FULLTIME :: Melbourne Storm are the 2020 Premiers!
Panthers get the kick-off with four seconds to go. The ball flies left, right and everywhere.. it ends up in the hands of Felise Kaufusi.
One play left.
The halfback declined the kick.
Cleary steps, steps and gets to the line.
Brandon Smith now goes off the field. Professional foul.
Panthers try to find something to keep the game interesting but Papenhuyzen and Vunivalu do enough to concede the dropout.
Smith tries to throw one short and it goes forward. Panthers scrum.
Papenhuyzen with a short kick and trapped Edwards. Goal line dropout.
Edwards tries to take the bomb but spills it. Storm can kill it here.
Nathan Cleary was caught on fourth. It leaves the kicking duties to Luai whose bomb is too deep. Seven tackle set for the Storm.
Cleary misses.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Obstruction cleared. Mansour tipped toed down the sideline and scores.
BUNKER TIME! Checking for obstruction. Mansour might have got in.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! It was never going to be a TRY. The bunker has to ruled that it is a professional foul from Hughes. He is off to the sin bin. He won't make it back.
BUNKER TIME! Hang on here. Has Jahrome Hughes had a professional foul to stop Kikau there.
PENALTY PANTHERS! James Fisher-Harris has a messy PTB. He gets the whistle.
Cleary quickly converts.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Quick look and he got it down. Crichton was stopped there and he kept moving to the goal line.
BUNKER TIME! Crichton might have crossed.
Panthers try to spin it on last. Naden got free, released Cleary who pinballed. Last sees them die with the ball.
Oh dear! Ryan Papenhuyzen shows off some amazing leaping ability. He flies over the sideline and bats it back for Vunivalu to take.
PENALTY PANTHERS! Crichton gets stripped.
Storm show some wonderful rugby league there! Kaufusi sliced through, found his fullback and Brenko Lee goes close. Panthers see out the set and get a seven tackle set.
Kikau has tried to catch the Cleary bomb and loses it.
Storm hand it right back and Craig Bellamy who was ropable moments ago. He would be more than that after that knock on. Followed quickly by a strip that is pushed forward.
PENALTY STORM! Naden offside. It was a mess of a play.
Panthers again drop it coming from their own end. Storm are ready to celebrate this victory.
Crichton loses it as the Panthers have to play catch up now.
PENALTY PANTHERS! Going on with the tackle.
Storm are so good they let Dale Finucane have a kick! It wasn't bad but the Foxx is marked. Handover.
Leota overruns the ball. Panthers hand it right back.
Cleary gets his first shot of the night.He nails it.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! After a lengthy check, the obstruction is cleared. To'o got the put down right. This is going to be talked about again.
BUNKER TIME! Panthers try to find something. We have NO TRY. Checking obstruction, put down and touchline. A lot to see here.
PENALTY PANTHERS! Kikau continues to try to find something. He strode through and got a penalty.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! That wasn't in the same postcode. Vunivalu with an obvious knock on.
BUNKER TIME! Vunivalu might have his second. Checking grounding.
PENALTY STORM! Panthers are running on empty here. Could be dangerous.
Kikau loses the ball, again.
PENALTY PANTHERS! Offside.
Storm tried again to make something happen on the left. It fell apart. Here comes Brent Naden! He looks to do something for the Panthers.
Panthers go short. Storm recover.
Smith looking to continue his clean record tonight. First tough kick and he sprayed it.
Blink and you'll miss it! Storm make them pay off the scrum. Papenhuyzen dummies and goes the length of the straight. GAME. SET. BINGO.
Oh dear, Moses Leota loses it. CHALLENGE! It was a loose carry. UNSUCCESSFUL.
Storm tried to find some space from their own end but it ended up just rolling across the sideline. Panthers ball in prime territory. Can they be first to strike?
KICK-OFF! The last half of NRL for 2020 is underway!
Storm roll out onto ANZ Stadium, looking to finish this contest off. The Panthers have shown they have belief all season but they're going to need a lot of it to pull this one off.
HALFTIME :: Wow what a half. Storm in complete control.
