Summary
As Simply The Best (what else?) blares out around Accor Stadium, I’ll take my leave for the night. And what a night it was, another demonstration of this extraordinary Penrith dynasty. Read more about it here from Angus Fontaine, and stay tuned for plenty of reaction tomorrow and through the week.
Thanks for joining me this evening. Catch you in Vegas.
The catwalk of champions ends with Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo. The latter takes the mic to thank fans and sponsors. The pair then accept the Provan-Summons Trophy from Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys, taking it over to their teammates and raising it to the sky for the fourth time in a row!
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A dejected Harry Grant says the right things when he’s invited to speak. Then it’s over to the most heartwarming passage of the night, when the massive footballers accept their premiership rings from kids barely a quarter of their mass.
Liam Martin wins the Clive Churchill medal
The big Panther is a popular choice, and his curly mop top gets well ruffled by teammates as he makes his way to the dais to accept his award.
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Nathan Cleary goes around the Melbourne team slapping backs and shaking hands. The Storm were below par tonight, a reflection perhaps of the lack of experience on the biggest of stages? Crucial errors, especially in the first half from the kind of players that drove them throughout the season, proved extremely costly and left too much to do when energy reserves were low.
Penrith, by contrast, relished the big stage, upping the intensity as fatigue set in, backing their skills in clinch moments, and their capacity not to make errors made life too difficult for the Storm. Leota, Martin, Edwards, Yeo, and Cleary all excelled, powering their footy club into immortality.
Jahrome Hughes is barely audible he’s so dejected. “Just a bit loose in our contact,” he murmurs. “They got too many quick play-the-balls and you can’t give a team like Penrith anything or they run.
“They’re the best and we’ve seen that the last couple of years. They’re so hard to beat. I don’t know, you need to be on your game for the full 80 to beat them and if you’re not they’re too good and they showed that tonight.
“It was a tough game. Obviously, they’re a great team and they’ve been the best the last couple of years for a reason.”
“I can’t believe it,” beams Liam Martin – a Clive Churchill contender. “It is a dream come true with this bunch. I’m still pinching myself. Can’t believe it.
“I don’t know, it’s just unspoken, I guess. Like, that was tough. That was so hard but we kept turning up for one another and that is it the character of the boys we have here and so special to be part of a group like this.”
“Left on a good note. Left on a good note,” exhales a dazed Jarome Luai. “History doesn’t matter. We’re soaking up this moment. Just to win one grand final is so special. This group of guys, no-one works harder than these boys and we got what we deserved.
We did it brah.”
“What an incredible club. Not so long ago the Roosters were lauded for winning two in a row after so many years of single season winners. And that is now 4 in a row for this incredible Panthers club. Sensational stuff.” Hear hear HarryofOz.
Astonishing. They rarely hit top gear during the premiership season. They had to cope without their star man for long periods. That star man played hurt during the finals – and he ran for 200m in the decider! Set after set in attack and defence they were relentless for 80 minutes. What a team.
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Full-time: Melbourne Storm 6-14 Penrith Panthers
Four NRL premierships in a row for the peerless Penrith Panthers!
79 mins: Penrith win a set restart 5m from Melbourne’s line. Smith then drops a soda, not that it matters.
77 mins: Penrith are going to win a fourth premiership in a row. Incredible dedication and resilience from everyone at the football club.
76 mins: Penrith are turning the screw now. Relentless in possession, offering Melbourne nothing. Then fast off the line in defence, suffocating the Storm at source. Melbourne try to go through hands deep in their own half, but nothing is materialising in broken play with purple jerseys exhausted and pink ones in full flight.
75 mins: A rare break in play for the bunker to determine if Munster, the ball carrier, bit Alamoti, the tackler, while the pair were in close contact on the ground. There’s no clear cut evidence but the Storm half is put on report.
74 mins: Penrith go down the other end and Smith travels a long way after contact to force Melbourne to scramble. Storm barely make halfway, let alone the 95m they need to score a try.
72 mins: The Panthers grind either side of halfway and Coates accepts the kick 10m out and runs to the 20. Can his ball-players unlock this Penrith defence? Nope. Katoa and Loiero run hard, but there’s no creativity or inspiration, then on the last Munster kicks high and the ball dribbles into touch. Storm challenge and replays indicate Alamoti might have got a finger to the ball before it hit touch – only for the TMO to determine Coates knocked the ball on. The bunker have come up Penrith’s way a couple of times this half at crucial moments.
