It could have come down to Nathan Cleary’s dodgy shoulder. It could have been the absence of Nelson Asofa-Solomona. It could have been another controversial bunker decision … oh, wait.
And while the scoreline was 14-6 and the Panthers did ultimately strangle the Storm out of premiership contention, the wash-up will inevitably focus on one question: did the Steeden touch the turf or did it not? Actually, let’s add a second question: did Cameron Munster bite Paul Alamoti?
All and sundry predicted the 2024 NRL title would come down to these two teams. The bit literally nobody knew was what would happen once that initial prophecy had been fulfilled.
So evenly matched was this contest that the result hinged on the element of disruption. To Melbourne’s terrifying spine, or to Penrith’s impregnable defence. Maybe to the man management of Craig Bellamy in his 10th grand final or that of Ivan Cleary in his fifth straight.
But there were two potentially match-defining moments that marked this meeting of the two greatest teams in recent history.
The first occurred as Penrith led 10-6 with 30 minutes remaining and a flying Will Warbrick deposited the ball into the hot little hands of Jack Howarth, who burrowed over the line as four pink Panthers hung off him like muscly, oversized meerkats. Referee Ashley Klein said he did not get it down. The Bunker rules a no try. Andrew Johns on the Nine commentary vehemently disagreed.
The decision stood, and Alamoti iced Penrith’s four-peat 10 minutes later, thanks to the high-flying highlight of Liam Martin Clive Churchill Medal-winning night.
. Then, with five to go, play was abruptly stopped as Alamoti levelled his biting accusation at Munster. “I didn’t, I swear,” Munster protested as the replays provided what appeared to be damning evidence and Klein duly placed him on report.
Cameron Munster is accused of biting Paul Alamoti.Credit: Nine
Play continued and then concluded with dramatic scenes as the Panthers sealed their four-peat, going one better than the great Parramatta side of the 1980s. Becoming the best since St George’s 11 straight more than half a century ago.
And it was, in a way, fitting that Melbourne had made the mould for Penrith, molten from that 2020 grand final defeat, ready to pour themselves into any vessel capable of solidifying motivation into the kind of consistency that had run all over them in the first half at this venue those four years ago.
As the Storm’s forward pack softened their opponents into submission that night, they would have known little of the monster they were creating. That they were, in fact, laying the foundations for a level of success unprecedented in the salary-cap era. More immediately they were inspiring a second-half comeback that almost got the Panthers over the line but not quite.
What relevance – if any – would those crucial, galvanising moments hold this time around? How did those convulsions which shook the NRL hierarchy affect the Storm, and what were they going to do about it?
As it turned out, weather Penrith’s early assault and wait for a moment to present itself. Shut down a promising tackle bust from Jarome Luai, save a would-be Isaah Yeo try right on their line and send Cameron “he’ll want to take my head off and vice versa” Munster after Martin at every opportunity.
So frenetic and short on stoppages were the opening 20 minutes that even Dylan Edwards was breathing up, and both coaches went to their interchange to give big men Moses Leota and Tui Kamikamica a break.
This was a grand final full of spite.Credit: Getty Images
Something had to give, and it was Harry Grant who gave it good. It happened in the 22nd minute, off the back of a Melbourne strip penalty and unexpected attacking set. Shawn Blore drew two defenders with the hit-up on the 10m line and the Storm captain went to work, dummying to the non-existent players around him, stepping around James Fisher-Harris and blazing through Martin before taking on the line.
The moment felt symbolic. Here was this new generation of Storm stars trying to do the big thing for the first time since a pretty significant retirement. And there was an imaginary hologram of Cameron Smith, hovering in his supernatural state over Grant, whispering “fill your boots son – actually, fill my boots”.
But even as Nick Meaney nailed his conversion, the statistics said the Panthers had already had far too much possession for this to be the end of it. The shift occurred within the following four minutes, as Melbourne defended a third consecutive set on their line and Nathan Cleary began to make himself known.
The halfback funnelled the ball to Alamoti, who caught and spun in one motion and concluded his pirouette with a flourish of a pass to send Sunia Turuva diving over at the left corner. Cleary skewed his touchline conversion a smidge wide but the miss did not stop him setting to work, in the last minute before the break, receiving from Luai, carrying the ball towards the line and then slipping Martin through on the right. Cleary did not miss this time and the Panthers went to the sheds with a four-point buffer.
And after the controversy and spite unfolded, once full-time whistle blew, this half a decade came into full view. There will be no question about Penrith’s dynasty (except for those two), and no sharing of this dominant era with their interstate rivals. As Luai said after the game: “Left on a good note, brah.”
