League: Fans forecast storm

They're two league sides about as far removed as the distance that separates them on the map.

The Brisbane Broncos are full of test and State of Origin experience, coached by Wayne Bennett who commands guru status in Queensland and guided them to all five premiership titles, the last of those in 2000.

The Melbourne Storm are lightheartedly described as a bunch of misfits and cast-offs, thrown together in a "foreign" city, and moulded by a previously unheralded coach, Craig Bellamy, who's spent nearly all his career in Bennett's shadow.

But there's been only one team Australian league followers want to back this week, and it's not the glamour boys from north of the border.

The Storm will run on to Telstra Stadium, packed with 80,000 people, tomorrow night as clear favourites to win the NRL decider.

Their team includes a fullback, Billy Slater, who formerly plied his trade as a trackwork jockey in Queensland and walked in off the street to ask the Storm's feeder club for a trial.

Slater has been one of their stars of the late-season run to the finals and his duel with in-form Broncos' No 1 Justin Hodges in the crucial kick return stakes will be a key.

There are two reformed bad boys from New Zealand on the Storm bench, both of whom would have laughed a year ago if you'd predicted they would play in a grand final.

Prop Adam Blair was given three weeks to sort out his attitude or face the sack, and last Saturday played the game of his life to help the Storm beat St George Illawarra and put himself in Kiwis test contention.

Second-rower Jeremy Smith, from Christchurch, was previously axed by Manly and had several trips to the judiciary last year when playing for Storm's feeder club, Norths, in the Queensland Cup.

Bellamy showed faith, gave him 16 matches this year, then Smith got his grand final chance when Michael Crocker suffered a knee injury.

David Kidwell, the 19-test second-rower, brings the Storm's Kiwi contingent to three while former Kiwis captain Stephen Kearney has had a dream first season as an assistant coach at the team where he won the 1999 title.

Kidwell departs next year for South Sydney, his fifth NRL club, but insists it won't be before donning his first premiership ring.

"We've created a great culture and it's been a great year for us. As a leadership group we've pushed the point that we want to leave a great legacy here."

The youngsters have stood up, notably former rugby-playing halfback Cooper Cronk, whose playmaking and kicking game has been pinpoint, and star teenage centre Greg Inglis, whose salary is skyrocketing by the day.

Under Bellamy's coaching the Storm won 20 of their 24 regular season matches and looked the best-drilled side in the NRL.

Bellamy was Bennett's assistant at Brisbane from 1998-2002, and also assisted him with the Kangaroos in the past two years.

The Storm won their two matches against Brisbane this year by a combined 28-16, and overall hold a 9-8 head to head advantage in all meetings stretching back to 1998.

The Broncos, who have timed their run to perfection after a post-Origin slump, can't be ignored after their six-try second half blitz to snuff out a talent-laden Bulldogs last weekend.

They have test and Origin star Darren Lockyer pulling the strings and playing as well as ever, and a huge pack of forwards led by veteran prop Shane Webcke in his farewell match.

But even the no-nonsense Webcke sensed his Broncos faced an uphill battle after eyeballing his opponents at Thursday's grand final breakfast.

"I think they'll hit this grand final full of confidence and you get the feeling, listening to them speak today, that they expect to win," he said.

"It makes our task harder."

- NZPA