Tim Glasby stays focused as final Storm games arrive

Departing Melbourne Storm prop Tim Glasby knows Friday night will be his last Storm game at AAMI Park, but he is determined for it not to be his final appearance for the club.

The Queensland State of Origin forward has signed a three-year deal with Newcastle starting next season after rising through the ranks at the Storm.

Earlier this week, Glasby said he was yet to consider that it would be his last home game but he is certain he wants one more Storm appearance in next Sunday’s NRL grand final.

While Tim Glasby is Newcastle bound next season, he does’nt want Friday night’s game to be his last for the Storm.Credit: AAP

"I will have a bit of a think about it at some stage but my main focus is doing well and doing my job because it might be my last game in Melbourne, but I don’t want it to be my last game for the Storm,” Glasby said.

“It’s just a matter of getting out there, playing well and hopefully we can get the result we want.”

Glasby’s exit is a quieter affair considering club greats Billy Slater and Ryan Hoffman will both retire at the end of the season, but his career at the Storm has been one of substance and success as his reliable defensive work in the middle has helped the club maintain its long run of success.

“We haven’t really spoken about it too much yet,” Glasby said.

“If I know those two blokes they will just want it to be about the game and putting in a good performance rather than making a farewell for them."

Since signing on with the Knights earlier this season, Glasby has focused on the Storm although he did speak with Knights hooker and 2017 Storm premiership teammate Slade Griffin about the Knights.

This year is the Storm’s fourth preliminary final in five years and their 10th in 13 years and Glasby praised the club’s consistency but acknowledged beating Cronulla in Friday night’s preliminary final would take one of their best efforts of the season.

“The Sharks have got us a couple of times this year, so people could say they have the recipe for success against us, but footy is about turning up and doing the little things well for 80 minutes," Glasby said.

"At times this year we haven’t done that but other times we have.

“We had a really good performance against the Rabbitohs [in the qualifying final] and we are looking at doing that again, if not doing it even better, this Friday."

The Sharks have won four of their last five games against the Storm.

“Four out of five sounds bad doesn’t it?” Glasby said.

“But I feel like those games were all close and we missed opportunities in those games, they will be the same in having missed some opportunities but it is about whoever turns up on the day.”

The Sharks have talked up their plans to target Storm captain Cameron Smith and Slater while the two teams usually have some flash points when frustrations boilover, but Glasby said good play would stop a lot of that from happening.

“If you are running hard, tackling well and completing your sets then the niggle goes out of the game because everyone has other things to worry about,” Glasby said.

“That is our main focus, I don’t worry about that sort of thing and they don’t niggle more than any other team.”

As for his departure from the club, Glasby said he would let his emotions go at some point but this week was not the time.

“I am a bit sentimental and I’ll probably get a bit emotional later on but I’d just like to get emotional a week later.”

A crowd of around 25,000 people is expected despite a sell-out crowd for the Richmond v Collingwood AFL preliminary final across the road at the MCG.

The Storm play Cronulla at AAMI Park in an NRL preliminary final on Friday at 7.40pm.