NRL: Blair's eye on the ring

Adam Blair has been on the losing side twice in grand finals with the Storm. Photo / Getty Images

A lot of Melbourne's players already have a premiership ring. They picked one up in 2007 after the 34-8 win over Manly.

Adam Blair didn't. The 23-year-old played in the 2006 and 2008 grand finals when Melbourne suffered heartache against Brisbane and Manly but missed the 2007 triumph through injury.

It's something he doesn't need reminding about.

"I've played in two, the two we lost," the quietly-spoken Blair told reporters last week. "I'm definitely hoping it's third time lucky. I haven't won one so I will be doing everything I can on the night to put myself out there and put my body on the line for the team just to get that win for us."

People shouldn't feel too sorry for Blair. Some players never get to experience a grand final and today will be Blair's third. He has also won a World Cup and played 12 tests for the Kiwis.

But every week, the former Northlander fronts up for his side with little thanks or reward.

An injury crisis at the club to the likes of Jeff Lima, Matt Cross, Sika Manu and Scott Anderson stretched Melbourne's depth in the forwards, forcing coach Craig Bellamy to play a handful of players out of position.

Blair moved from his more customary position of prop to the second row and the shift paid off. After years of being told to keep a lid on his natural instincts to offload the ball or push a pass, he now has more of a licence and leads Melbourne's offload count with 33.

He has also produced 17 tackle breaks in the five games since his positional shift - he had 10 in his previous 19 games.

"You are a lot more free in your movement, you get a few more opportunities to use your skills and there is just more freedom out wider," he told the club's website. "Just getting one-on-one with players helps, too. I've got a little bit of skill so I don't mind using it.

"I think we had to break the shackles a bit with the footy and we have found a bit of confidence with the way we have been playing in the past few weeks. Moving the ball around has helped the team find an extra leg."

Blair is said to have grown personally this season after the World Cup win. Bellamy also asked him to take on more responsibility and be a player his team-mates could rely on when in need.

It's something Blair has been doing since before he was a teenager. His father died of cancer, forcing a young Blair, eldest of eight children, to become the provider and run the family's dairy farm before his mother relocated the family.

Grand final week is one full of hype and hysteria but Blair tried to lighten the mood.

With most of Melbourne's AFL-dominated media jumping on the Storm bandwagon in the past week, Blair and team-mate Lima played a trick on unknowing journalists. Blair introduced himself as Jeff and Lima as Adam.

"People just can't tell the difference so we play around with it," Blair said. "It always works. They get a little flustered and we've had a little fun."

He'll be hoping he has a lot of fun tonight.