NRL Grand Final: The Penrith Panthers search for four-straight

The stage is set and the final two teams are confirmed. The Melbourne Storm will look to topple the Penrith Panthers in a grand-final rematch that’s been four years in the making.

Both teams met in the 2020 NRL grand final, when the Melbourne Storm left a young Penrith side distraught after beating them 26-20.

But three Panther premierships later, the two juggernauts face in the final again, after finishing in 1st and 2nd place in 2024.

“So happy to be back in a grand final, it’s so hard to get there. It’s surreal actually,” said Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary, following his side’s preliminary final victory.

In the 2020 grand final, it was the first time the Panthers featured in a grand final since 2003, when they beat the Sydney Roosters, while the Storm had previously featured in 2018 grand final.

“We certainly learned a fair bit that night. A little bit off Melbourne about the occasion, the week and everything. It's a pretty good match-up.

“I think they’ll go in as favourites, and rightfully so. They’ve beaten us twice this year, after tonight's performance, and they’ll definitely (be) more than a handful.

“I think we’ve probably been the best two teams this year.”

Pacific Grandstand host and former Leeds Rhinos assistant coach Willie Poching weighed in on the matchup between the “two best teams”.

“When you look back at the season, they’ve probably been the best two teams. We go back to day one, they opened the season with the Storm winning 8-0 with a defensive masterclass where they shut down the Panthers.

“You don’t really shut down the Panthers to nil, but they did it from the season opener.”

Both sides have also overcome long periods of time in the season where they were without their star playmakers. Penrith lost Nathan Cleary to an ankle injury for 10 rounds, while the Storm were without Cameron Munster who suffered a groin injury early in the season.

Poching said both sides’ persistence shone through other players who put their hands up.

“They (Storm) stumbled a lot, they weren’t at their attacking best for long periods, especially without Munster and Papunheyze who weren’t there for a big chunk of the season. But Jahrome Hughes really stood up, and he should win the Dally M award this year.

“The Panthers (are) a little bit the same, they’ve been without Nathan Cleary for a long time. Just as Jahrome Hughes stood up for them (Storm), so has Jarome Luai for the Panthers.

“I think we’ve seen a lot of growth for those two players.”

Poaching suggests there is “daylight” between the Storm and Panthers and the rest of the NRL, and that was reinforced by both sides' preliminary finals results, where they combined with 74 points against their opposition.

“I think that’s how good they are compared to the other teams. This will be a classic grand final, you’ve got that attacking prowess from the likes of the spine of Melbourne against the best defensive team in the Panthers.

“Both teams play that type of game where they wear you down, they’re very proficient in doing what they do and do it for long periods of time. There will be long periods of time where the game goes without stoppage.

“I’m really excited how the spine handles this the game, I’m excited for the war of attrition through the middle. So excited for Sunday night!”.