70 mins: Storm come again from 20m, but it’s all very narrow and linear. Grant almost dives over from dummy half but Melbourne need to expand. Still it’s all one-out stuff – until tackle four – and Howarth, who is not having a great grand final, tries to go outside Tago, only to be scragged and then bundled into touch by Alamoti and Cleary. That felt like a real show of force from the Panthers defence.
69 mins: Yes! Harry Grant dashes from dummy half and earns a set restart 40m out. Lazarus Vaalepu carries strongly just after coming on and nears the try line. Is there an opening? Not yet: Munster’s grubber is blocked out of play by Cleary.
67 mins: Storm need a miracle at the other end though, but one does not appear forthcoming as they gasp for air running one-out then kicking on the last. It’s meat and drink for Penrith who absorb the pressure in midfield and grind their way downfield. Every set is draining fuel from the Melbourne tank. Can they find a spark?
66 mins: Storm withstand another full Penrith set in their own defensive territory. Kenny, Martin, Sorensen, all went close, but Melbourne’s miraculous defence holds.
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64 mins: Far from To’o’s absence causing an issue, it was his replacement, Alamoti, moving from left centre to right wing, who finished superbly to put Penrith in a dominant position.
Just as I type that, To’o is back on the bench ready to return… and Munster spills the ball. Storm need a serious game changing moment soon if they’re going to remain alive in this grand final.
TRY! Melbourne Storm 6-14 Penrith Panthers 14 (Alamoti, 61)
From one of those ding-dong sets starting the wrong side of halfway Penrith score! Cleary launches a bomb on the last. Martin takes Coates and ball in the air, lands, finds Leota, who hurls a beautiful pass to his right for Alamoti to dab the ball into the right corner in full flight, parallel to the ground.
That feels significant.
Cleary hangs the touchline conversion out to the right, but his side is in very good shape with not long to go in Sydney.
LIAM MARTIN 🤯#NRLGF @telstra Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/TQQdMOqGop
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
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60 mins: Set after set threatens to break open. Warbrick wins another aerial contest but a swarm of pink is waiting for him on the ground. Cleary then breaks the line but can’t streak clear. Melbourne are growing into the contest with every minute, establishing field position and setting themselves up for one final assault.
To’o’s injury is a knee complaint.
59 mins: The pace remains relentless and fatigue is sure to kick in soon, but for now, the match has settled into a arm wrestle either side of halfway – but To’o is leaving the field for the Panthers – not sure why yet, but that could create an opening for Melbourne.
57 mins: Excellent contested mark from Warbrick after another trademark Penrith set. Melbourne respond with a tidy set of their own, but there’s nothing expansive on the last and no chaser gets within sniffing difference of Edwards.
56 mins: Katoa sets up Melbourne with two superb runs and a neat offload. Storm reach 30m and Blore gets his hands free for Howarth on his outside… but he spills under pressure.
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55 mins: Yeo and Leota bust Melbourne open through the middle forcing Papenhuyzen to scramble, but he does well, and earns a penalty for some needless face-rubbing from Tago on the ground. Silly indiscipline from the Panther letting Storm off the hook.
53 mins: Garner improves what was turning out to be another modest set, allowing Cleary to kick high from 40 that Coates deals with safely. But Melbourne continue to spark! Papenhuyzen and Coates link well on the short side, the left, but Tago tackles well. Hughes then picks the wrong option, grubbering into touch on the right with Warbrick on the chase.
51 mins: Brad Fittler disagrees with Johns, and adds that the bunker has access to many more angles than we see on TV. The game goes on, and Melbourne are renewed, keeping Penrith to a modest set and returning fire on halfway. Hughes goes high on the last, and not for the first time tonight the Panthers don’t contest in the air, simply wrapping up Coates on his return to dry land 10m from home.
50 mins: Melbourne enjoy some rare possession inside Penrith’s half and on the last Munster hoists a bomb to the left corner. Xavier Coates does Xavier Coates things, marking and offloading in mid-air in one move. Howarth is front and square to gather and dive over – with four pink jerseys hanging off him… does he get the ball down? Ashley Klein says no. What does the TMO say? No try! Channel 9 was convinced Steeden touched turf. “I’m sure the ball is down!” asserts Andrew Johns. Wow. That will be talked about for a long time.
