Grant puts Origin No.9 bogey to bed ahead of decider
Heading into game two of the State of Origin series, won 26-24 by the Maroons, Grant had a 0-4 record as a starting No.9 and a 6-2 history coming off the bench.
He is Australia's No.9 and the starting hooker for Melbourne but he had a point to prove in Perth after critics said he should revert to the Maroons' bench.
Grant dispelled the doubters with a strong running and passing game that put the Maroons on top.
"I think everyone has a narrow focus and I understood what that looked like for me," Grant said.
"I just had to knuckle down and make sure I was doing that well. It felt like that was there in game two, but the challenge is doing that again.
"You want to be there (as a starting hooker) but you have also got to perform. I understand that.
"I think my biggest trait is effort. As long as long am giving effort every week and not leaving anything in the tank in that regard I know I can come away and work on execution and decision making.
"As soon as I stop giving effort that's when I'll be into myself."
No-one could accuse Grant of lacking effort. He has always been willing and able but also agreed he had to showcase a marked improvement in Perth.
"There is an individual motivation and a collective motivation," he said.
"I think everyone tapped into that in game two. It's important that we build on that performance and know what we did well and what we did wrong and try and iron out a good performance for Wednesday night."
The Maroons' spine suits the way Grant likes to play. Halves Cameron Munster and Tom Dearden are run-first playmakers while new fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is the ultimate running fullback who Grant can count on to be running off his hip.
"It is a good spine to work with. We are going to have to recreate that this week during our sessions and meetings," Grant said.
"When you have Munster and Tommy who are really strong runners of the ball and then Hammer has got such a genuine feel for the game and always pops up in the right place at the right time and is just so electric with his speed, we can control our games.
"In saying that it's a well-rounded picture. Everyone else does their job and it's a flow-on effect."
Grant won his first two Origin deciders, on debut in 2020, and again in 2022. He knows what it takes to prevail when the pressure is on.
"With deciders you put yourself where you want to be. You want to be having a chance of winning the (series)," he said.
"It is about focusing on the week and preparation and what you need to do for the team in the game and hopefully the result takes care of itself."
Harry Grant proved he belongs as a starting hooker for Queensland in the State of Origin arena in Perth but he now wants to back it up with another elite display in the decider.
Heading into game two of the State of Origin series, won 26-24 by the Maroons, Grant had a 0-4 record as a starting No.9 and a 6-2 history coming off the bench.
He is Australia's No.9 and the starting hooker for Melbourne but he had a point to prove in Perth after critics said he should revert to the Maroons' bench.
Grant dispelled the doubters with a strong running and passing game that put the Maroons on top.
"I think everyone has a narrow focus and I understood what that looked like for me," Grant said.
"I just had to knuckle down and make sure I was doing that well. It felt like that was there in game two, but the challenge is doing that again.
"You want to be there (as a starting hooker) but you have also got to perform. I understand that.
"I think my biggest trait is effort. As long as long am giving effort every week and not leaving anything in the tank in that regard I know I can come away and work on execution and decision making.
"As soon as I stop giving effort that's when I'll be into myself."
No-one could accuse Grant of lacking effort. He has always been willing and able but also agreed he had to showcase a marked improvement in Perth.
"There is an individual motivation and a collective motivation," he said.
"I think everyone tapped into that in game two. It's important that we build on that performance and know what we did well and what we did wrong and try and iron out a good performance for Wednesday night."
The Maroons' spine suits the way Grant likes to play. Halves Cameron Munster and Tom Dearden are run-first playmakers while new fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is the ultimate running fullback who Grant can count on to be running off his hip.
"It is a good spine to work with. We are going to have to recreate that this week during our sessions and meetings," Grant said.
"When you have Munster and Tommy who are really strong runners of the ball and then Hammer has got such a genuine feel for the game and always pops up in the right place at the right time and is just so electric with his speed, we can control our games.
"In saying that it's a well-rounded picture. Everyone else does their job and it's a flow-on effect."
Grant won his first two Origin deciders, on debut in 2020, and again in 2022. He knows what it takes to prevail when the pressure is on.
"With deciders you put yourself where you want to be. You want to be having a chance of winning the (series)," he said.
"It is about focusing on the week and preparation and what you need to do for the team in the game and hopefully the result takes care of itself."
Harry Grant proved he belongs as a starting hooker for Queensland in the State of Origin arena in Perth but he now wants to back it up with another elite display in the decider.
Heading into game two of the State of Origin series, won 26-24 by the Maroons, Grant had a 0-4 record as a starting No.9 and a 6-2 history coming off the bench.
