Renouf: Munster's instinctive genius will get Storm home

Cameron Munster is the unpredictable genius who can break open the 2020 grand final and win it for the Storm.

When I look at the 34 players who will contest this year's decider, with Munster no-one could possibly predict what he will do.

At the Broncos, when we played the gun Raiders side in the 1990s we would talk about Brett Mullins, Laurie Daley and either Ricky Stuart or Brad Clyde.

It was the attacking players we had to stop. It was usually three danger players that were singled out.

Looking at Melbourne, Munster would be the first. Storm captain Cameron Smith would be the second.

Smith won't let one last opportunity slip. I have tipped him to win the Clive Churchill Medal. There is no doubt he is the best player in the game.

The third player to stop is fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who is a real threat with his speed, game awareness and support play. He will dominate given half a chance.

Penrith will know that he will be around the ball and constantly pushing up in support of the ball carrier.

Like Mullins in his day, Papenhuyzen will finish off creative plays with points.

Smith has gone through his whole career being the man to target for the opposition but he has spiders on him.

He is a master at controlling the pace of the game and if that becomes a fast pace and he gets to run out of dummy half then the Panthers will be in real trouble.

With Munster you know he is going to play well, but the great thing about him is that even he does not know what he will do next. A lot of modern players lack his instinct.

When he crabs across the field he is having a look at the defensive line. It is a split-second thing, but when you see him float across the park he is scanning for a lazy or tired defender.

In a split second he will go 'bang' and streak through the line before linking with Papenhuyzen or any player in support.

If there is no opening he will shift the ball left and Kenny Bromwich, Justin Olam or Josh Addo-Carr will do the rest.

Munster is one of the great characters of the game.

I noted that he said the other day he'd like to have 'the Clivey' around his neck, and I wouldn't bet against him winning the Clive Churchill Medal either. As a teammate I am sure he inspires confidence. He has a "good" arrogance about him.

Not that Melbourne will have it all their own way on Sunday.

Nathan Cleary is the Panthers' dominant half and the man who directs the traffic. He would be in every opposition team talk early in the week. He would be the number one man for the Storm to try and stop, but that is easier said than done. It doesn't happen very often.