From www.nzherald.co.nz:
Melbourne Storm rookie and Whangarei lad Adam Blair can't be faulted for his sense of timing.
On Saturday night Blair, a former problem child at the Storm, came through the biggest match of his life with flying colours as the Melburnians booked their place in next Sunday's NRL grand final against Brisbane with a 24-10 victory over St George Illawarra.
The 105kg, 1.86m prop was told only on Friday night he'd been elevated to the Storm bench ahead of Garrett Crossman, and responded with a performance that should ensure he makes the grand final playing 17.
And with Kiwis coach Brian McClennan soon to name his Tri-Nations squad and Blair having already raised the selectors' attention before the weekend, he gave himself every chance of pushing for a test debut at age 20.
"He's a very talented kid, one of the smartest front rowers I've ever coached," said Storm coach Craig Bellamy. "For him to go out and play the long periods he did, and have the impact that he had, just shows he is quite a special player.
"But he's got to get his feet back on the ground, he's got another game next week."
Blair made the impact his coach wanted. He flew in to chop down Dragons attackers, showed his off-loading skills and displayed a useful turn of foot as he charged up with ball in hand.
Blair was spotted by Melbourne Storm talent scouts when he was 16, after growing up on rugby at Whangarei Boys' High. He flew to Brisbane to join the Storm's feeder club Norths Dragons.
Saturday night was his 14th match of the season.
Storm captain for the night, Blair's compatriot David Kidwell, was just as impressed.
"He was my man of the match, as a young front rower, the minutes he played and the way he played, I thought he was great."
Blair, meanwhile, took it all in with a contented grin in a fizzing Storm dressing shed afterwards.
"I felt all right out there," he said. "We just stay in our own little bubble. It doesn't matter what the crowd's doing, we all stay together and everything's gone well for us."
Melbourne Storm rookie and Whangarei lad Adam Blair can't be faulted for his sense of timing.
On Saturday night Blair, a former problem child at the Storm, came through the biggest match of his life with flying colours as the Melburnians booked their place in next Sunday's NRL grand final against Brisbane with a 24-10 victory over St George Illawarra.
The 105kg, 1.86m prop was told only on Friday night he'd been elevated to the Storm bench ahead of Garrett Crossman, and responded with a performance that should ensure he makes the grand final playing 17.
And with Kiwis coach Brian McClennan soon to name his Tri-Nations squad and Blair having already raised the selectors' attention before the weekend, he gave himself every chance of pushing for a test debut at age 20.
"He's a very talented kid, one of the smartest front rowers I've ever coached," said Storm coach Craig Bellamy. "For him to go out and play the long periods he did, and have the impact that he had, just shows he is quite a special player.
"But he's got to get his feet back on the ground, he's got another game next week."
Blair made the impact his coach wanted. He flew in to chop down Dragons attackers, showed his off-loading skills and displayed a useful turn of foot as he charged up with ball in hand.
Blair was spotted by Melbourne Storm talent scouts when he was 16, after growing up on rugby at Whangarei Boys' High. He flew to Brisbane to join the Storm's feeder club Norths Dragons.
Saturday night was his 14th match of the season.
Storm captain for the night, Blair's compatriot David Kidwell, was just as impressed.
"He was my man of the match, as a young front rower, the minutes he played and the way he played, I thought he was great."
Blair, meanwhile, took it all in with a contented grin in a fizzing Storm dressing shed afterwards.
"I felt all right out there," he said. "We just stay in our own little bubble. It doesn't matter what the crowd's doing, we all stay together and everything's gone well for us."
