Grand final form guide: How the West will be won, and lost

Penrith are one of the most dominant rugby league sides seen in some time. Another premiership sets the scene for dynasty discussions, not to mention their very own slice of rugby league history with four premierships across as many grades beckoning.

Parramatta, their great rivals, are no doubt one of the most scrutinised outfits in recent decades.

Come Sunday they collide. Here’s how the West, not to mention the 2022 decider, will be won and lost.

The recent history: Parramatta’s impressive recent record against the premiers held up in week one of the finals… for 50-odd minutes until Penrith turned the screws and then blew them away 27-8. The Eels still possess one of the better records against the most dominant side of the past three seasons, jagging a tense 22-20 win in May and then a round 20 thumping when Nathan Cleary was sent off.

The main man: Isaah Yeo. Cleary rates him as “another halfback”, and no forward has more influence in the game accordingly. Yeo’s role as a link man in the middle allows Penrith to shift quicker than any side in the NRL. Parramatta’s middle men need to keep a lid on Yeo and cut down his time and space, or their edge defenders are in danger of being overwhelmed by what Yeo sets up on the inside.

All hands on deck: Parramatta need to keep a lid on Isaah Yeo or risk him dictating the grand final for Penrith.Credit:Getty

The stat: 77 tackles. North Queensland had the equivalent of almost 13 sets of six in Parramatta’s half on Friday night, 34 of them inside the Eels own 20 metre-zone. Law of the NRL jungle dictates that the premiers typically come from within the three best defensive sides of the entire season. The 20 points Parramatta leaks each game ranks them seventh in that category – but those gut-busting, desperate efforts in Townsville were defensive mettle well beyond that standing. It was the type that can win a title.

The breakdown: In this very space leading into week one of the finals, we detailed how Parramatta’s power game has caused Penrith rare grief this season. The Panthers duly absorbed it, returned it with gusto, and then picked them to pieces through brilliant set pieces conducted by Cleary.

But the blueprint remains, not least because “offload to change of angle” is the Eels at their best and troubling for any side in the game.

Parramatta’s demolition of Canberra in week two showed an ability to change tack. They swung from edge to edge with abandon as Dylan Brown regularly jumped into first receiver and doubled up with Mitchell Moses, the former using his pace across the ground to draw defenders into error and the Eels into overlaps.

It was a fine change of pace, but an offload-heavy game remains their best bet against Penrith’s watertight defence. An average of 247 passes and 18.5 offloads from Parramatta’s two wins against the premiers this season were well above the norm that Penrith usually encounter.

The Panthers suffocated the Eels out of their best footy in week one of the finals and prevailed.

When Parramatta are flying, back-rowers Shaun Lane and Isaiah Papali’i are in absolutely everything, repeatedly cutting back inside on unders lines to keep the defence honest. Case in point; Lane playing the best 40 minutes of his career as the Cowboys were reeled in.

On the other side of the ball, if Penrith enjoy anything above parity at the ruck, Cleary eventually runs amuck.

Waqa Blake knows all too well how ruthless the No.7’s kicking game is if little kick pressure is applied, and can expect to come under the microscope either way in the decider. Meanwhile, Cooper Cronk broke down the nuances of Penrith’s set play prowess on The Matty Johns Podcast recently better than we ever could.

Highlighting Clint Gutherson’s nigh-superhuman everywhere man efforts to control Parramatta’s defence, Cronk highlighted Cleary’s deception to swing back right after Yeo set Penrith up left, duly dragging Gutherson along with him.

With the Eels No.1 only half a step behind, Cleary’s fourth tackle grubber for Dylan Edwards broke the game open and came following a sharp play-the-ball by Moses Leota.

Threading the needle: How Nathan Cleary picked Parramatta apart.

As Queensland and Melbourne before them know all too well, the key to mastering Cleary and Penrith is often stifling those around him.

Everything you need to know about the 2022 NRL grand final

When does it start?

The NRL Grand Final between the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels kicks off at 7.30pm Sunday, October 2 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

Tickets sales and how to watch

Tickets on sale at nrl.com/tickets
TV broadcast on Nine and 9Now, starting with the Sunday Footy Show at 11am and rolling through the day.

Penrith dominated the Eels in the opening week of the finals.Credit:Getty

Grand Final Day Schedule

Gates Open: 1:00pm
NRL State Championship Grand Final Kick Off: 1:20pm
Pre Game Entertainment: 3:20pm
NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final Kick Off: 3:55pm
Pre-Game Entertainment: 6:30pm
NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final Kick Off: 7:30pm

Pre-Game Entertainment

NRLW Grand Final (3.20pm): Mahalia Barnes, A.GIRL, Emma Donovan
NRL Grand Final (6.30pm): Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Josh Teskey, Sheldon Riley, Emma Donovan
Bliss n Eso (featuring JOY.)