Commentators were left in disbelief after a controversial bunker call denied Melbourne Storm an equalising try during the game in Sunday night’s decider.
After the drama and a flash of spite unfolded,once the full-time whistle blew,this half a decade came into glorious full view for the four-peat premiers.
Which players stood tallest in Sunday’s premiership decider? Here’s how we rated the performance of every player from both Penrith and Melbourne in the grand final.
The 21-year-old artist put on a polished performance in the lead-up to the NRL grand final.
Raised in a small village in Tonga,24-year-old Eliesa Katoa has made a big impact at Melbourne Storm,and will be centre stage in the NRL grand final.
Best mates Brian To’o,Jarome Luai,Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu couldn’t believe it when they won a premiership together for the Panthers in 2021. They wanted to play together forever. Come full-time in Sunday night’s grand final,To’o will be the only one left.
Harry Grant’s loan spell with Wests Tigers in 2020 was revolutionary at the time. But it has paid off handsomely for the Storm.
The boyish charisma and quick tongue are partly what made Mount Druitt trendy,but the Panthers five-eighth will take a new maturity with him to Wests Tigers.
Not since Hynes in 2020 has a bench player not made it onto the field in a grand final. But such a scenario will be just fine with Brad Schneider.
Twelve months after the greatest grand final comeback in NRL history,the Panthers champion sat down with the Herald to explain exactly what was happening at every moment of his masterclass.
Josh King has been written off before,but the miner turned Storm prop will play through pain to lead his side to a premiership in the NRL grand final on Sunday.