Impact ratings: Every NRL grand final player ranked from 34 to 1, Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels

We’ve ranked every player from 34 to 1 ahead of Sunday’s NRL grand final and there’s a surprise snub for a Dally M and Clive Churchill favourite.

Grand final rankings online art

News Corp’s senior league writer PETER BADEL ranks the NRL grand final participants based on their star power and importance to the fortunes of the Eels and Panthers at Accor Stadium.

So here they are, from No.34 right down to the man who could decide it all – here’s our rankings of ever player taking part on Sunday night.

34. Jaeman Salmon – Faces his former club and would love nothing more than to jam it up Ricky Stuart by winning a premiership ring.

33. Jakob Arthur – The coach’s son is unfairly maligned. Failed to play a minute in the prelim last week but if there’s an injury in the Eels spine, it will be the 19-year-old’s time to shine.

32. Bailey Simonsson – Plays his second grand final at age 24 filling in for Tom Opacic and has his work cut out defending the classy Crichton on Parramatta’s left edge.

No.1? How high will Panthers captain Nathan Cleary feature in our rankings? Picture: Jonathan Ng

31. Charlie Staines – Finally gets his crack at a grand final after narrowly missing out last season. Maligned at times but if the Eels give him an inch, he has the speed to take a mile.

30. Oregon Kaufusi – Parramatta’s interchange specialist who will be asked to hold his own supporting RCG and Paulo in his half-hour cameo off the bench.

29. Marata Niukore – The Warriors-bound forward will not win the Clive Churchill but simply has to grind out minutes and let the big guns go to work.

28. Mitch Kenny – A valuable foil for Api Koroisau, resembles the new age Trevor ‘The Axe’ Gillmeister with his ability to cut opponents in half. Tireless around the rucks.

27. Scott Sorensen – The NRL’s best-looking man is not just a pretty face. A valuable bench contributor who mops up well and has a knack of producing a surprise play when Penrith need a lift.

26. Spencer Leniu – Tearaway with a capital ‘T’ who produced the run of the finals with his rampaging charge that led to the send-off of Souths winger Taane Milne. Relishes the tough stuff. The big dance is his stage.

Spencer Leniu is a powerhouse who always takes some stopping. Picture: Getty

25. Will Penisini – The classy 20-year-old is a slippery customer out wide who only needs a sliver of space to deliver a match-turning play. Marks up on Penrith centre Tago

24. Waqa Blake – All eyes will be on the maligned Eel. Blake will be sweating bullets in his blue-and-gold PJs on Saturday night. He knows Cleary’s savage bombs are coming and his ability to defuse them could make or break Parramatta’s premiership dream.

23. Moses Leota – One of the unsung heroes of Penrith’s success who would happily charge into a brick wall to keep coach Cleary happy. His midfield exchanges with Paulo will be a highlight.

22. Izack Tago – A fine discovery amid a sea of Panthers superstars with his 13 tries and 68 tackle busts a tribute to Tago’s nose for the tryline and ability to make an impact.

21. Maika Sivo – The Fijian bulldozer only knows one way and if he gets space at Homebush, Penrith’s outside men are in for a night of carnage.

Unlucky to miss the Top 20, Maika Sivo is impossible to contain when on song. Picture: Getty

20. Isaiah Papali’i – Has played every game for the Eels this season and provides punch on the edge with 94 tackle busts and a whopping 3809 running metres. Commands respect.

19. Nathan Brown – A massive ask for Brown to be pitchforked into a grand final after three months out of the NRL. Coach Arthur has rolled the dice and it’s up to the firebrand middle forward to unleash hell on Penrith’s big boppers.

18. Reed Mahoney – The super glue that holds Parramatta’s midfield together. The NRL’s No.1 ironman this season with 1151 tackles and is the terrier who can pressure Nathan Cleary from the ruck.

17. Stephen Crichton – Penrith’s premiership intercept hero last season has the athleticism and line-busting instinct to keep the Eels honest out wide.

16. Liam Martin – Tough-as-nails back-rower with a touch of lunacy that belongs in the UFC. His toughness belies his talent and he can run brutal lines on the fringes.

15. Ryan Matterson – An outstanding season from a player who not only relishes contact but has the skill to hurt teams before or in the line.

Isaah Yeo is the unsung hero of the Penrith machine – a workhorse who is also vital to their attack. Picture: Jonathan Ng

14. Isaah Yeo – Forever no fuss but always valued at a Penrith side that thrives on his leadership and midfield link work. The pulse of Penrith’s pack.

13. Junior Paulo – The heavyweight has the feet of a middleweight with the skill to wreak havoc in midfield. The Eels hombre is possibly the scariest man in rugby league.

12. Jarome Luai – A proven big-match performer who relishes the big stage. Some sublime touches in the prelim. If Parra obsess over Cleary, Luai will make them pay.

11. Viliame Kikau – Penrith’s answer to Shaun Lane. A storming presence out wide and will be desperate to go out with a bang in his final game for the club.

10. Brian To’o – Pocket-rocket To’o steamrolls opponents like the heavy roller at the Gabba. Outstanding against Souths last week, busy and lethal from close range.

9. Reagan Campbell-Gillard – Primed for his personal grudge match after caning the Cowboys with two tries in the prelim. Get ready for fireworks between RCG and JFH.

8. James Fisher-Harris – The most damaging midfield man in the decider. Will set the platform up front with his bruising charges and it’s up to Parramatta’s monsters to muscle up.

Shaun Lane is in the form of his life – but can he decide the grand final? Picture: Getty

7. Shaun Lane – To borrow basketball parlance, the towering Eels back-rower has the hot hand. Lane won the prelim final for the Eels last week with his second-half blitz and he has the size and skill to produce a matchwinning play in the decider.

6. Api Koroisau – Blink and you’ll miss him. Souths found that out the hard way last week as Api ignited Penrith’s fightback with his lethal dummy-half snipes. A jack-in-the-box who has the spark to bust the NRL grand final wide open.

5. Clint Gutherson – Dyland Edwards and ‘King Gutho’ are statistically the two best support players in the NRL. Gutherson is Parramatta’s omnipresent force, making busts, throwing sublime cut out passes and pulling off trysavers. A joy to watch.

4. Dylan Brown – The ultimate second-receiver support act for the magical Moses. Brown has found his running game with an average of 125m to back up his 17 try assists and 14 line breaks. Panthers defenders should be nervous.

Dylan Brown is more than just Mitchell Moses’ support act – he’s a dangerous prospect on grand final day. Picture: Getty

3. Dylan Edwards – So often Mr Underrated in the Penrith team. Not in these rankings. Edwards tore Souths apart last week with 246 metres and 13 tackle busts in a magical back-field performance. Outstanding in last year’s decider with a broken foot and has the most running metres this season with a staggering 5287m.

2. Mitchell Moses – Revelling in the best form of his career. It’s simple – if mercurial No.7 Moses doesn’t fire, Parramatta’s hopes of breaking a 36-year title hoodoo are shot. Leads the NRL for kick metres (10,523m) and try assists (23).

1. Nathan Cleary – The maestro. The kicking master. What a freak. Cleary’s best is simply better than everyone else’s and if the talismanic Panthers halfback brings his A-game, Penrith will win back-to-back titles. Get the popcorn out for his aerial bombardment of poor Waqa Blake.

Originally published as Impact ratings: Every NRL grand final player ranked from 34 to 1, Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels