There may not be any #KiwiNRL funk in the most influential spine positions, they say that footy games are won through the middle though and that's where the #KiwiNRL funk sits. Melbourne have the Bromwich bros, Tohu Harris and Nelson Asofa-Solomona set to play key roles in the Storm's forward back, which will centre around North Queensland Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo.

Melbourne Storm's coaching staff (including Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk) will undoubtedly be devising plans to limit Taumalolo's influence. This is a Grand Final and you've got to ensure that every tiny detail is taken care of, of which the Storm always do a great job and I'm sure they've got some plans in place to slow Taumalolo down. At the same time, with Taumalolo in the form that he's currently in, there's only so much you can do to slow him down and much of the Storm's defence will focus on ensuring that Taumalolo doesn't run riot.

Earlier in the week I highlighted how Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy gives Tohu Harris ample freedom, on defence. This means that Harris isn't restricted to defending on his left edge and routinely slides in-field to make tackles when the opposition are working the footy out of their own end. Harris' defensive prowess and Melbourne's wrestling ability - Harris is a gun wrestler - could be the key to limiting Taumalolo's influence.

Look for Harris to team up with Jesse Bromwich, lining up in front of Taumalolo. This wil require Harris to move to his right, possibly shifting Jordan McLean or Dale Finucane to their left.

Harris is crucial in slowing Taumalolo down because he has better lateral movement than Jordan McLean and he's bigger than Dale Finucane. The threat of Taumalolo comes as he's powerful (size and speed) but he also has footwork and Taumalolo thrives when running at big props because they struggle to get their bodies in front of him as Taumalolo uses his footwork to step in-between defenders. Harris and Bromwich are renowned for their footwork in attack and have the size along with nimble feet to contain Taumalolo.

This is why Taumalolo can consistently average over 10m/carry as he's too swift for big boppers and too powerful for smaller defenders. There's so many wrinkles to slowing Taumalolo down as you not only need to make strong contact and stop his momentum, you then need to do everything possible to not let him land on his front, thus earning a quick play-the-ball.

The mobility of Harris and Bromwich will also be crucial in Melbourne's line-speed. This will likely be the main tactic from Bellamy and the Storm as they'll try get in Taumalolo's face, so he can't built up speed and dictate the play. Harris and Bromwich are quick enough to move forward 5 metres before contact, limiting the space in which Taumalolo can run into and then nimble enough to deal with his footwork.

Look for Harris and Bromwich to push up swiftly, but with Smith or Finucane making more of an effort to make the first contact. They are more likely to go low, while Harris and Bromwich wrap him up and they are both taller than Taumalolo so they should be able to wrestle him on to his back. Whether it's Taumalolo dictating the carry on the back of a quick play and Harris/Bromwich unable to move forward, Smith/Finucane going low and Harris/Bromwich wrestling, or Harris and Bromwich meeting Taumalolo half-way with hefty contact and nimble lateral movement; Melbourne Storm are the best-equipped team to deal with Taumalolo.

Harris plays 80 minutes and his defence will be even more crucial when Kenny Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona roll on around half-time. The first point on that is the key coaching decision for Cowboys coach Paul Green on when he gives Taumalolo a rest. Last week Taumalolo got a 15 minute break after half-time, which would coincide with Jesse Browmich, Finucane and McLean's standard rest period.

Don't be surprised if Taumalolo comes off earlier in the first half, so he is able to possibly play the whole second half. Taumalolo could run rampant in that period after half-time as Kenny Bromwich isn't as big and Asofa-Solomona is super mobile, not quite as mobile as Taumalolo though.

I've pondered how Taumalolo could go to a 'nek level' in recent weeks (his 20+ carries, 200m+ and 11m/carry in 60-65 minutes is standard Taumalolo) and one aspect is playing the full 80. Considering how important Taumalolo is to the Cowboys and that this is the big dance, this will be a difficult decision for Green as he'd want Taumalolo to catch his breath if possible but also lead his forward pack for the whole game.

Green could also want Taumalolo and Coen Hess to play as many minutes together as possible. Hess averages 56mins/game this season but the last two weeks have seen Hess play 38 and 29mins, so how Green juggles Hess' involvement around Taumalolo will be funky.

Harris' defence will be even more relevant in that period when Kenny Bromwich and Asofa-Solomona are on the field. Don't be surprised to see Harris consistently slide in to defend as a middle forward alongside Tim Glasby and Smith, while either Kenny or Asofa-Solomona shifts to the left edge. Asofa-Solomona will be the most likely to spend more time on the edge as I've noted recently that he does slide out there on defence where he's big enough and mobile enough to handle the edge forwards; the focus is however on what happens through the middle. Kenny takes the Finucane role of going low, while Harris combines with Glasby to go up top.

The attacking funk offered by Kenny and Asofa-Solomona is immense. Kenny is a slick ball-player who can push Cameron Munster and Cooper Cronk one pass wider, while Asofa-Solomona can offload with ease. Most notably though, when these two are on the field, the tempo increases for Melbourne as Asofa-Solomona is near impossible to dominate in a tackle and has a rapid play-the-ball that Smith loves. Kenny is simply quicker than any other Melbourne forward and raises the temp with his footwork/speed around the ruck.

This Grand Final features some of the very best play-makers we've ever seen, yet they need a platform to work from. It's going to be tricky, but among the brilliant footy skill of those play-makers, note the #KiwiNRL influence through the middle. Any time there's a #KiwiNRL cuzzie involved in a tackle, ponder which cuzzie won that tackle and whether they earned or stopped a quick play-the-ball. Those details will decide which set of play-makers have the best opportunities.

Peace and love 27.

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