FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12th 2025.
Storm v Bulldogs
AAMI Park, Melbourne.7.50pm.
Storm and Bulldogs Reignite Finals Rivalry at AAMI Park
The 2025 NRL finals have arrived, and with them comes the promise of drama, redemption, and unforgettable battles. Eight teams remain in the hunt for the premiership, and while the Storm still carry the tag of favourites, they do so with cracks showing. Injuries to key men and stinging defeats against the Roosters and Broncos have left Melbourne limping into September, their aura suddenly vulnerable.
Across the field, the Bulldogs arrive with their own bruises. A heavy defeat at the hands of the Sharks in the final round stripped away some of their momentum, and winger Marcelo Montoya’s ankle injury has added to their woes. Still, under the leadership of skipper Stephen Crichton, Canterbury hold firm belief that they can rewrite the script.
History offers the Dogs a flicker of hope. The last time these two sides clashed in a final was back in 2014, when a Tim Lafai hat-trick propelled Canterbury to a stunning 28-4 victory, paving the way to their grand final appearance.
This time, though, the backdrop feels different. The Storm will turn to Cameron Munster, their mercurial five-eighth, to shoulder the burden of creativity. Harry Grant’s return from suspension steadies the ship, while young Tyran Wishart steps into the crucial halfback role in place of the injured Jahrome Hughes. Nick Meaney inherits the fullback duties with Ryan Papenhuyzen sidelined, and Joe Chan shifts into the centres as Craig Bellamy once again reshuffles his pieces in pursuit of victory.
For the Bulldogs, it will be resilience and belief that carry them into AAMI Park. Crichton has been inspirational all season, and his leadership looms large in this moment. Against a Storm side battered but dangerous, the Dogs know their best may be enough to conjure another September shock.
Storm
1. Nick Meaney 2. Will Warbrick 3. Grant Anderson 4. Joe Chan 5. Xavier Coates, 6. Cameron Munster 7. Tyran Wishart 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King , 11. Ativalu Lisati 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Jonah Pezet 15. Alec MacDonald , 16. Tui Kamikamica 17. Bronson Garlick 18. Kane Bradley 19. Marion Seve 20. Jack Howarth, 21. Sualauvi Faalogo 22. Lazarus Vaalepu .
Bulldogs
1. Connor Tracey 2. Jethro Rinakama 3. Enari Tuala 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Blake Wilson 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Bailey Hayward 10. Samuel Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Josh Curran 17. Reed Mahoney 19. Jake Turpin 20. Kurtis Morrin 21. Toby Sexton 22. Harry Hayes 23. Jacob Kiraz
Bulldogs’ Backline Tested as Injuries Force Bold Changes
The Bulldogs will walk into the finals with a new-look backline, forced into change by cruel late-season injuries. Enari Tuala shifts into the centres, while Blake Wilson and Jethro Rinakama are handed the wings after Marcelo Montoya (ankle) and Bronson Xerri (concussion) were ruled out.
All eyes, however, remain on star centre Jacob Kiraz. Sidelined since Round 26 after rolling his ankle against the Panthers, Kiraz has been named on the extended bench. His potential return could prove a decisive lift for Canterbury, adding both strike and stability to an otherwise reshuffled unit.
For now, it’s a mix of youth, resilience, and reshuffling that carries the Bulldogs forward — with the hope that their patched-up backline can hold firm when the spotlight of finals football shines its brightest.
Key Stats
Referee, Adam Gee, Touch Judges, Dave Munro, Matt Noyen, Bunker, Ashley Klein.
The Storm have won nine of their last 10 games against the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs have won only one of their last five games at AAMI Park.
Storm winger Xavier Coates has scored 41 tries in 37 games at AAMI Park.
The Bulldogs have not won a finals match since 2015.
The Storm have won only three of their last eight finals matches.
Storm Seek Redemption as Bulldogs Eye Another Finals Upset
The Storm enter the finals battered and bruised, their depth tested by a string of cruel injuries. Yet there is a glimmer of hope — the return of captain Harry Grant from suspension, a steadying force in the heart of Melbourne’s engine room. With a packed home crowd behind them at AAMI Park, the Storm know they must rise above their setbacks.
Waiting for them is a Bulldogs side that has stumbled into September. Injuries have blunted their edge, and recent performances suggest a team struggling to justify their place in the finals. Few expect them to survive beyond this week, let alone topple a heavyweight like Melbourne.
And yet, history offers a warning. Time and again, the Bulldogs have shown an uncanny ability to ambush the Storm in high-stakes finals. For coach Cameron Ciraldo, this is the moment to conjure something extraordinary, to prove that his side’s season still holds meaning.
On paper, Melbourne’s class should prevail. But finals football is rarely played on paper. Expect a tense battle — and while I’m tipping the Storm to edge it in a tight finish, Canterbury’s knack for defying the odds lingers as a shadow over the contest.
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