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"Tough gig": Grant defends Golden Boot panel amid award controversy
Sam Kosack • December 12th, 2025 5:29 pm
Kangaroos vice-captain Harry Grant has opened up about being named the 2025 Golden Boot winner, describing the achievement as a “huge honour”.
Grant was awarded the Golden Boot, rugby league’s prestigious award that signifies the best international rugby league player that year. The award does not factor in club or Origin form.
Four other players were shortlisted to win the award: Grant’s Storm teammate Cameron Munster (Australia), Payne Haas (Samoa), and New Zealand duo Joseph Tapine and Dylan Brown.
Debate surrounded yesterday’s announcement given Dylan Brown was the favourite for the award, while Cameron Munster was named Man of the Series in the Ashes ahead of Grant.
Grant was humbled to win the award and credited his teammates and staff for helping him to the accomplishment.
“It’s a huge honour… it’s hard to receive it in a sense because there’s so many great players in the game,” Grant told SEN 1170 Afternoons.
“You look at the shortlist of players that were in the running, and then how many great players are in the game in general, (I’m) definitely very humbled and proud to receive it.
"The panel of judges that did award it, they've done plenty in the game.
“You can fill your boots up with and take some confidence with it.
“Sometimes when you’re having fun and enjoying yourself, these accomplishments or achievements come along with it but at the end of the day it’s your teammates, your team, and the staff that put so much time in through the journey.”
Despite the controversy surrounding Grant’s win, the hooker revealed Cameron Munster, who many had as a favourite for the award, was one of the first to congratulate him.
“He was one of the first blokes to send me a message and he's a great teammate, a great person and I think to sort of play with him at club land, but then to play with him in those occasions and arenas like Origin and the Kangaroos, you sort of see how much of a freak he is,” Grant said.
“He's out there having fun playing footy, and giving his best, and that's why I love playing with him.”
The voting panel for the Golden Boot consisted of NRL legends Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Ruben Wiki, James Graham and Petero Civoniceva.
Despite coming under fire, Grant had empathy for the panel.
“It's all different circumstances and all different brands of footy, I think,” Grant said.
“You look at the way that some of the specific championships was played, it's probably a little bit different to the way that the Ashes series went.
“I think it's probably a tough gig for him, but I'm just lucky that I'm out there playing footy and trying to do a job for my team.”
Julia Robinson was unanimously voted the recipient of the women’s Golden Boot award, while England’s Rob Hawkins became the first player in any category to win consecutive Golden Boots, having been named the winner among wheelchair players.
Hawkins becomes just the fifth person to win the Golden Boot twice, along with Jonathan Thurston, Cameron Smith, Darren Lockyer, and Andrew Johns.
Harry Grant is the fifth Melbourne Storm player to win the Golden Boot alongside Smith, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, and Greg Inglis.
