The matchups that will decide Grand Final day

The best team effort on the day will ultimately determine the winners of the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals, but along the way these individual battles will play a huge role. 

Here are the key matchups to watch in Sunday's games at Accor Stadium. 

Key matchups for the NRL Grand Final 

Izack Tago v Herbie Farnworth

Tago made his return from a pec injury last week and had some moments where he looked vulnerable in defence. If Ivan Cleary opts to play him on the right edge in the decider – as he did in the preliminary finals– then you can expect the Broncos to send Herbie Farnworth at him hard and often. The Storm found got their only try through sending Justin Olam at Tago last week and Farnworth shapes as being an even more daunting matchup this time around, provided he isn't hampered by the hamstring scare he suffered at training this week. 

The key stat: Farnworth has been a handful all year with ball in hand, averaging 5.1 tackle breaks per game, a stat bettered only by Dane Gagai and Joey Manu in terms of full-time centres in 2023.

Isaah Yeo v Payne Haas

The leading metre-eating forwards for their respective sides, this battle will go a long way to deciding which star-studded spine is given the best chance to shine on Sunday. Haas owned his match-up against Addin Fonua-Blake last week and helped make the game fast enough that Reece Walsh caused havoc when he got involved, while Yeo was outstanding in an 80-minute showing against the Storm, churning through 210 metres and providing a crucial link between his fellow forwards and Nathan Cleary.

The key stat: Payne Haas averages an NRL-high 72.7 post-contact metres per game in 2023, with almost 39 percent of his average yardage this year coming after the first defender gets to him.

Dylan Edwards v Reece Walsh

Two fullbacks who bring very different skillsets to this game but who will be equally important to the outcome at Accor Stadium. Edwards will have a huge role to play in organising the defensive line to account for Walsh when the Broncos are in good-ball situations and ensuring he isn’t able to cause the type of chaos he inflicted on the Warriors last week. A workaholic who rarely makes unforced errors, he can cause death by 1000 cuts with his patient style of play. Walsh on the other hand has a less subtle approach with ball in hand, with his athleticism proving too much for even the best defenders in the NRL. But it’s his ability to bring teammates into the game – like he did last week when he set up three tries and assisted six line breaks – that is the real area of concern for Edwards and co.

The key stat: No player has set up more line breaks than Reece Walsh this season, with the Broncos whizz averaging 1.8 per game. He’s also set up 25 tries in 21 games, with Nicho Hynes the only NRL regular with a better assist rate in 2023.

Key matchups for the NRLW Grand Final 

Tamika Upton v Evania Pelite 

The big x-factors for both sides, the Maroons teammates are unlikely to come face-to-face too often on Sunday, but their personal battle is intriguing for other reasons. Upton will head into the game fresh of being named the NRLW Dally M Medal winner after a brilliant season that included five tries and eight try assists. She saved her best for the biggest game of the year to date as well, with three line breaks and 202 run metres in the semi-final win over the Broncos. Pelite meanwhile has been a nightmare for defenders all year, averaging a competition-high 7.7 tackle breaks along with 184 metres per game. Her ball-playing close to the line has also been a big factor this year. 

The key stat: Upton has a perfect 3/3 record in grand finals and has scored a try in all but one of them. In last year's decider she ran for 181 metres and made two line breaks on her way to picking up the Karyn Murphy Medal as best on ground.

Caitlan Johnston v Georgia Hale 

The Knights' most damaging ball carrier in the forwards up against the competition's best defender. Johnston is the starting point for so much of what Newcastle do in attack, with her powerful runs often setting up half breaks and line breaks directly, or unsettling the defence enough that they wilt on one of the next few plays. But she'll have her work cut out for her this week with Hale likely to shadow her every move as she approaches 500 tackles for the year. The pint-sized Kiwi is tackling at a remarkable 99 percent efficiency rate this season. This shapes as a brilliant battle of opposing strengths. 

The key stat: Hale eclipsed the previous record for most tackles in a game, held by Simaima Taufa who hit 51 on two separate occasions previously, in Round 2 this year when she made 56. She then backed that up by setting a new mark with 57 in last week's defeat of the Roosters.  

Jesse Southwell v Lauren Brown 

Coach Karyn Murphy's decision to move Brown from hooker to halfback coincided with the Titans going on their current five-game unbeaten run and her experience and game management has been crucial alongside 18-year-old halves partner Chantay Kiria-Ratu. It will be a teenage star she's tasked with getting the better of in the decider too, with Jesse Southwell building on a brilliant debut campaign last year with a string of big performances that came after she made her Origin debut for NSW in June. The Titans will rely heavily on Brown's strong general play kicking, which will go a long way to deciding how much of a role Tamika Upton is able to have in the contest, while Southwell will handle the bulk of the playmaking responsibilities as she has done all year, with her running game a potential point of difference for Newcastle. 

The key stat: Brown has forced nine dropouts in 10 games this season and since moving to halfback in Round 6 averages 173 kick metres per game.