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This was published 1 year ago

NRL grand final 2024 as it happened: Panthers claim historic fourth title in epic decider

Billie Eder and Dan Walsh
Updated ,first published
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Key Posts

Goodnight
Clive Churchill medallist: Liam Martin
Stats: How Penrith claimed their fourth premiership
Full-time: Penrith prevail in GF epic
Watch: Alamoti explains Munster biting allegation
Stats: How will the last 20 play out?
Try: Martin sets up Alamoti screamer
Injury: To’o off with leg injury
No try: Coates acrobatics, Howarth denied
Stats: Penrith’s outside men run wild

Goodnight

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That’s all she wrote.

Penrith are the four-time premiers, and we are off the press conferences to hear what coaches Ivan Cleary and Craig Bellamy have to say.

A potential bite, a potential try that was a no-try, these press conferences are bound to be juicy.

The Panthers celebrate their fourth-straight premiership.Getty Images

In case you missed our live coverage tonight, here are a few articles to bring you back up to speed:

  • Player ratings – how every Storm and Panther stacked up in the grand final
  • Match report – match-defining moments leave Storm to ponder what might have been as Panthers celebrate what is
  • Chammas at the grand final – The Panther who chose to play Koori Knockout over watching teammates in grand final
  • Munster bite drama – adds further pain to Storm’s dark night
  • Try drama – Was it a try? Only Jack Howarth will ever know
Ivan and Nathan Cleary after winning their fourth premiership.Getty Images

Pics: Panthers celebrate, the Storm commiserate

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Father and son celebrate a fourth premiership together.Getty Images
How they could have used Nelson in the middle tonight.Getty Images
The last ride: Luke Garner and Jarome Luai.Getty Images
Stacks on.AAPIMAGE
What might have been: a dejected Trent Loiero.Getty Images

Stats: Run Panther, run

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Clive Churchill medallist: Liam Martin

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The wild-haired maniac, after a night of doing wild-haired maniac things, is this year’s Clive Churchill medallist.

Liam Martin. Come on down. The emotions are almost getting to him as he heads on stage, composes himself and thanks the Storm and his teammates. How can you not love that lunatic?

Stats: How Penrith claimed their fourth premiership

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Panthers go wild in celebration

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The Panthers bench rushes the field. There’s a mass of players and staff in black that engulfs the 17 players in pink.

Storm players are littered around the paddock. Shattered. What a game.

About 10 minutes after full-time and Jack Howarth hasn’t moved from where he fell when the game finished.

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Full-time: Penrith prevail in GF epic

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Melbourne now throwing everything at them after a dropped ball by Lindsay Smith. Papenhuyzen almost splits them. They go coast-to-coast. Almost over with a flick pass. Then a bomb. And Paul Alamoti flies for a cross-field kick. Phenomenal take. And that’s the game.

Penrith win. Penrith are four-time premiers.

Critical penalty for taking out Cleary

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Meanwhile Nathan Cleary is hanging on for dear life. Penrith too. Melbourne are spent. We’ve got three minutes left.

Now or never for the Storm. Cleary bombs, Coates with a critical take and then Alec McDonald is pinged for taking Cleary out as he was pressuring the kick. He’s on report too.

Panthers 14 Storm 6

Watch: Alamoti explains Munster biting allegation

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Paul Alamoti finished the game claiming he was bitten by Cameron Munster. And early replays… are not good for Munster.

Cameron Munster is accused of biting Paul Alamoti.Nine

The Storm star was protesting as soon as it was raised, “I didn’t, I swear.” Penrith players argued in turn that it was a sin-bin after watching replays on the big screen. Munster was put on report and it’s one for the MRC. Very similar to the Kyle Flanagan incident earlier in the year, that one earned the Dragons five-eighth a four-game suspension at the judiciary.

Munster was interviewed by Triple M on the paddock after full-time, and told the broadcasters: “nothing in it… I can guarantee you I didn’t bite.”

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Captain’s challenge: Penrith take seven-tackle set

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And the bounce of the ball could really hurt Melbourne here. A kick goes up and looks to bobble and bounce its way dead-in-goal for a seven-tackle Panthers set. The Storm are challenging it and fair enough. Nathan Cleary clutching at his shoulder too there.

But replays show a knock-on against Coates and Penrith’s 20-metre re-start. They march downfield and almost cross again, only Ryan Papenhuyzen swooping onto a grubber denies them. Brad Schneider up on the bench along with To’o. Penrith have one interchange left.

Panthers 14 Storm 6

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