the Wests Tigers to play NRL and he was really good for me.
“He helped out a lot. I learned a lot about the NRL and what it takes to play in the NRL.”
PAPENHUYZEN BLOW
Many pundits have put a line through Melbourne’s premiership chances now that Ryan Papenhuyzen is out for the season with a fractured kneecap.
While Grant conceded the Storm would miss the fullback’s game-breaking ability, the hooker backed his experienced spine, including Munster and Jahrome Hughes, to click in time for a finals charge.
“He’s (Papenhuyzen) shown in big games how much of a big game player he is. He’s been there and done it all. Every team would miss a player like that,” Grant said.
“Paps plays a different style of footy, he’s such a livewire. I guess we don’t have to change too much, Nick Meaney comes in and fills that role but it’s probably more the leadership … that is going to have to be shared around a bit more.
“The connection between the spine too has to keep improving week to week … talk more and look after each other after the next few weeks.”
BRANDON’S BAN
Injury ravaged, the timing of Smith’s ban could not have come at a worse time for Melbourne, who slumped to three-straight losses last weekend for the first time since 2015.
Grant is disappointed in Smith’s “unacceptable” behaviour for abusing a ref but has backed the rake to be a crucial cog in the Storm’s title tilt.
“It’s obviously disappointing, he was frustrated throughout the game,” Grant said. “It’s not acceptable but he said what he said and as a club, we want to get on with it.
“He’s doing all he can away from games to have himself in good shape to come back and have a good back of the season for us.”
Grant refused to reveal exactly how Bellamy, who is famous for his fiery sprays, dealt with Smith but said the coach isn’t afraid to “pull guys into line”.
“We are lucky we have Craig here, he is such a great leader and a great mentor for us guys … he’ll be pulling guys into line if needed,” Grant said.
“Each circumstance is different, depending on the player and how they respond to criticism. But Craig is pretty good at that. He has been around for a long time and understands players.”
BLEED MAROONS
Queensland’s emphatic Origin series win again raised questions over NSW’s passion for the Blues jumper. Does the Maroon jersey mean more to Queenslanders than the light blue jumper does to NSW?
“Everyone is going to have their own opinion,” Grant said.
“It means a lot to every Queenslander. Growing up you always wanted to play in a Queensland jersey. There are not too many players that get the opportunity to do so, it’s very special when you do.”
For Grant, the secret to Queensland’s Origin success came in the form of Billy Slater and his coaching team, all recent Maroons greats.
“We have been lucky with the players who have played for Queensland previously and what they have done for all of us as kids,” Grant said.
“A lot of the guys in this year’s Origin squad would have been sitting on the couch watching Billy, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Nate Myles, Greg Inglis all those guys be so dominant in that arena.
“For us to be in camp and have those guys as our coaches this year … it was a pretty special Origin campaign.”
LATRELL MITCHELL
Grant insisted the Maroons took little notice of Latrell Mitchell’s decision to rule himself out of Origin III for the Blues.
But one man who won’t be ignoring South Sydney’s Mitchell this week is Bellamy, who has the job of figuring out how to stop the rampaging fullback on Saturday night.
“They are hitting some form with Latrell back in the side,” Grant said. “He is such an influential player for the whole the team. I know what it’s like having those kinds of players in your team, you get a lot of confidence out of them.
“Latrell is like that for South Sydney. We’ve got to do a job on him, for sure, but I’ll leave it to Craig Bellamy to come up with that plan.”
WORLD CUP
While Grant is eligible to play for England, the 24-year-old won’t be lining up alongside Victor Radley, who this week pledged his allegiance to the Poms over NSW and the Kangaroos.
“Yeah, I can play for England, my mum’s parents are from England,” Grant revealed.
“With Victor, it’s great for England rugby league and for himself playing for his father. It will be huge for the World Cup.”
GIVING BACK
Grant spent Tuesday afternoon delivering a very special DoorDash package to Harlequin Touch Club. The touch football club received a cash grant from DoorDash to help recover from recent flooding and budget cuts due to Covid.
“With what a lot of organised sports have been through over the last couple of years I think it‘s a great initiative by DoorDash to support local communities,” Grant said.
‘Sickening’ end to Papenhuyzen’s season
-Laurie Jenkinson
Melbourne Storm is preparing for the worst with star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen likely to miss the rest of the NRL season with a fractured knee cap.
A flat Storm coach Craig Bellamy told the media in his post game press conference that it was unlikely Papenhuyzen would play again in 2022.
“He’s got a broken knee cap, so he won’t be back I wouldn’t imagine,” Bellamy lamented.
“It’s disappointing for him and disappointing for us.
“It looks like it’s all over for the season for him.”
