Harry Grant (rugby league)

Harry Grant (born 17 February 1998) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia at international level.

Harrry Grant
Personal information
Born (1998-02-17) 17 February 1998
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Height177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight87 kg (13 st 10 lb)
Playing information
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2018– Melbourne Storm 63 21 0 0 84
2020(loan) → Wests Tigers 15 3 0 0 12
Total 78 24 0 0 96
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2020–23 Queensland 8 1 0 0 4
2022–23 Australia 7 1 0 0 4
Source: [1]
As of 22 September 2023

Grant played for the Wests Tigers on loan for the 2020 NRL season. The arrangement between Wests and the Storm to trade Grant with Paul Momirovski was the first loan arrangement in NRL history.[2]

He has played at representative level for Queensland in State of Origin.

Early life

Grant was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia and educated at St. Brendan's College, Yeppoon.[3][4]

Grant almost died when he was 12 years old after contracting a staphylococcal infection.[5] He was admitted to intensive care and underwent three operations before being placed on a course of antibiotics for five months.[5] He then sustained a compound fracture in one of his legs when he an all-terrain vehicle rolled on the beach.[5] As a result, he was unable to play rugby league for two years.[5]

His older brother George Grant is also a rugby league player who has represented the Central Queensland Capras in the Queensland Cup as well as the Yeppoon Seagulls in the Rockhampton Senior Local Rugby League competition.[6][7]

They both played their junior rugby league for the Yeppoon Seagulls.[8]

Playing career

2016 - 2017: Early career

Grant played for the Melbourne Storm Holden Cup team from 2016 to 2017, scoring 9 tries and playing 21 games.[9]

While playing for Melbourne Storm National Youth Competition, he also made appearances for Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Instrust Super Cup. At the seasons end at Rugby League Players Association Awards night he was recipient of the National Youth Competition player of the year award.[10]

2018 - 2019: NRL Debut and further development

He made his NRL debut for the Melbourne Storm in their Round 11 match against Manly-Warringah .[11] He had his Melbourne jersey (cap number 188) presented to him by Melbourne captain Cameron Smith.[12]

In 2019, Grant spent the majority of the season playing for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Cup, taking them to the minor premiership and earning a spot in the Queensland Cup Team of the Year.[13] He was also named the Falcons Player of the Year, winning the James Ackerman Medal.[14]

In Round 25 he made his second NRL appearance, coming off the bench in Melbourne's 24–16 win over North Queensland.[15][16]

2020: Wests Tigers Loan

During the lead up to the 2020 NRL season the Wests Tigers and Melbourne Storm attempted to arrange a temporary player swap between Grant and Wests Tigers player Paul Momirovski.[17] The primary catalyst of this was Wests Tigers requiring reinforcements at Grant's preferred position of hooker due to the retirement of Robbie Farah and long-term injury to Wests Tigers preferred replacement Jacob Liddle. Grant, being Melbourne's third choice at his preferred position behind Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith and New Zealand Kiwis international hooker Brandon Smith was receptive to the move and began to push for it himself. Initially the NRL salary cap administrators refused to process the request because Melbourne would have gone over the salary cap if the deal had been processed at that time.[18]

After the NRL initially rejected the arrangement Grant requested an immediate release from his Melbourne contract in the hopes of joining the Wests Tigers as soon as possible though this did not eventuate.[19]

There were further delays due to injury to Brandon Smith causing Melbourne to hold up proceedings so they could have Grant provide back up to Cameron Smith in the early rounds of the season,[20] and briefly by Momirovski wishing to sign a new contract with Wests Tigers prior to leaving,[21] but the deal was finally made official during round 2 of the season on March 21, 2020. This deal was the first of its kind in the NRL.

Grant was selected in the Queensland 27 man squad for the 2020 State of Origin series, Grant debut in Game 3 of the series in a 20-14 win scoring the match sealing try winning the series 2-1.

2021 - present: Regular game time and National debut
Grant warming up for the Kangaroos during the 2021 RLWC

Despite missing a number of games through injury, Grant was selected in the Queensland team for Game 1 of the 2021 State of Origin series.[22] Grant played a total of 15 games for Melbourne in the 2021 NRL season as the club won 19 matches in a row and claimed the Minor Premiership. Grant played both finals matches including the preliminary final where Melbourne suffered a shock 10-6 loss against eventual premiers Penrith.[23]

Grant playing for the Kangaroos at the 2021 RLWC

In October Grant was named in the Australia squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[24]

Grant played for Australia in their 2021 Rugby League World Cup final victory over Samoa.[25]

In November he was named in the 2021 RLWC Team of the Tournament.[26]

