‘When we win it’: Stefano Utoikamanu fires more shots as he looks to complete incredible journey from worst to first

Storm enforcer Stefano Utoikamanu lit the fuse for grand final week following his “stuck up” comments about some of the Broncos players on Monday, but it’s not his first bold declaration ahead of the biggest game of his career.

Rugby league loves it when players ditch the cliches and actually say what they think, which is why Utoikamanu has been a breath of fresh air in a week when grand finalists try to avoid giving their opponents bulletin-board material.

It’s why the NRL would have secretly loved his Monday morning barbs, with Utoikamanu dropping this cold line on Friday when asked what his favourite grand final moment was just minutes after the Storm beat the Sharks.

“I don’t really (have one). My favourite grand final moment is going to be next week when we win it,” he said in the AAMI Park tunnel.

WHAT’S THE MATTA?

Utoikamanu’s journey to his maiden NRL grand final started long before his big move from the Wests Tigers to Melbourne.

The hulking prop was involved in another major move when he left the Eels to join the Tigers for the 2021 season but only after the club blocked an early release for 2020.

Utoikamanu played three games for Parramatta that season and people assumed he wanted out due to a dispute between his family and the club over the handling of his brother’s career-ending neck injury.

But the rep star says that wasn’t the case and he wanted to leave a club where he was stuck behind Junior Paulo, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and other established forwards.

“Everyone had their say about it and what was going on with my brother, but it wasn’t that,” he said.

“I felt like I had the best opportunity to play at the Wests Tigers. I couldn’t blame Parramatta because they had ‘Reg’ and Junior and were killing it at the time.

“They told me that I wasn’t going to be a part of the rotation going forward and that I had to bide my time. As a young guy coming through, I knew my time would come, but I was eager to play in the NRL.

“If you want to improve, you need to play in the NRL and experience it. The best thing for me was to leave and it’s been one of the best decisions I made.”

MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Utoikamanu spent the next four seasons at the Tigers but moved on at the end of 2024 following a drawn-out saga where he eventually chose the Storm over the Bulldogs.

While he’s turned into one of the best middle forwards in the world, the transition wasn’t as smooth as people expected.

“They’ve got a different defensive system here, and they’re big on defence and effort,” Utoikamanu said.

“I feel like when I first came here that it was a bit of a change. I feel like week to week that I’ve tried to improve my game and that’s coming out now.”

Utoikamanu’s brutal carries have set the tone early and have changed games in his second stints, but the 25-year-old insists he’s not the missing piece of the puzzle that the Storm lacked in last year’s grand final that enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona missed through suspension.

Asofa-Solomona is again banned for Sunday’s clash, but the rest of Melbourne’s middles have picked up the slack, with Josh King, Shawn Blore, Eli Katoa and Trent Loiero laying the platform for the spine to shine.

“I don’t know about being the missing piece, but my job when I first got here was to get the best out of myself and to constantly improve,” he said.

“Seeing our pack, we’re well-rounded. Me going out there and doing my job comes off the back of Harry, Kingy, Trent, Shawn and Eli, who kills it for us.

“Our whole pack is pretty strong, so when we all bring our strengths to the game, that’s when you see us at our best.”

BLUES CLUES

A return to the Origin arena didn’t go to plan as the Maroons stunned the Blues to reclaim the shield, but his time with NSW seemed to spark something in Utoikamanu.

His numbers since then don’t appear crazy, but he’s become a genuine wrecking ball who has changed games with bruising runs as he did against the Roosters a couple of months ago.

“Coming out of the Origin period, I’ve got a lot of confidence from getting in that team. I was criticised a fair bit for getting picked in that team, but I’ve come out the other side of it,” he said.

“I didn’t really care (what people said about me). I saw people talk bad about me – not just this year but last year as well when I was criticised for coming to this club.

“But the big reason why I came here was to play in these games, and I feel like the only opinion that matters is from my teammates and coaches. The coaches are the ones that pick the team. If they believe in me, then I believe I can get the job done.

“That Origin period was a big stepping stone for me because you’ve got to step up in those big games. I was coming off the bench and just wanted to bring a bit of energy for our team, and I think I brought that back for the Storm.

“I didn’t come off the bench for the Storm, but to start the game I feel like you need to bring a bit of energy, so I carried the ball well, which is one of my strengths. I feel like when I’m carrying the ball, people are getting on the back of me.

“As a middle, I’ve got to lay the platform from the start of the game. Our forward pack has to lay the platform from the start of the game to make sure we start well and finish well.”

WORST TO FIRST

Utoikamanu’s reward is a spot in the grand final, six years after he was involved in a wild NSW Cup decider for Wentworthville when Billy Magoulias broke their hearts with a late chip kick to set up a try.

He now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of former Tigers teammate Luke Garner, who went from a wooden-spooner in 2022 to a premier with Penrith the following season.

“It’s been a pretty crazy journey so far,” he said.

“This time last year I was sitting at home watching the finals. That was a big motivation for me having to watch from the sidelines and seeing all these good players play in these big games.

“I felt like that’s where I wanted to see myself, and getting the best out of myself is playing in these big games. Just seeing that I’m going to play in a grand final is crazy.

“I’ve never experienced it before, but Origin does have a big build-up, so having that little experience has prepped me.

“You’ve just got to embrace it. Talking to the media is something you can’t run away from. When we talk about what we want to do on the field as a team, I feel you’ve got to embrace it and take it as it comes.”