‘Touch footy or rugby league?’: Storm skipper’s explosive NRL plea as Sharks coach fumes at farce
Melbourne Storm captain Harry Grant has criticized the current state of the NRL, citing excessive penalties and set restarts that disrupt the flow of the game. He expressed concern that the sport is becoming too similar to 'touch footy' rather than traditional rugby league.
Why it matters
The comments highlight growing tension between league officials and players regarding rule changes and the physical integrity of the sport.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP TEAMS STORM ‘Touch footy or rugby league?’: Storm skipper’s explosive NRL plea as Sharks coach fumes at farce "Not playing touch!" Harry Grant | 07:04 Josh Higgins and NewsWire from Fox Sports September 6th, 2026 9:59 am Storm skipper Harry Grant has delivered a blunt warning over the state of the NRL, questioning whether the game wants to be “rugby league or touch footy” after a frustrating stop-start affair against the Sharks was plagued by a staggering 24 infringements.
Melbourne somehow emerged from the stop-start madness with a dramatic last-minute victory, Grant producing a sublime flick pass to send Trent Loiero over for the match-winner and condemn the Sharks to missing the top eight for the first time since 2010.
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