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48 mins: But not quite yet. Katoa tackles Edwards by the fullback’s right arm in the act of passing to force a loose carry. Katoa backs that up with a bullocking run off the back of the scrum.
47 mins: So close for Penrith! A straightforward set ends with a Cleary bomb that Turuva marks majestically over the flat-footed Papenhuyzen. He offloads infield and Henry is held up inches from the line! Storm make it barely 25m before Hughes is forced to kick. The Panthers are relentless. At some point soon they are going to bust this game wide open and streak away into history.
45 mins: Better from Melbourne with Munster, Meaney, and Wishart all making decent ground, allowing Hughes to send up a rare attacking kick. Coates competes – and Edwards knocks on! The Panthers are challenging, for the second time tonight, and it’s a successful one, with replays showing a clear Coates knock-on in mid-air.
43 mins: Storm survive the first sortie when Munster gathers the grubber on the last, but already Melbourne’s middle forwards look gassed. Hughes tries to give them a chop out, and Munster kicks dangerously, but the minor premiers are attacking in quicksand. The Panthers by contrast are hitting every line on the burst and working their foes over like Floyd Mayweather.
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42 mins: … but it’s another error from Melbourne and the youngster Howarth, who was at fault for the try just before half-time and now he’s stripped one-on-one by Martin coming out of defence. The pink siege resumes.
41 mins: Straightforward restart set from the Panthers, who haven’t lost a finals match after leading at the break for 20 years.
The sides are back out for the final 40 minutes of the 2024 season.
Nathan Cleary, the flashy halfback with the papier-mâché shoulder, leads all comers with 148m running metres from a game high 20 hit-ups. Brilliance comes in many forms, but such bloody mindedness is magnificent. It’s happening very differently to last year’s grand final, but another Clive Churchill medal is on the cards.
Both sides completed 17/20 sets, but Penrith dominated time in possession 17 minutes to 13, and averaged almost 20m per set more than Melbourne. It was only some desperate defence that kept the Storm in touching distance but that effort would have taken an awful lot out of them, especially the middle forwards.
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Half-time: Melbourne Storm 6-10 Penrith Panthers
That was an extraordinarily fast half of footy. There was barely a stoppage and both sides were fast at the ruck. Penrith deservedly lead but Melbourne will be delighted they’re still in touching distance. Still all to play for.
CONVERTED TRY! Melbourne Storm 6-10 Penrith Panthers (Martin, 39)
Hughes and Munster make ground with neat darts but Warbrick makes a mess of a tap back on the last tackle and the Panthers are not forced into any defensive uncertainty. Back they come up the guts with serious intent, and Cleary again carrying the ball into the line. It’s almost like he’s doing it to prove a point.
And it works a treat. On the last, Cleary jogs into the line, steps outside Blore on the right, draws in Howarth with his eyes, and slips Martin through a massive hole and over the line.
From 20m right of the posts, Cleary adds the extras and sends Penrith to the sheds four points to the good.
Cleary cracks the Storm defence with Martin 😤#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/N4dJNCwo5M
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
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38 mins: So much fatigue on the field as Cleary again runs the ball into contact. The Penrith schemer is back on his feet to bomb on the last, but it’s unthreatening and the Storm’s magnificent defence does its job once again.
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36 mins: Storm are treading water in possession, waiting for the next pink wave to crash over them. But Penrith lack penetration for a set and Coates is strong under the high ball on the last. Even so, they only make it 30m before Hughes is forced to kick – but what a kick it is! Long and shallow and behind Turuva, allowing his chasers to lay a tackle on the 20m line.
34 mins: Penrith are going through the gears. Cleary again accepts contact, drawing bodies to him on the right allowing Luai to almost feed Sorensen through a hole. Melbourne continue their extraordinary defence and are fortunate to see Coates spill a bomb backwards to Munster when a knock-on looked a possible call.
32 mins: Melbourne with a rare straightforward set, but Penrith’s speed at the ruck sees them hurtle downfield in a hurry. Cleary runs on the last again and unlocks the right edge with Tago almost sending To’o over in the corner. Storm’s scramble defence has been incredible, and it’s needed to be. You can sense the dam bursting soon though, the Panthers have all the run.
