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Posted:
2024-10-06 04:01:02
Original link:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-06/nrl-grand-final-live-storm-panthers-roosters-sharks/104426796
The Penrith Panthers have won a fourth-straight NRL Premiership, beating Melbourne Storm 14-6 at Stadium Australia.
However, Cameron Munster was placed on report after Paul Alamoti made a biting allegation, with TV footage appearing to show the Melbourne five-eighth closing his mouth on the Panthers centre's forearm.
Cameron Munster allegedly bit Paul Alamoti in the 2024 NRL grand final. (Nine Network)
The allegation marred a tremendous contest in which the Panthers once again showed their class in front of 80,156 at Stadium Australia.
"They're all special but we worked hard for that one," Dylan Edwards told ABC Sport.
"We did it for them [departing players James Fisher-Harris, Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva].
"They've been a part of this whole journey and we did it for those guys."
Storm skipper Harry Grant scored the opening try, but the Panthers hit back through Sunia Turuva and Clive Churchill medallist Liam Martin to take a narrow lead into the half-time break.
The Storm had a potential try from Jack Howarth ruled out by the Bunker, before Alamoti scored in the corner to confirm the Panthers' premiership.
Biting or no biting, the 2024 NRL grand final should be remembered as the game in which this remarkable Penrith Panthers team wrote themselves into history as the greatest of the modern era.
No team since the great St George side made it 11 in a row in 1966 has a side claimed four-straight premierships, a feat in the era of the salary cap many thought was impossible.
"It really is unbelievable — four in a row," Panthers lock Isaah Yeo told ABC Sport.
"[It is] Just a special group. A real pleasure to be a part of."
The game between the two clear favourites was always going to be a barnstormer and so it proved through 22 extraordinarily tense scoreless minutes of football.
Although Penrith appeared to be starting to gain the upper hand it was Grant who crossed first — albeit with a whiff of fortune.
Harry Grant scored the opening try of the night. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
The Panthers, who were just asserting themselves on their rivals, were penalised for a Luai strip on Ryan Papenhuyzen as the Storm desperately tried to move the ball out of their own end.
Luai argued his case, challenging Ashley Klein's call, but Bunker official Grant Atkins could not find enough evidence to overturn the decision.
The Panthers looked visibly annoyed by the call and were doubly so soon after as Storm hooker Grant burst through a gap after a delightful dummy to score.
The Panthers were not going to take that lying down, hitting back immediately through Sunia Turuva, who kicked the ball away and then offered some words of advice to would-be tackler Jahrome Hughes.
Sunia Turuva dived over in the corner. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Papenhiuzen kicked the resulting kick-off out on the full, Scott Sorensen catching the ball with one foot on the sideline to put the Panthers back on the attack immediately.
The Storm were almost made to pay in the subsequent set, Luai kicking through to Turuva, who gathered but then had the ball knocked out of his hands by a sensational try-saving tackle by Eliesa Katoa.
An arm wrestle of the highest quality had the Panthers just edge themselves on top.
Cleary was looking to run, spotting weaknesses in the rapidly-tiring middle defence and probing those weaknesses relentlessly.
But when the go-ahead try came, it was his halves partner Luai who made the most decisive play, receiving the ball on the left of the ruck before looping the ball back to Cleary on the right side.
That brilliant, defence-bending switch-play from Luai, coupled with a lovely delayed pass from Cleary and a phenomenal line by Martin saw the Panthers hit the lead on the stroke of half-time.
It was 21-year-old grand final debutant Jack Howarth who stormed up and left the space for Martin to race through — with the Panthers 125-game veteran making sure he knew it too.
Penrith was winning the psychological battle as well as the scoreboard.
The Storm had missed 28 tackles in the first-half, with the Panthers making an average of almost 59 metres per set, some 20 metres more than the Storm managed.
The Storm and Panthers went set for set early. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
The Storm needed to resume well, but the Panthers didn't let them, Martin effecting a steal on his new bunny Howarth to put Penrith back on the front foot and on the way to making more metres through the middle.
But the Storm were still only trailing by four.
And when Xavier Coates completed another miraculous catch and grab of a Cam Munster kick in the corner, passing inside to Howarth, who burrowed under a pack of pink-shirted Panthers players to potentially level the match.
Referee Klein sent the decision up as no try, with the Bunker finding no evidence to overturn that decision, to the incredulity of the Storm.
