One moment Jack Howarth was scoring a thundering try;the next he had his pants pulled down on national television.
The Kiwi hitman is facing near-insurmountable odds - but it won’t stop Melbourne launching a Hail Mary at the NRL judiciary.
The champion halfback kept a hand problem secret for a fortnight. But it’s the shoulder which will be most scrutinised as he was warned it could go in the first minute of the decider.
Here’s everything you need to know before the Penrith and Melbourne battle it out for the 2024 premiership on Sunday.
Not since top grade rugby league started in Australia in 1908 has a team ever wore a pink jersey in a grand final. But that’s about to change - and it will spark a million-dollar rush from Penrith fans.
The Panthers coach doesn’t whinge about referees for fun. By the letter of the law,his complaint over the Bunker’s decision to disallow Sunia Turuva’s try for obstruction was justified.
The Panthers wrote the code to their own computer game,where even their errors were merely robotic variations in their own simulated reality.
The Melbourne player who deserved to feel the most satisfaction and joy late Friday night was Ryan Papenhuyzen.
Shawn Blore has the chance to go from last one season to first the next – and former Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens could not be happier.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been hit with a hefty four-match ban,but Melbourne haven’t given up on his grand final dream just yet.
The Storm bounced back after enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona was sin-binned in the opening 18 seconds of Friday’s elimination final to qualify for their first NRL grand final since 2020.