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31 mins: Penrith are soon at the 10m line and on the last Luai dabs through the line for the chasing Turuva… he gathers, and looks certain to score – only for Katoa to land a potentially match-saving tackle! Unbelievable effort from the second-rower, slapping the ball out of the Penrith winger’s grasp while executing the hit. Storm are in desperate need of a breather.
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29 mins: Papenhuyzen with his second poor kick of the night – this time belting the restart out on the full. “That is such a bad error,” bemoans Andrew Johns on TV. “You just can’t get that wrong.” Storm immediately back under the pump after a three-set effort just moments ago.
TRY! Melbourne Storm 6-4 Penrith Panthers (Turuva, 28)
Storm repel almost a full set with more superb defence, but there’s a set restart on tackle five as the Panthers try to keep the ball alive in broken play. Surely Penrith score here – and they do!
A couple of hit-ups under the crossbar allows Cleary time and space to hit Alamoti, who catches, spins, and passes in one motion, freeing Luai who has Turuva on his outside to fly over with a strong low dive in the left corner. Superb hands, and an unsurprising score.
Cleary tugs his touchline conversion to the near side of the uprights.
Turuva returns serve! 😤#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/IIQqwwUepe
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
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25 mins: Melbourne do little with the restart set but once again reveal Blore targeting Cleary on Storm’s left edge. Penrith risk little in their set but the dynamism of their pack and speed of the play-the-ball ensures there’s plenty of intent. And the crowd raises many decibels when Warbrick makes an absolute mess of Luai’s bomb on the last to invite another full red zone set.
24 mins: Hughes had little to do with the attacking set that led to the opening score of the night, but the Dally M medallist’s massive kick was the catalyst.
CONVERTED TRY! Melbourne Storm 6-0 Penrith Panthers (Grant, 23)
And from that unexpected attacking set Melbourne score! Blore with the hit-up on the 10m line, drawing two markers, allowing Grant to snipe from dummy-half, step outside the slow Fisher-Harris, and inside the labouring Martin, and over the line. Classic Harry Grant.
Meaney swings over a tidy conversion midway between the posts and the left touchline.
Harry Houdini! ⚡#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/1JRxGVU1KO
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
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22 mins: Papenhuyzen loses possession in contact. Klein awards a penalty. Penrith challenge – unsuccessfully – but the TMO considers insufficient evidence to make a call so the Panthers retain their challenge. Hughes bombs fully 50m downfield to set up a surprise attacking set inside 30m!
21 mins: Yes! That was a superb defensive set from the Storm, following runners left and right and laying crucial tackles at the right times, ending with Munster wrapping up Cleary as Penrith went all Harlem Globetrotters.
20 mins: Melbourne have been doing well to just hang on in defence over the past few minutes with Penrith runners almost breaking the line – Edwards the latest. In the red zone, the Panthers recycle possession well and a neat Tago kick on the list forces Coates to concede a line drop-out. Papenhuyzen’s kick is too wide and the triple-premiers will have a full set under the crossbar. Can the Storm hold out?
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18 mins: Penrith reach Melbourne’s 30 on tackle four but a connection goes awry in midfield and Melbourne survive. Not for long though as McDonald, just on for Kamakamica, spills his first carry. This game is ready to open up. Tired bodies making errors all over the place.
16 mins: Hughes kicks long to release the pressure but every Penrith runner gains metres after contact to march downfield. Cleary bombs to Coates to who is unceremoniously pummelled by Martin. Melbourne look gassed. Fortunately Munster is having a day out and he interchanges with Grant and Hughes to reach halfway. Storm try to break down the right but the handling is sloppy and the Panthers retake possession. After a much needed breather.
14 mins: Alamoti is almost fed through the line. Then Martin. Leota finds an offload with three men hanging off him and the Panthers are 5m out under the posts on the last. Edwards kicks to the right corner – somehow the ball is tapped backwards and is not knocked forward despite a couple of pink fumbles. Yeo almost wriggles through a gap in broken field… but he’s hauled in. This is so fast and intense. A crucial mistake is surely imminent with fatigue starting to set in.