After producing a scintillating 20 minutes of play to start the match, Papenhuyzen exited the playing arena after making a brave one-on-one tackle on Raiders five eighth Jack Wighton at the 40-metre line, denying what would have been a certain try for Wighton.
Unfortunately for Papenhuyzen, his already strapped right knee copped the full impact of an accidental knee from Wighton and he could not get back to his feet as he was left wincing on the ground.
The 24-year-old was taken down to the rooms in the hands of the trainers as a hush went over AAMI Park.
Nick Meaney will be called on again to take on the vacant Storm fullback position.
“He’s done a great job there when Paps wasn’t there,” Bellamy said.
“We’re really short on outside backs.”
Despite being adversaries on the day, Wighton was disappointed to see “a champion bloke and player” in Papenhuyzen make a premature exit.
“I really hate seeing that stuff for any player,” Wighton said. “Paps is a great bloke and a great sportsman and I’m just hoping he’s all right and I’m wishing him well.
“I don’t know what happened or what the extent of the injury is, but I’m really wishing for Paps to get better, he’s a champion bloke and player.”
Ryan Papenhuyzen off to hospital with his patella (kneecap) fracture, expected to undergo surgery tomorrow. Usually indicates a more significant fracture (possible “complete breakâ€), was the fear w amount of trauma involved. Usual 4-6 month recovery time if so, thoughts with him pic.twitter.com/h5dvvRu87s
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) July 17, 2022
The Storm has now dropped three games in a row, following defeats to the Sea Eagles, Sharks and now the Raiders.
Out of form and ravaged by injury, the Storm’s top four spot will come under increasing threat.
Bellamy was disappointed his side wasted a number of attacking opportunities, but acknowledged the discipline of the Raiders defence.
“I thought we created a lot of opportunities, so that was a huge improvement on the last couple of weeks,” he said.
“We just couldn’t finish a lot of them off.
“We just got over the line and got held up or dropped the ball over the line – it was pretty frustrating.
“Having said that, the Raiders came here with a plan, they really stuck to it, they scrambled well and done a good job with the footy.”
SCHILLER THRILLER
Youngster James Schiller scored two tries in the Canberra Raiders stirring 20-16 win over Melbourne Storm in a brutal, last man standing affair that saw Storm superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen sustain a suspected fractured knee cap at AAMI Park on Sunday.
It wasn’t exactly do or die for the Raiders – but they played the game like it was with their desperation in defence a key feature of their win.
The Raiders snapped a five-game losing streak to the Storm, but continued their joy at the Melbourne venue, making it four straight wins at AAMI Park.
More importantly, the Raiders kept in touch with the top eight on the back of a victory inspired by a stellar second half performance by Jack Wighton and the consistency of Adam Elliott, who fronted up in attack and defence.
Cameron Munster was superb early for the Storm after a week off with Covid and had a major role to play in the Storm’s first try, which came on the back of a Kenny Bromwich offload to Nick Meaney, who scored in the corner.
Despite the Storm taking the lead, it was the Green Machine firing on all cylinders in the first half, taking a 14-6 lead into the break.
Their attack was humming on the back of the productivity of Sebastian Kris, Joseph Tapine and Elliott, while the kicking of Jamal Fogarty, Wighton and Zac Woolford was on song.
The Raiders defence was full of spice too, denying the Storm close to the line on multiple occasions.
Tries to Kris and Schiller had the Raiders leading by eight at half time.
RAP SHEET
Jordan Rapana came within centimetres of extending the Raiders half time lead, but he lunged too far and put the ball on the sideline.
The Storm immediately went down the other end to score through an audacious tap-and-go from a penalty through Jahrome Hughes.
Hughes caught the Raiders defence napping, running 20 metres to score in the corner and cut the deficit to four.
Rapana collected Marion Seve high in a tackle, making contact with the jaw.
It was a turning point in the game, Rapana was sin-binned for 10 minutes, leaving the Raiders down to 12 men, while Seve went off for a HIA.
With a man advantage, the Storm immediately went on the attack and would have scored if it wasn’t for a desperate interception from Raider Schiller.
The Storm found a way through a piece of individual brilliance out of dummy half from Harry Grant before Meaney added the extras to give the home side a 16-14 lead.
RAIDERS INJURY BLOW
Schiller made it a second try for the game with a delightful grubber kick around Meaney that he retrieved himself.
The exciting 21-year-old danced on the outside of the corner post and acrobatically put the ball down to give the Raiders back the lead.
Schiller finished a breathtaking game injured with a lower leg injury.
Youngster Xavier Savage looked to have sealed the game for the Raiders, but he bobbled the put down, before Hughes had a chance for the Storm with three to go, but dropped the ball under some desperate Raiders defence.
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