The Storm might be having some regrets about their move to loan Harry Grant to the Wests Tigers after the hooker had a standout game last week against the Sharks, and it could cause further headaches for Melbourne down the track.
Grant joined the Storm in 2018, but playing behind legendary hooker Cameron Smith and Kiwi Brandon Smith meant he only played two NRL games with Melbourne.
But the development of Grant under the tutelage of an Immortal-in-waiting and Storm coach Craig Bellamy made him an enticing prospect, and after months of negotiations, the Tigers secured the first ever NRL loan deal, sending centre Paul Momirovski to Melbourne for the 2020 season in exchange for the Rockhampton product.
The 22-year-old took no time at all to impress Tigers coach Michael Maguire, earning a start against Cronulla in round three, putting Billy Walters on the bench and leaving out Josh Reynolds.
Grant scored the opening try of the game, had three tackle-breaks, one line-break, 68 metres gained from 10 carries, and made a team-high 47 tackles (with eight from marker), as the Tigers went on to claim a rousing 28-16 win.
That performance raised Andrew Johns' eyebrows. The rugby league legend scored the Queenslander's efforts 9/10 on debut for the Tigers and led to a huge call about his exciting potential in rugby league.
"I think you're seeing a representative player of the future," Johns said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy & The Eighth.
"He works really hard. The only knock on him is he used to live with my nephew Cooper who is an out and out scallywag."
It's unclear how Maguire envisages using Grant in the rotation with Walters down the track, but after that game the Storm might be wishing they hadn't let the hooker go to Sydney.
New Zealand Test hooker Brandon Smith revealed to Wide World of Sports last month that he's been told by Storm officials that he is the heir to Cameron Smith's No.9 jersey, with the former Queensland and Kangaroos skipper tipped to retire at the end of this season.
Contracted until the end of 2022, Smith would make a fine replacement but he is a versatile player who could feature in other positions too. He is often utilised as a back-rower.
In the Storm's stunning loss to Canberra Raiders last week, the New Zealander failed to have much of an impact with just six passes and an offload in 45 minutes, 68 metres gained from 13 carries, with 30 tackles (and two missed) and 8 hit-ups.
If Grant uses his opportunity at Wests this season to show he's undeniably a starting-calibre NRL hooker, going back to being second-fiddle to Storm's Brandon (or Cameron) Smith next year might be difficult.
Brandon Smith similarly might not be willing to hand over the hooker role and be shifted elsewhere if Grant returns to wear the No.9 jersey.
Grant is still expected to go back to Melbourne in 2021 as part of the loan agreement, but after a stellar debut with the Tigers, the young hooker could cause a bit of a headache for the Storm next season.
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/harry-grant-wests-tigers-debut-cameron-smith-succession-melbourne-storm/6d995d74-e2aa-4765-9627-e991b836238e
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