Koroisau to face-off with Smith in NRL final

Melbourne Storm icon Cameron Smith will be up against the NRL's 'buy of the year' and Panthers hooker Apisai Koroisau in what is likely to be his last NRL game.

Koroisau has been superb for the Panthers all season and again played a leading hand as his team booked a grand final spot by beating South Sydney 20-16 on Saturday night. He had a shoulder injury scare in the preliminary final but will be fit for the decider.

Smith was typically magnificent as Melbourne beat Canberra on Friday night, giving him the chance to retire after winning a third premiership.

Koroisau looms as a worthy opponent at No.9, having rejoined Penrith from Manly to become a dangerous foil for the Panthers halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.

Australian rugby league commentator Peter Maxwell John Sterling says Koroisau has been instrumental in getting the Panthers this far because he provides something different and he is so different to Smith but is both so significant to their teams.

Koroisau ran 82 metres and made 47 tackles in 65 minutes against the Rabbitohs last Saturday.

The last time the Panthers played in a grand final was 2003, when they collected the club's second title, while Melbourne has now made four of the past five deciders, losing in 2016 and 2018 and tasting success in 2017.

The Panthers will meet Storm in the NRL Grand final at 8.30 pm this Sunday at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.