He is Australia's No.9 and the starting hooker for Melbourne but he had a point to prove in Perth after critics said he should revert to the Maroons' bench.
Grant dispelled the doubters with a strong running and passing game that put the Maroons on top.
"I think everyone has a narrow focus and I understood what that looked like for me," Grant said.
"I just had to knuckle down and make sure I was doing that well. It felt like that was there in game two, but the challenge is doing that again.
"You want to be there (as a starting hooker) but you have also got to perform. I understand that.
"I think my biggest trait is effort. As long as long am giving effort every week and not leaving anything in the tank in that regard I know I can come away and work on execution and decision making.
"As soon as I stop giving effort that's when I'll be into myself."
No-one could accuse Grant of lacking effort. He has always been willing and able but also agreed he had to showcase a marked improvement in Perth.
"There is an individual motivation and a collective motivation," he said.
"I think everyone tapped into that in game two. It's important that we build on that performance and know what we did well and what we did wrong and try and iron out a good performance for Wednesday night."
The Maroons' spine suits the way Grant likes to play. Halves Cameron Munster and Tom Dearden are run-first playmakers while new fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is the ultimate running fullback who Grant can count on to be running off his hip.
"It is a good spine to work with. We are going to have to recreate that this week during our sessions and meetings," Grant said.
"When you have Munster and Tommy who are really strong runners of the ball and then Hammer has got such a genuine feel for the game and always pops up in the right place at the right time and is just so electric with his speed, we can control our games.
"In saying that it's a well-rounded picture. Everyone else does their job and it's a flow-on effect."
Grant won his first two Origin deciders, on debut in 2020, and again in 2022. He knows what it takes to prevail when the pressure is on.
"With deciders you put yourself where you want to be. You want to be having a chance of winning the (series)," he said.
"It is about focusing on the week and preparation and what you need to do for the team in the game and hopefully the result takes care of itself."
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The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
‘He's the softest tough guy ever': The other side of Blues hard man Liam Martin
There is the Liam Martin who tries to smash Cameron Munster at every opportunity. Then there is the Liam Martin who loves sitting down to read a book, or watch endless reruns of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy (the character Aragorn is his personal favourite). There is the Liam Martin who gets in the face of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui after he dropped the ball in Perth. Then there is the Liam Martin who helps raise funds for motor neurone disease after losing his uncle in 2022, and his association with the family of AFL great Neale Daniher, who has lived with MND for more than a decade. Almost every story about Martin and State of Origin is about how tough he is and what an on-field grub he is – the bloke who relishes the chance to antagonise and bash Queenslanders. In fairness, he does a fantastic job of it. Teammates have even given him the nickname 'Wild Dog'. Even when he's not trying, Martin irons out Maroons, as evidenced by the giant lump above Reuben Cotter's left eye at Optus Stadium. Just this week, there was more than one story about Martin trying to put the Queenslanders off their game in next Wednesday's Origin decider at Accor Stadium. But, as the old story goes, there is a lot more to Liam Martin. Ask around enough and you start to get a proper sense of what he is really like. Nathan Cleary best sums it up when he says of the Penrith, NSW and Kangaroos back-rower: 'He's the softest tough guy ever. On the field, he's a beast. But he wouldn't hurt anyone away from the field.' Fullback Dylan Edwards says: 'Away from training, when he's at home with his lovely fiancée [Chelsea], he's a real sweetheart. He's very smart, kind and caring. 'He's also good for a 'finjury', or a fake injury. He once thought he had torn his pec, but it turns out he lifted too much weight in the gym [and was just sore].' NSW coach Laurie Daley, who hails from Junee, a short drive south of Martin's home town of Temora in the NSW Riverina, is full of praise for Martin's work ethic. 'Marto is just a good fella, as you would expect from a country boy,' Daley says. 'He's as tough as nails, loves his teammates, loves his team, loves his state, and would do anything for anyone. 'He's a wonderful young man. 'If he's chasing a kick, he goes flat out. If he's coming out of the line, he's going flat out. If he's carrying the ball, it's always flat out. 'Everything is always maximum effort – that's what he does. He doesn't pace his way through the game. He's got one gear. Even when he drinks, he's only got the one gear.' The sweetest story we unearthed about Martin took place at the start of this year when he sent his mother, Maxine, a kookaburra ornament. Martin's older brother, Jarred, took his own life in 2014. Maxine spotted a kookaburra in an unlikely place not long after Jarred's death, and was convinced it was her late son's way of communicating with her. Martin thought of Jarred and Maxine when he saw the kookaburra ornament, and mailed it to his mum, just to let her know he was thinking of them both. 'When my brother passed away, about a month later, mum found a photo of a kookaburra Jarred had drawn. She reckons ever since then a kookaburra has hung around home, or wherever she goes,' Martin says. 'The kookaburra is my brother. She's got so many pictures and mugs with kookaburras. I saw this ornament pop up, so I sent it to her, without telling her who it had come from.' The Martin Family Cup, an annual game between Temora High and West Wyalong High, where Martin went to school, started last year. The concept was based on the two schools and towns where Martin grew up, with the key message to the students being 'resilience and respect'. Martin, now 28, possesses both traits in spades. 'I didn't play for West Wyalong, but my brother did. I went to West Wyalong High, but played all my footy in Temora,' Martin says. 'When people say I'm from Temora, my mates in West Wyalong want to know why they never get a mention. 'I love where I grew up. I'll be getting back there in August. There's a trivia night that will help raise funds for MND. I lost my uncle a few years ago. Mum found out about the news when she landed in England. 'It's such a cruel disease. Neale Daniher does a great job raising awareness about MND. I've never met Neale, but I'm close with some of his family, who were from near West Wyalong. His nephew Harvey is my age, and still one of my best mates.' Martin's fiancée Chelsea is from Temora, but the pair didn't know each other because her family was involved in Aussie rules – not rugby league – and they met by chance at a party in Wollongong. They are expecting their first child in October, which has since prompted Martin to make the early call and pull out of the Kangaroos' Ashes tour of England. Settling down off the field has also changed Martin. 'We've been together going on seven years; I like to think I'm a romantic,' Martin says. 'Mum talks about buying flowers, but Chelsea is very laid-back, and doesn't even like flowers. 'I do like doing things for her, including cooking meals. I make an authentic carbonara sauce. 'She'll tell me I carry on like an idiot sometimes when she watches me on the field. I agree with her. But she also knows it's just footy. Half the time I don't think she's paying attention. 'As for having that softer side, I think I do, especially when it comes to friends and family. I'm a country boy at heart.' Martin is smarter than the average NRL forward – he scored 89.95 on his higher school certificate – but, like all country boys, he loves a beer. He was one of only two Blues players to give it a nudge at a bonding session when they entered camp before Origin I. When Canterbury coach and former Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo held his 40th birthday party earlier this year, Martin was close to best on ground. Loading Martin was the only Blues player brave enough to march into the famous Victory Hotel in downtown Brisbane at 3am after the Blues' loss in Origin II in 2023, and rather than be heckled by souped-up Maroons fans, he posed for endless photos with the same locals who had jeered him hours earlier at Suncorp Stadium. There is the Liam Martin who is happy to infuriate Queensland – or any opposition – then there is the Liam Martin who would not hurt anyone. To quote Nathan Cleary one more time: 'He's the softest tough guy ever.'
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘He's the softest tough guy ever': The other side of Blues hard man Liam Martin
There is the Liam Martin who tries to smash Cameron Munster at every opportunity. Then there is the Liam Martin who loves sitting down to read a book, or watch endless reruns of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy (the character Aragorn is his personal favourite). There is the Liam Martin who gets in the face of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui after he dropped the ball in Perth. Then there is the Liam Martin who helps raise funds for motor neurone disease after losing his uncle in 2022, and his association with the family of AFL great Neale Daniher, who has lived with MND for more than a decade. Almost every story about Martin and State of Origin is about how tough he is and what an on-field grub he is – the bloke who relishes the chance to antagonise and bash Queenslanders. In fairness, he does a fantastic job of it. Teammates have even given him the nickname 'Wild Dog'. Even when he's not trying, Martin irons out Maroons, as evidenced by the giant lump above Reuben Cotter's left eye at Optus Stadium. Just this week, there was more than one story about Martin trying to put the Queenslanders off their game in next Wednesday's Origin decider at Accor Stadium. But, as the old story goes, there is a lot more to Liam Martin. Ask around enough and you start to get a proper sense of what he is really like. Nathan Cleary best sums it up when he says of the Penrith, NSW and Kangaroos back-rower: 'He's the softest tough guy ever. On the field, he's a beast. But he wouldn't hurt anyone away from the field.' Fullback Dylan Edwards says: 'Away from training, when he's at home with his lovely fiancée [Chelsea], he's a real sweetheart. He's very smart, kind and caring. 'He's also good for a 'finjury', or a fake injury. He once thought he had torn his pec, but it turns out he lifted too much weight in the gym [and was just sore].' NSW coach Laurie Daley, who hails from Junee, a short drive south of Martin's home town of Temora in the NSW Riverina, is full of praise for Martin's work ethic. 'Marto is just a good fella, as you would expect from a country boy,' Daley says. 'He's as tough as nails, loves his teammates, loves his team, loves his state, and would do anything for anyone. 'He's a wonderful young man. 'If he's chasing a kick, he goes flat out. If he's coming out of the line, he's going flat out. If he's carrying the ball, it's always flat out. 'Everything is always maximum effort – that's what he does. He doesn't pace his way through the game. He's got one gear. Even when he drinks, he's only got the one gear.' The sweetest story we unearthed about Martin took place at the start of this year when he sent his mother, Maxine, a kookaburra ornament. Martin's older brother, Jarred, took his own life in 2014. Maxine spotted a kookaburra in an unlikely place not long after Jarred's death, and was convinced it was her late son's way of communicating with her. Martin thought of Jarred and Maxine when he saw the kookaburra ornament, and mailed it to his mum, just to let her know he was thinking of them both. 'When my brother passed away, about a month later, mum found a photo of a kookaburra Jarred had drawn. She reckons ever since then a kookaburra has hung around home, or wherever she goes,' Martin says. 'The kookaburra is my brother. She's got so many pictures and mugs with kookaburras. I saw this ornament pop up, so I sent it to her, without telling her who it had come from.' The Martin Family Cup, an annual game between Temora High and West Wyalong High, where Martin went to school, started last year. The concept was based on the two schools and towns where Martin grew up, with the key message to the students being 'resilience and respect'. Martin, now 28, possesses both traits in spades. 'I didn't play for West Wyalong, but my brother did. I went to West Wyalong High, but played all my footy in Temora,' Martin says. 'When people say I'm from Temora, my mates in West Wyalong want to know why they never get a mention. 'I love where I grew up. I'll be getting back there in August. There's a trivia night that will help raise funds for MND. I lost my uncle a few years ago. Mum found out about the news when she landed in England. 'It's such a cruel disease. Neale Daniher does a great job raising awareness about MND. I've never met Neale, but I'm close with some of his family, who were from near West Wyalong. His nephew Harvey is my age, and still one of my best mates.' Martin's fiancée Chelsea is from Temora, but the pair didn't know each other because her family was involved in Aussie rules – not rugby league – and they met by chance at a party in Wollongong. They are expecting their first child in October, which has since prompted Martin to make the early call and pull out of the Kangaroos' Ashes tour of England. Settling down off the field has also changed Martin. 'We've been together going on seven years; I like to think I'm a romantic,' Martin says. 'Mum talks about buying flowers, but Chelsea is very laid-back, and doesn't even like flowers. 'I do like doing things for her, including cooking meals. I make an authentic carbonara sauce. 'She'll tell me I carry on like an idiot sometimes when she watches me on the field. I agree with her. But she also knows it's just footy. Half the time I don't think she's paying attention. 'As for having that softer side, I think I do, especially when it comes to friends and family. I'm a country boy at heart.' Martin is smarter than the average NRL forward – he scored 89.95 on his higher school certificate – but, like all country boys, he loves a beer. He was one of only two Blues players to give it a nudge at a bonding session when they entered camp before Origin I. When Canterbury coach and former Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo held his 40th birthday party earlier this year, Martin was close to best on ground. Loading Martin was the only Blues player brave enough to march into the famous Victory Hotel in downtown Brisbane at 3am after the Blues' loss in Origin II in 2023, and rather than be heckled by souped-up Maroons fans, he posed for endless photos with the same locals who had jeered him hours earlier at Suncorp Stadium. There is the Liam Martin who is happy to infuriate Queensland – or any opposition – then there is the Liam Martin who would not hurt anyone. To quote Nathan Cleary one more time: 'He's the softest tough guy ever.'
