Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski has admitted the NRL were not originally keen on changing the timing of the Storm's preliminary final to avoid a clash with the NRL grand final.

Speaking on RSN Radio on Thursday morning, Rodski said the club were vocal about wanting to change the timing of the game over the weekend.

"Initially they said no. They felt the schedule was the schedule, and the finals fixturing was the way they have always done it, and they didn't want to move it, and they'd just go up against the AFL grand final," Rodski said.

The Storm preliminary final, to be played against the winner of this weekend's semi-final in Mackay between the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels, has now been moved forward to a 4pm kick-off, avoiding an overlap with the AFL grand final, which will get underway at 5:15pm Perth time on the same day.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 01: In this handout image provided by NRL Photos Jordan Grant of the Storm takes on the Panthers defence during the round 20 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium, on August 01, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Handout/NRL Photos via Getty Images )

Rodski said it was a bit opportunity for the club to ensure that the game wouldn't be lost.

"We just thought it was a really big and important opportunity for the people of Melbourne and Victoria and the growth of the game of rugby league," Rodski said.

"What a missed opportunity it would have been to have a preliminary final with the Melbourne Storm playing coming up against an AFL grand final with two Melbourne teams playing into the Melbourne market.

"From a broadcast point of view, from an NRL growth point of view and from a Melbourne Storm point of view, it just didn't make sense.

"We were pretty vocal across the weekend about the scheduling and in the end I think common sense has prevailed."

The Storm were apparently originally hoping their qualifying final could have been played on the Saturday night, to allow their preliminary final to avoid AFL grand final day altogether.

However, with that not being the case, the NRL couldn't then retrospectively change it, given it would have left teams with shorter breaks.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 30: Brandon Smith of the Storm celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round eight NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park on April 30, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

"The way the NRL schedules their finals series is the teams that play in the first and second qualifying final effectively swap days for the preliminary final. Because we played on the Friday night, that means we play on the Saturday night in the prelim.

"Clearly if planning had of been done prior and when the NRL knew the AFL grand final was going to be in Perth, they could have scheduled our qualifying final on the Saturday. That didn't happen.

"Now we have four o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, no clash against any other code and it'll be a great spectacle."