12 mins: Howarth coughs it up! Tackle four, on the left edge, and Blore does well to find an offload but Howarth is stripped in contact by Martin. That error is then compounded by King interfering on the ground and a long spell of Melbourne pressure is released.
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11 mins: Melbourne counter with intensity. Munster – superb early – earns a six-again on halfway and Storm hurl into the Panthers only to find Edwards well placed on the last and strong enough to withstand Warbrick one-on-one on the line. Penrith try to run clear but Meaney steals one-on-one on the 40m line!
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9 mins: For the second set in a row Munster is busy with ball in hand and a Melbourne jumper – Meaney – claims an uncontested mark only to be immediately smothered by pink jerseys. Penrith are again dynamic through the middle, reaching halfway before Cleary tries to run on the last. He’s scragged and offloads into broken field that the Panthers use to attack down the left, but the chip and chase is easily dealt with.
7 mins: Munster is lively sending Melbourne deep into Penrith territory but after a Storm flyer plucks the bomb out the sky the Panthers deny the offload and we’re back on an even keel. The Panthers are then back into their attacking work quickly, getting quick ruck ball creating space for Luai to almost bust through. This is being played at a blistering pace.
5 mins: Yeo almost! With a full set inside Melbourne’s 40, Penrith don’t show their hand but still manage to send Leota into the line 10m from home with space to find an offload – but as he’s falling to the ground the pass to Yeo just misses the mark and Melbourne escape. It’s a double escape too with Cleary pinged for a lazy high clothesline on Papenhuyzen.
4 mins: Melbourne gain little ground on their second set courtesy of a strong gang tackle on Coates. Katoa does well to drive Storm near halfway and allow Hughes to bomb to Edwards. The Panthers get a series of quick play-the-balls – and on the last get a set restart with Storm trying to slow things down!
2 mins: Excellent first hit-up from Kamikamica. Katoa then hits the line, followed by a long couple of passes to Blore to allow him to test Cleary’s shoulder early. The set is completed without scare for either side. Penrith then return safely with no frills. Annnnd breathe.
Kick-off!
The 2024 NRL grand final is under way…
Welcome to Country and Advance Australia Fair taken care of the two sides move into huddles, Penrith brimming with intent, Melbourne much more circumspect. The camera follows the most significant protagonist, Nathan Cleary. Here we go!
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Now come the Storm, to the soundtrack of plenty of boos. Harry Grant leads the way with a nervous smile on his face. AC/DC on the PA system tells us kick-off is imminent.
With fireworks and pyrotechnics and smoke machines and noise turning Accor Sydney into a frenzy, out come the Panthers, led by Isaah Yeo. Ooof! That was a superb entrance. The Penrith players looked hyped!
These sides have met twice already this season, with Storm coming out on top on both occasions. The first was way back in round one when the Panthers were caught cold following their trip to the UK for the World Club Challenge, then later in round 24 when Nick Meaney’s boot sealed a narrow victory after a ding-dong affair. There’s unlikely to be much in it again this evening.
I’m not a fan of the actor-narrated pregame hype movie, but Channel Nine have just nailed tonight’s, featuring Ben Mendelsohn stroking a pub in Huddersfield. Superb delivery.
It’s been a warm spring day in Sydney, giving way to a mild and dry evening. There’s a whisper of a westerly breeze but it shouldn’t cause either fullback any concern under the high ball.
From one kid to another a 45-year-old with male pattern baldness. For the third time in his career Ashley Klein will referee an NRL grand final. Klein also refereed all three State of Origins this year and recently celebrated his 400th game in the middle.
The Kid Laroi: 6/10. Lad’s got presence. Good luck to him.
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The Kid Laroi has moved away from his identical-sounding synth-pop hits and moved into a cover of Never Tear Us Apart by INXS. He’s got decent pipes, but the arrangement around him is pants, and his voice is lost in the mix.
Full throttle.@oneillssportsAU pic.twitter.com/nmfGkCzjCZ
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) October 6, 2024
⌛️#pantherpride 🐾 #letsride pic.twitter.com/JEswzGWT2B
— Penrith Panthers 🏆🏆🏆 (@PenrithPanthers) October 6, 2024
If someone half my age could email in and tell me if this is any good or not, I’d be grateful. To my middle-age ears, it’s perfectly fine mid-tempo FM radio noise. And he gets the benefit of any doubt from me because he’s a Sydneysider (and a rugby league fan). You can guess how I felt about Katy Perry in Melbourne last week.
