In a clash between the two sides who last duked out a grand final in 2006, the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos will go back to the future to play for the 2025 NRL premiership.

The Storm enter the game as red-hot favourites, but that too was the story back in 2006. That game certainly didn't wind up the way Melbourne would have liked it, with it being Brisbane's last title.

Brisbane have played in a pair of grand finals since, but lost both, while the Storm's constant run of success, playing in grand finals and fighting for premierships, doesn't have to be explained.

The Storm came into the 2025 season as the team viewed widely as the favourites, and despite not managing to put their first-choice spine on the ground more than a few times throughout the year, they still claimed second spot on the table at the end of the regular season.

Despite Jahrome Hughes missing through a broken wrist, the Storm then went over the top of the Canterbury Bulldogs, before getting the better of the Cronulla Sharks in a preliminary final last Friday with Hughes returning.

Hughes was fantastic just 22 days after breaking his wrist and could again hold much of the key to Melbourne's performance for the 2025 decider.

While one might have always expected Melbourne as a chance of being there on the first Sunday in October, few would have held the same opinion about the Broncos coming into the new season.

Missing the top eight last year and under a new coach, they looked a team that was going to take some time to find their feet with plenty of youth and bold selection calls from the former Wests Tigers coach and South Sydney Rabbitohs' premiership-winning boss.

And that was the case at points throughout the season, but not all of them, because the Broncos found themselves a likely top eight chance with weeks to go, and then, like the Storm, did things the hard way without Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam.

The duo were injured in the same play, ironically enough, in a game against the Storm, before Reece Walsh took over to have Brisbane win all four of their last four and take a top-four spot.

That was followed by Brisbane winning a crunch 94-minute golden point game against the Raiders, before backing it up with victory in their preliminary final in what was a come from behind effort against the Penrith Panthers.

But now they turn around to play the Storm, and will likely need to start faster, and stop themselves from falling heavily behind as they have in both of the last two contests.

Their attacking power though is a serious threat, and on a dry, fast track, this could set itself up as a grand final for the ages with Melbourne also able to put points up in a hurry.

Team news

Melbourne Storm
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. William Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero
Interchange: 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Ativalu Lisati 16. Tui Kamikamica 17. Alec MacDonald
Reserves: 18. Grant Anderson 19. Bronson Garlick 20. Joe Chan 21. Jonah Pezet 22. Sualauvi Faalogo

Maybe no major surprise, but the Storm are totally unchanged from their preliminary final win nine days ago.

Jahrome Hughes made it through that game in his return from a broken wrist, while Ryan Papenhuyzen and Shawn Blore also returned from a concussion and fractured larynx respectively.

Brisbane Broncos
1. Reece Walsh 2. Josiah Karapani 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Deine Mariner 6. Ben Hunt 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Corey Jensen 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan
Interchange: 14. Ezra Mam 15. Kobe Hetherington 16. Xavier Willison 17. Tyson Smoothy
Reserves: 18. Jesse Arthars 19. Jack Gosiewski 20. Ben Talty 21. Selwyn Cobbo 22. Jock Madden

The Broncos welcome back Patrick Carrigan for the grand final after he missed the preliminary final through suspension.

His return sees Ben Talty drop out of the side.

History

Overall head-to-head record: Played 59, Storm 43, Broncos 15, drawn 1
Record in finals: Played 9, Storm 6, Broncos 3
Last five: Storm 3, Broncos 2
This season: Storm 1, Broncos 1
Last meeting: Round 27, 2025, Broncos 30 defeat Storm 14 at Suncorp Stadium

Keys to the game

The turnaround difference
One of the big talking points early in the finals was the confirmation that the two preliminary finals to qualify for the grand final would be split by 48 hours.

The Storm beat the Sharks in the Victorian capital on Friday evening, then sat around with their feet up for almost 48 hours before the Broncos had to come from behind against the Panthers.

That meant the two teams are separated by two days when it comes to their turnaround time for the decider.

The Broncos have spent all of the finals to date having to make enormous comebacks, against both the Raiders and the Panthers.

If they try to do that against the Storm normally they'll struggle, but to do it with two days less rest? It could be as good as curtains.

As it stands, from a rested point of view - and keep in mind the Storm between injuries and resting players have had most of their top guys sit out at some point - the Storm have a major advantage and could run over the top of the Broncos even in a close game towards the back end.

Will Melbourne's halves have the same impact?
Against the Sharks last weekend, it was clear the Storm's halves were the key.

Jahrome Hughes is one of the best game managers in the competition, and is complemented beautifully by the running and kicking combination Cameron Munster puts together playing eyes up footy each week.

Them being back on the field together last weekend against the side from the Shire was really the key for the Storm as they qualified for the grand final.

Hughes and Munster were the best two players in that game, in whatever order, and will head into the grand final with the expectation of doing so again.

It's not just them of course, but others around them - from the outside backs to the NRL's best second-rower in Eliesa Katoa - play better when Hughes and Munster are firing.

How do the Storm shut Reece Walsh down?
Speaking of players in form who have been the undisputed best, Reece Walsh has played that role for the Broncos.

Less so in the preliminary final against Penrith given the unbelievable 80-minute performance of Payne Haas, but Walsh was still excellent for the Red Hill-based side.

His performance against the Raiders doesn't need to be repeated. He single-handidly drove Brisbane back into that game after spending ten minutes in the sin bin.

His form without Reynolds and Mam over the final weeks of the season was also the key reason Michael Maguire's side were able to finish in the top four, having looked like they could have missed the top eight altogether when the halves duo went down.

Walsh has a freakish ability to turn a game in a matter of minutes, and even against the Storm, that will be the danger for Craig Bellamy's side.

Prediction

So much of Brisbane's attack does hinge on Reece Walsh. He was quite good last week even with the return of Reynolds and Mam, but he'll need to go to another level again.

Outside of Walsh, the Broncos need to have a spot on kicking game, and they'll need Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan to go enormous.

Regardless, the Storm are the finals kings.

They have so much experience at this time of year, and in big games in general, and with Hughes leading from the front, and a forward pack who can match what Brisbane have across the 80 minutes, it's difficult to see them not picking up the victory, but it could certainly go either way.

Storm by 8.

Key game information: Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos, 2025 NRL Grand Final
Kick-off: Sunday, October 5, 7:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Accor Stadium, Homebush
TV: Live, Channel Nine
Online: Live, 9Now
Betting: Storm $1.78, Broncos $2.08
Head-to-head record: Played 59, Storm 43, Broncos 15, drawn 1

Match officials

Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch judges: Chris Sutton and Dave Munro
Bunker official: Ashley Klein