In the opening game of the 2023 NRL season against the Parramatta Eels, Grant scored the first golden point try in Melbourne Storm history.[27] Grant played in all three games of the 2023 State of Origin series as Queensland won the shield 2-1. Grant played 25 games for Melbourne in the 2023 NRL season and as the club finished third on the table. Grant played in all three finals games for Melbourne as the club reached the preliminary final stage before losing to Penrith.[28]

Awards

Competition

2019 – Team of the Year
2020 – Rookie of the Year
2017 – NYC Player of the Year
2020 – Rookie of the Year

Club

2019 – James Ackerman Medal (Player of the Year)
2017 – Darren Bell Under 20s Player of the Year
2019 – Cooper Cronk Feeder Play of the Year
2022 – Best Forward
2020 – Rookie of the Year[29]

References
  1. Rugby League Project
  2. NRL 2020: Paul Momirovski, Harry Grant, Wests Tigers, Melbourne Storm, swap deal still on
  3. Meyn, Travis; Badel, Peter (4 August 2022). "NRL 2022: The Brisbane Broncos paid Sydney Roosters prop Matt Lodge $1 million to leave the club". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 21 March 2023. 5. Harry Grant (Storm): Rockhampton-born Grant was once a tee boy for Ben Hunt in side coached by Grant's father. Both ended up slipping through the net.
  4. Mackay, Pam (1 August 2022). "2000-plus games of NRL experience: St Brendan's star outfit named here". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 21 March 2023. St Brendan's College in Yeppoon has produced more than its fair share of rugby league stars. That was obvious when three of its graduates - Ben Hunt, Corey Oates and Harry Grant - featured in Queensland's thrilling State of Origin decider just a little over a fortnight ago.
  5. Gould, Joel (15 November 2020). "From deathbed to Maroons: Grant's stunning rise". NRL.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  6. Stallard, Cameron (18 April 2019). "Grant stars in homecoming as Falcons stun Capras". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 21 March 2023. ...former Yeppoon local Harry Grant, who lined up against older brother George, reliving their childhood footy days in the backyard.
  7. McKay, Pam (13 April 2021). "'It meant a lot to the boys and it meant a lot to me' - Yeppoon Seagulls emotional win in Round 1 of Rockhampton Rugby League". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 21 March 2023. Hooker George Grant scored a hat-trick of tries to help the Yeppoon Seagulls claim the Rhys Yore Memorial Shield.
  8. McKay, Pam (18 April 2019). "Yeppoon siblings to face off in Intrust Super Cup". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 21 March 2023. They both started league when they were about five and played their club footy with the Yeppoon Seagulls.
  9. "18thman - U20s Player Records". 18thman.com.
  10. "2017 RLPA Awards". Zero Tackle. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. 2018 Round 11 Storm vs Sea Eagles
  12. McKay, Pam (26 May 2016). "Harry's Storm debut 'wonderful memory' for Yeppoon family". Courier Mail. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. Jones, Nathan (10 September 2019). "Team of the Year selection rewards consistent performers". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  14. "Grant caps strong season with James Ackerman Medal". qrl.com.au. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  15. Brinums, Jorja (28 November 2019). "2019 Year in Review: Sunshine Coast Falcons". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  16. "Rugby League Project - Harry Grant". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  17. Paul Momirovski for Harry Grant: Wests Tigers, Melbourne Storm, NRL 2020 - NRL
  18. "NRL 2020: NRL shuts down loan deal between Melbourne Storm hooker Harry Grant and Wests Tigers centre Paul Momirovski".
  19. "NRL 2020: Melbourne Storm hooker Harry Grant officially requests release to join Wests Tigers".
  20. NRl 2020: Wests Tigers, Melbourne Storm Harry Grant, Paul Momirovski swap deal almost sealed - NRL
  21. "Loan-deal to go through by end of the weekend: Michael Maguire".
  22. Gould, Joel. "Queensland hooker Harry Grant has declared he'll be fit for game one after overcoming a hamstring injury". heraldsun.com.au. NCA Newswire. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  23. "Penrith Panthers beat Melbourne Storm 10-6 to reach second straight NRL grand final, will face South Sydney Rabbitohs". ABC News. 25 September 2021.
  24. Full list of every squad at the Rugby League World Cup 2021
  25. "Australia 30-10 Samoa: Rugby League World Cup final – as it happened". www.theguardian.com.
  26. Samoan domination as unlikely halfback earns No.7 jersey: WC Team of the Tournament
  27. Brunsdon, Simon (2 March 2023). "'Incredible' Harry Grant play wins golden point thriller in NRL season opener". Nine's Wide World of Sport. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  28. "NRL 2023: Melbourne Storm season review". www.sportingnews.com.
  29. "2020 Wests Tigers Kelly-Barnes Award Winners". Wests Tigers. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
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