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Pregame entertainment headliner The Kid Laroi is now in the middle of Accor Stadium, being all young and cool.
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As he prepares for his record-equalling 10th grand final Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has flagged he might only have a few years left in first grade.
If the man who made Melbourne does bow out sooner rather than later, where does he stand in the Australian coaching hall of fame?
If one Jarome is responsible for the Panthers reaching the grand final, another Ja[h]rome deserves equivalent praise for the Storm. This has been a defining season for the Kiwi halfback.
Yet the NRL career of the 29-year-old (he turns 30 next week) was never a sure thing when he struggled to crack first grade at Gold Coast and North Queensland. His first tentative steps at the Storm were at fullback but, since locking down the No 7 jersey in 2019, he has steadily risen to become the team’s most dangerous player. Given that his side includes Cam Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Grant, and are widely considered an even chance against the Panthers this Sunday, reaching that status is not insignificant.
In Cleary’s absence, Jarome Luai stepped up for the Panthers, showing a maturity and game management his army of critics did not think he was capable of.
Luai is the most misunderstood man in rugby league. His competitive personality and determination to defend his teammates has meant he has become the NRL’s chief villain. The Panthers’ dominance has cultivated envy around the league, and the No 6’s tendency to live life on the edge has made him an easy figure to hate.
“Good afternoon Jonathan,” great to have you on board HarryofOz. “Well here we are just 45 minutes or so away from the kick-off. I’m really looking forward to the clash of the two best teams in the comp this season. Cleary v Hughes and the battle of the spines - should be a cracker. And don’t ask me to pick a winner, this is just too close to call. What do you think?”
I think if Nathan Cleary plays 80 minutes Penrith win. He’s too clutch, and the Panthers spine is too strong in a one-off contest. However, Melbourne are clearly going to target the No. 7, and if they land a big shot early, or Cleary slips awkwardly off a tackle, like he did against the Sharks, then he might not see the game out. In which case, I’d edge towards the Storm.
Nathan Cleary missed State of Origin, sat out large chunks of the season, and has had to play through pain all year, but the game’s greatest modern player will still be the most crucial participant tonight.
The 26-year-old has played just 12 games this season, his lowest tally across nine seasons in the NRL. The knee injury he suffered in last season’s grand final affected his off season, and then a serious hamstring complaint meant he played just two games between rounds three and 20. His shoulder injury a month later kept him out for another three weeks, but he has returned and managed it during the finals.
Yet Cleary’s left shoulder remains one of the grand final’s major talking points. He was taken off in the final minutes in the preliminary final against Cronulla after appearing to aggravate it in a tackle, and respected NRL injury analyst Brian Seeney has described the problem – which makes a recurrence more likely – as a “ticking timebomb”.
Looking at those two powerful line-ups, here’s where Angus Fontaine sees the game being won and lost. The Cameron Munster v Liam Martin sideshow promises to be particularly interesting.
Munster said this week that he and Martin “didn’t like each other” even when they were teammates for Australia. “I thought we were fine, but obviously that’s not the case,” Martin responded. “If he feels like that, then that’s his problem. It won’t change anything on Sunday.”
The toss has just been made and the Panthers will kick off. Hopefully Tui Kamikamica or Eliesa Katoa walk away from that first collision unscathed.
LOCKED IN 🔒#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/KvWlWXaHbz
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
Penrith Panthers XIII
Ivan Cleary’s starting 13 is his best available, but Brad Schneider’s presence on the bench is testament Nathan Cleary will not start at 100% fitness following a recurrence of his shoulder injury last week. Scott Sorensen has been passed fit to start following a late fitness test. Matt Eisenhuth is the unlucky 18th man.
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 19. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo
14. Brad Schneider 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Henry 11. Luke Garner
Reserve: 17. Matt Eisenhuth
Melbourne Storm XIII
Craig Bellamy can call on 16 of his preferred 17 squad members this evening, but the man missing out is a big loss – literally, and metaphorically - with Nelson Asofa-Solomona suspended for his hit on Lindsay Collins in the opening minute of the preliminary final. We’ve seen the imposing Panthers pack strongarm sides in big finals, and it will be up to Lazarus Vaalepu to withstand that heat in only his seventh first grade appearance. The Penrith-born prop only debuted in round 20.
