Overview

• Melbourne enter the decider as widely regarded favourites on depth and big-game experience.
• Walsh produced late match-winning moments in back-to-back finals, including setting up Deine Mariner’s 76th-minute try against Penrith after an earlier missed kick.
• Two weeks earlier he was sin-binned for a head-butt in Canberra and made an obscene gesture before returning to lead Brisbane’s comeback.
• He says regular sessions with Louder, who has longstanding ties to the Storm and works with Collingwood, clear his mind and sharpen decision-making under stress.
• The 23-year-old highlights growth in effort areas and seeks redemption after his 2023 grand final miss on Nathan Cleary, underlined by a sustained run of attacking impact.