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Melbourne ace takes NRL lessons after grand final loss
Melissa Woods, AAP • October 2nd, 2025 5:02 pm
The Storm's Nick Meaney is learning from the game's best centres as he heads for the grand final | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
After tasting defeat in his first NRL grand final playing in the centres, Melbourne's Nick Meaney vowed to take his game to the next level and started studying video of the game's best centre, Bulldogs star Stephen Crichton, to do so.
Despite playing 158 matches over eight seasons, the 28-year-old Meaney is still relatively new to the centres.
He started there once in 2021 before settling into the role for the start of the 2024 season, but after the Storm's grand final loss to Penrith looked for where he could improve, identifying his defence.
It's paid off with Meaney now one of Melbourne's most reliable defenders.
The Storm's Nick Meaney in action, getting to grips with Paul Alamoti in the 2024 grand final | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"Obviously last year was my first year at centre and I felt probably not the most comfortable out there," he told AAP.
"Coming from fullback, you don't make many tackles at the back and I didn't really have that instinct there on the edge.
"Going into this year, I really wanted to step up my game in that area and just be not a spot in the line and not an edge that teams want to attack against.
"I just look at the best centres in the game and the best defensive centres like Stephen Crichton ... watch film, and watch how other people do it as well, so it's definitely helped me."
Bulldogs powerhouse Stephen Crichton is one of the best defensive centres in the game | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Meaney and 22-year-old Jack Howarth will have their hands full up against Broncos pairing Kotoni Staggs, who was named in the 2025 NRL team of the year, and Queensland State of Origin centre Gehamat Shibasaki, in Sunday's grand final.
Meaney is also set to have Brisbane's lightning quick fullback Reece Walsh attack his right edge but said the Storm had a simple plan to limit his impact.
"It's just working as a group together, making sure that we're all on the same page defensively and when it is our time to make a tackle that we stick our contact," he said,
The Storm have plans to counter the brilliance of Brisbane's Reece Walsh | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
"How we finish our sets in the corner and where we give Reece the ball back, that will dictate how much energy and how much influence he has on the game.
"It's up to our spine to get us through the park and put the ball in the good field positions and then our job is to chase and make those tackles."
Last year, the Melbourne duo entered the NRL finals with only eight games playing in the centres together and while Howarth has been sidelined through injury and illness this season, Meaney said they were better prepared for their second title tilt.
"Yeah, obviously last year was my first one, personally, and the nerves were up there the whole week and it seems like a lot with all the media and with everything," he said.
"I feel a lot calmer this year and going into this week and the closer we get, hopefully the nerves are still down and I'm feeling confident.
"You never want to lose a grand final but it's what you do after that that defines you and hopefully we can change the script on Sunday."
Tune into Sport Nation for live commentary of the NRL Grand Final, thanks to SEN, from 8pm Sunday.