Jack Howarth was denied a try by the Bunker. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
That invigorated the minor premiers though. Suddenly it was Melbourne making metres through the middle, Katoa taking huge hit ups, while the Panthers wobbled as Brian To'o left the field with a knee injury.
But that momentum could not last. The Panthers, just like the champion team they are, struck back in the most dramatic of fashions.
Liam Martin chased a high bomb and gathered, bumping Coates off like a tackle pad in the process.
Martin swivelled, passed the ball off and found Paul Alamoti, who leaped in the air to touch down acrobatically one-handed, over the despairing dive of Coates, a man who has made magical put downs a feature of his own game.
Liam Martin scored the Panthers' second on the stroke of half-time. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
That was that for Melbourne, Munster uncharacteristically putting the ball down cold.
Luai, Tago jawed at Storm backrower Trent Loiero, sparking a brief push and shove.
Soon after, Munster lost his boot. Melbourne had lost its way. And then Munster lost his head.
The Maroons star will surely have a case to answer after footage appeared to show him bite down on Alamoti's forearm.
Alamoti should not have been worrying at the Storm star's face, but to bite down remains rightfully worth of condemnation.
"Nah, I didn't. I swear," Munster told Klein.
"He grabbed his head," Grant added. "There's a natural reaction."
Nevertheless, the incident left a contest with something of a sour taste.
The Storm were gassed, but the irrepressible skipper Grant — who made a whopping 59 tackles — was not going to go down without a fight, breaking out of dummy half and sparking a spell of pressure with five sets on the Panthers line.
But the Panthers defence maintained its extraordinary shape and composure to keep the Storm out.
"We had to hold on there, defend our line in the last 10 minutes. That was special. We just had to band together, come together, and we did," Dylan Edwards told ABC Sport.
As the Storm pushed for a miracle, Alamoti took one last miraculous grab to secure the ball, and the victory the Panthers so richly deserved.
Earlier, the Sydney Roosters held on to claim the NRLW crown 32-28, despite a furious comeback from the Cronulla Sharks.
Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
And just like that we'll sign off for the 2024 NRL season
Congratulations to the Penrith Panthers for an effort we're unlikely to ever see again in a contest that was as brutal as it was impressive.
And to you readers, thank you so much for sticking with us this year as we dove headlong into live coverage of every weekend of footy.
I know my colleagues on the AFL side appreciate it too and please stick with ABC Sport as more washes up from the grand final and season over the coming days, plus the Pacific Championships starting later this month.
Good night and see you next time!
The elation is worth the exhaustion for Penrith
Coach Ivan Cleary, captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, and Clive Churchill medallist Liam Martin are in the seats.
Nathan says the mental exhaustion of staying up and about year after year is worth for the joy they're feeling right now.
"It's so addictive, it's just the best. it's something that we pride ourselves on."
He also shouts out the likes of Paul Alamoti and Liam Henry, who have won their first tonight.
"To see the joy on their face, it's the best."
"It's exceeded all joys and expectations. It's been an incredible ride. And it's a ride that we're still on."
Ivan reserves special praise for Martin, who he describes as "the epitome of big-game player".
And while Martin is one of the core group staying in Penrith, losing Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris, who have been the beating heart of this side for years, is going to hurt.
"I think of all those boys like sons," Ivan says.
"I love these boys. I don't like it when they leave."
The context for what Penrith has done
Four premierships in a row hasn't been done since the St George Dragons of the 1950s and 60s.
Here are just a few of the teams that weren't able to do what the Panthers have done in the interim:
- The stacked Souths teams of the 60s and 70s
- The Sterling-Kenny-Cronin-Grothe-Price era Eels
- The 90s Broncos
- The juiced Storm sides of the 2000s
- The reloaded and legal Storm sides of the 2010s
- The peak version of the Tedesco Roosters
In the NRL era, with uber-professionalisation across the board and strict salary cap rules, this was supposed to be next to impossible.
This is the best team we've seen in 50-plus years and even if the same side winning year after year is "boring", you have to appreciate greatness while you're living in it.
Plus, watching them slap down contender after contender like Muhammad Ali is only boring if you don't like good footy.
The last(?) ride
What a game, Storm you were outclassed by the mighty Panthers. Sad to see Luai, and the others going to other clubs. But a great farewell for them. Such a mighty team , no one can match them. So proud of you Panthers.