The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
The on-field gesture that raises more concerns for Dragons and Flanagan
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'I don't get any flashbacks' As he approaches Wednesday's State of Origin series decider, Blues coach Laurie Daley says he won't let a desire for revenge dominate his coaching. 'I don't think anyone can want something too much, but what you need to be able to do is control yourself and make sure that you're making the right decisions,' Daley said. 'That's what we've done all the way through the series, and that's what we'll continue to do for this one.' Last week, we wrote that Daley could be excused for suffering post-traumatic Origin syndrome after Queensland tortured him for years. Daley won just six of 15 games in his first stint as NSW coach from 2013 to 2017, against one of the great Queensland teams of all time, but many of the losses were heartbreakers. 'I got that out of my system pretty early,' Daley said about the past. 'As a coach, it's a roller coaster, you're up and down. 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'He's been in every situation the game's tossed up – I think he'd have been through it. That's why we got him on board, and that's why he has a big part in the way that we go about planning our week ... about how we go about messaging through the week, and how we handle weeks. 'Because I don't know how many grand finals he's coached in [nine], but he's been there for a while and knows how to do it.' The Bellamy appointment shows Daley has put his ego aside in a bid for Origin redemption. 'I think when you try to create a selfless environment and a selfless team, and you've got to put the team first, I think coaches have to do that as well,' Daley said. 'And I've got a great group of coaches, and they all have great input. And I think it's all about sharing success if you get it, rather than sort of identifying one individual. 'And that's the type of team we want to be as well. We want to be a selfless team that's committed to doing all the little things well, and regardless of who gets the credit, we all know that everyone's contributed in some way, shape or form.' Roo shock for Smith The NRL is treating the man regarded as the game's next Immortal, Cameron Smith, poorly. He has made it known that he wants the Kangaroos coaching job, but for weeks, he has not heard a word – not even a thanks, but no thanks. The Kangaroos are without a coach after Mal Meninga took up the job with the Perth Bears. The delay in naming a replacement has led to questions about how invested the NRL is in the Kangaroos. There is also a level of mystery surrounding Brad Fittler's decision to pull out of the race for the Australian coaching job. There was widespread acknowledgement that Fittler was the right man to take over from Meninga, but Freddie's sudden change of mind has left people looking for reasons. Fittler was well advanced in negotiations with the NRL about the job – how he wanted it to look and the people he wanted to work with, including Smith. I have also heard whispers that Fittler was interested in having Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo on his coaching team. That would have made quite a dynamic outfit: Ciraldo as the nuts and bolts man, while Fittler could provide the inspiration and leadership along with Smith. The process has dragged on, and that may have been part of the reason for Fittler pulling out. Another factor may be the always grey area of national eligibility. There is an increasing trend for players to turn their backs on the green and gold and play for Pacific nations, and that would not have sat well with any potential Australian coach. Begging players to play for Australia is not acceptable, nor an attractive prospect for a coach. Fittler is time poor and there is no question that commentating for Channel Nine and working as a representative coach, whether at Origin level or for Australia, can have a real impact on that role. Fittler could be restricted in some of his opinions or criticism of players if he was national coach. It is also interesting that Meninga had expressed concerns privately about the resources the Kangaroos coach would have, if it was him or someone else going forward. The NRL has long been reluctant to spend money, and working in a cut-price environment is never pleasant. I am not sure that Fittler ever got that far down the track – where he had discussed the details of how a Kangaroo tour would be resourced – but whoever the next coach may be, it is something that will need serious consideration. Dogs won't let go Bulldogs assistant coach Chad Randall was being pushed by some Manly old boys to take over from Anthony Seibold on the northern beaches, but the Bulldogs are having none of it. Randall has the obvious family link – his dad, Terry, is a Sea Eagles great, who played 160 games for Manly and represented NSW and Australia – but the Dogs have just re-signed Randall jnr, who is responsible for their defence. The Bulldogs have another coach on the rise in former captain Josh Jackson. He is developing well in the system underneath Cameron Ciraldo. Robbo's northern exposure Trent Robinson is a new-age coach and is always looking at different ways to develop his players and himself. During their bye week, the Roosters coach ditched his phone and went camping with strangers in a remote part of the Northern Territory. He is comfortable roughing it and being alone with his thoughts. It's something many of his colleagues may not be happy doing. Trell's golf game up to scratch It is easy to see that Latrell Mitchell has an ambition to become a scratch golfer, such is his dedication to the sport. In the freezing cold at Leura in the Blue Mountains, and on a waterlogged course, as soon as the Blues finish training and recovery, Latrell will go to the course by himself and play until it gets dark. He also has his own golf video blog, which he puts out now and again. He has been off the drink and on the course this season, and has never been happier. His fitness is also the best it has been. Last we checked, he was off a handicap of 10, and that is heading down. Mitchell has also taken on another role: the coffee man for the Blues. Jack be nimble, and so is Baxter Jack Elsegood was a dynamic winger in the 1990s, and we may start to see him at Bulldogs games. His nephew, Baxter Warner, has just signed with Canterbury from the Roosters. He is an emerging centre who can also play wing and fullback.
