The Storm were the last team to lift the Provan-Summons Trophy when they defeated Penrith in the 2020 decider.
The Panthers have cited the result as a pivotal moment in their rise to NRL dominance and Grant said last year’s loss to the four-time defending champions will act as a similar motivator in their quest to go one better in 2025.
“It’s tough and we’re disappointed we lost but we can’t take away from the experience,” Grant told NRL.com. “We got to learn what it takes to win one, what it takes to get there, and we got to experience the week and how different it is to any other week in the NRL.
“The big thing for us is that it’s in the past and we can’t change it now, it’s what we do next that’s important.”
The Storm will begin their quest for the 2025 premiership when they host Parramatta in the final game of Round 1 on Sunday afternoon.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has enjoyed plenty of stability throughout the summer, with off-season recruits Stefano Utoikomanu and Moses Leo joining a settled squad.
Five-eighth Cameron Munster has also used the off-season to recover from groin surgery to heal an issue that plagued him for much of last year.
Melbourne’s stability is a stark contrast to the Panthers, who have lost star prop James Fisher-Harris, five-eighth Jarome Luai and winger Sunia Turuva.
While Melbourne defeated Penrith twice in the regular season, they were thoroughly outplayed in the grand final and rarely looked breaking down their opponents’ defensive line.
The challenge for Bellamy has been designing a playing style capable of defeating the Panthers while also not losing sight of what it takes to defeat the 15 other clubs in the competition.
Grant is confident the Storm have found a happy medium, with the team looking to tweak their attack based on the opponent.
“History shows you’ve got to be at your best to beat Penrith,” he said. “For us it’s a level playing field this year in terms of some of the players moving around and some of the new recruits.
“You’ve got to be able to adapt week to week and have a playing style that can beat any team. You’ve got to be at your best no matter which way you decide to play and you can’t be a margin off.”
Melbourne threw plenty at their opponents in last year’s decider however they rarely looked threatening with ball in hand.
The Panthers defence was too organised and too disciplined to crack, with the Storm’s sole try coming after Grant darted from dummy half.
It’s an area Melbourne hope Utoikamanu’s arrival will help to rectify, with the punishing forward set to bring a new dimension to the side’s attack.
While Grant is cautious to avoid putting too much pressure on the 24-year-old, he’s excited to see the former Tiger make an impact for the Storm.
“He’ll have a big impact,” Grant said. “We know what he is capable of, he’s an Origin representative player and he’s come down with a real growth mindset.
“He’s open minded and just wants to buy into what we’re doing. That’s really pleasing and the big thing is not saying he has to have an impact. The big thing is saying ‘back yourself, play your game, bring your strengths to the table and don’t worry about anyone else’s role’.
“He just needs to worry about how he gets through the week, how he prepares and how he plays on the weekend. That’s when he’ll have an impact on the team.”
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