Matty Johns has thrown his support behind Melbourne Storm ahead of their blockbuster NRL grand final showdown with the Brisbane Broncos, tipping Craig Bellamy’s men to edge the contest thanks to their calm heads and big-game pedigree.
“I’m still (going with) the Storm,” Johns declared on SEN 1170’s The Run Home with Joel and Fletch. “They’ve got the big game know how.”
With both sides boasting electric talent across the park, Johns said it was the Storm’s consistency under pressure that swayed his decision.
“Like the key men in that side are very even keeled and they’re consistent and you know what you are going to get from them,” he said. “Blokes like Munster, while he is a loose unit, in big games you can depend on him. Harry Grant, blokes like that, they speak for themselves.”
Why Johns is backing Melbourne
Johns believes the contest will be defined through the middle, an area where he sees a potential vulnerability for Brisbane as the game wears on.
“That spine, if there is one area where I reckon Brisbane could have a vulnerability, it’s through the middle as the game goes on,” he said. “And that Storm spine, I’ve never seen a spine who can take apart an opposition's middle defence like them.”
The grand final between Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos kicks off at 7:30 pm AEDT on October 5, with Johns firmly in the “pro-Storm” camp as the two heavyweights prepare to battle for the Provan-Summons Trophy.