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Will Warbrick 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero
14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Lazarus Vaalepu 17. Alec MacDonald.
Reserve: 18. Grant Anderson
As fans take their seats, the Olympic Stadium is playing host to a tribute to this year’s retirees. Among them, Dale Finucane, Shaun Johnson, and Wade Graham.
A big thank you and congratulations to our retiring class of 2024. We all wish you success in the next chapter 🙏
— NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024
Thanks to Hostplus. pic.twitter.com/QvE1pZ8LNc
As the nominal away side, Penrith will be in their iconic pink change jersey.
As the home team, Melbourne will run out this evening in their traditional navy and purple with lightning accents.
Grand Final threads 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/13nz1gBz3h
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) October 6, 2024
Jack Snape sets the scene for a grand final that could determine just whose era this really is.
Four years ago the Storm won the only grand final between the pair, watched by half a stadium due to Covid, but only narrowly. The Panthers’ roaring 20-point comeback left them just short, and they departed Homebush with all the momentum but without a trophy. They would sustain the excellence of that second half for three years, their run of premierships securing them the loftiest status in the sport.
But their dynasty will not look the same if Melbourne win on Sunday. The Panthers would leave this half decade of grand final appearances three from five, but with two losses to the Storm. The murmurs would be immediate: perhaps this is just as much Melbourne’s era as it is Penrith’s.
Indeed, the Storm were minor premiers in 2021 before the Panthers narrowly beat them in the preliminary final. They were on top of the table in 2022 until injuries curtailed their season which ended with three straight losses. The Panthers’ dominance over the Storm last year, culminating in a preliminary final walloping, has been a key part of Melbourne’s motivation this year: the impact of the 2020 grand final, but in reverse.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers in the 2024 NRL grand final. Kick-off at Accor Stadium in Sydney is 7:30pm.
Seven months after Daly Cherry-Evans hoisted the season into life in Las Vegas, the two best sides in professional rugby league have made themselves known. And it’s hardly a surprise.
The Broncos imploded, the Sharks found their ceiling, and the Roosters were undone by late-season injuries, but throughout, this pair of modern day titans always looked set to collide on the biggest day on the NRL calendar.
A fifth grand final appearance in a row might make Penrith’s presence appear foregone, but this was a season that showcased the resilience, as much as the brilliance, of the mountain men. At no point in 2024 did the three-time defending premiers top the ladder, the product of a slow start, a challenging Origin period, and the loss of inspirational halfback Nathan Cleary for long spells.
Many other outfits would have found all this too much and used the opportunity to reflect on former glories. Not this group. Instead they crafted a “last dance” narrative around the end-of-season departures of James Fisher-Harris, Sunia Turuva, and Jarome Luai, with the latter instrumental in keeping the Panthers afloat during Cleary’s absence.
It’s foolish to question the future of a side about to appear in a fifth consecutive premiership decider, but losing such a crucial trio, after already losing a host of stars from that initial 2020 grand final, means Penrith will start next season as vulnerable as they have in many years. History may well regard this evening as one last hurrah for Ivan Cleary’s masterpiece.
Standing in the way of a four-peat is the Melbourne Storm machine. Craig Bellamy and the most efficient organisation in rugby league have done it again.
But this season, more than any other in this seemingly endless story of 21st century success, has not been about the showstoppers. Cameron Munster and Ryan Papenhuyzen have shown flashes of brilliance, and Harry Grant has been industrious, but it’s been a season built on the work of men in lower salary brackets: the indefatigable Trent Loiero and Josh King, the understated Nick Meaney and Tyran Wishart, and breakout stars Eliesa Katoa and Will Warbrick.
Knitting it all together has been Jahrome Hughes, the walk-up Dally M Medallist, who has enjoyed a season of consistency, leadership, bravery, and an unerring ability to rise to the big occasion. It seems inevitable a halfback will win today’s Clive Churchill medal and the outcome of Hughes v Cleary will be decisive in determining the 2024 premiers.
I’ll be back with squads and more shortly. If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
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