Smith converts his own try. Lovely moment of his daughters celebrating the four-pointer on replay.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Knocked out by Api Koroisau. Smith picked it up like a routine ball and dives over.
BUNKER TIME! Cam Smith might have one before the break. Checking the handle.
PENALTY STORM! Leg pull breaks down the play. Storm can see out the half with the ball.
Panthers trying to play some football from their own end. Passes to the left and May throws it forward. Storm can probably put this to bed with more points.
Nothing has gone right for Kikau this half. He tries to keep it going but knocks on. On further inspection. It is not a good call.
Another easy kick, another goal for Smith.
Panthers have been frustrated into that. Cleary tries an extravagent pass and it only landed to Vunivalu. The winger slipped, got up, brushed off the defender and took it the distance.
PENALTY PANTHERS! Offside. Panthers can strike back.
Cam Smith will take a further two points here. That is his third goal of the night.
PENALTY STORM! Brandon Smith was ironed out after he passed. The Cheese is Gooda to go.
Kikau loses it again. He charged hard at Jahrome Hughes, got through the line, lost it forward though.
Smith has the ball on the tee. After what was an deluge of pressure from the Panthers. Smith will pilot home the penalty goal.
PENALTY STORM! Panthers force an error but Kikau was offside. Storm will take the two.
The kicking game for the Panthers hasn't been it's usual slick self thus far. Cleary's latest was batted back by Kikau but Vunivalu was there to wrap up.
Storm have been dogged in defense thus far. They have repelled the Panthers from the potent second kick. The first one was hauled in by Liam Martin and shifted wide, again to Crichton, whose third effort is reeled in.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Crichton was easily held up. The Panthers have it on last.
BUNKER TIME! Stephen Crichton tries to burrow in. Checking held up.
Panthers have been messier than the scene at Panthers leagues club (I assume) but they get six more. Right on the attack.
Good shot from Liam Martin and Nathan Cleary to dislodge it from Kenny Bromwich.
PENALTY STORM! Kikau passed it off the ground. He got one-on-one with Hughes, beat him but messed it up with the pass.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Stephen Crichton has taken out the man. The slick move is chalked off and the majority Panthers crowd in Sydney are ropable.
BUNKER TIME! Panthers might have hit back. Checking the lead runner, touchline and grounding.
We have our first set restart of the night. Panthers camped on the line.
Olam loses it again on an early shift. It's judged a knock on.
Cam Smith gets a kick from in front now. He nails it.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Wow. IT IS A PENALTY TRY! Tyrone May used his legs to kick the ball out and Olam in the referee's opinion was going to score.
BUNKER TIME! Justin Olam might have the opener. Called NO TRY. Checking grounding and foot on the sideline.
Now Panthers have thrown it away. Koroisau tried to find an offside marker but lost it.
Storm see off the first raid. It was a tame kick from Cleary and Jesse Bromwich was there to fall on the ball.
That is NOT how you start the Grand Final! Jahrome Hughes let the ball bounce, Brenko Lee was almost sent into touch then Felise Kaufusi knocked on.
KICK-OFF! Here we go. Nathan Cleary has it on the tee. He boots it into the watery Sydney sky and we're underway!
Both teams have entered the field! It has become real Panthers and Storm fans! 80 minutes from glory or defeat? Who knows! Let's enjoy this game of footy! Two sides - who have been the true class of this season - ready to rip and tear. Panthers were Minor Premiers and both times have gone on win the Premiership. Storm are just consistency personified. Will they win it for possibly their captain's final game (only time we'll mention this) but either way, the rain brings the theatre and the players will bring the drama to end what has been an extrodinary season. As they say in Celebrity Death Match 'lets get it on'
Trophy and ball delivered with a club legend from each clubs assisting that being Ryan Hoffman and Greg Alexander (with some stylish gloves) and we're so close to kick-off!
Welcome to the 2020 NRL Grand Final! The pre-game kicked off in terrific fashion with a parade of retiring/departed NRL and NRLW players before Hannah Southwell & Nathan Cleary were awarded the Player's Champion awards. It was lovely to see Amy Shark a Titans fan and worked for the club got the crowd grooving with her set which featured an INXS cameo. Now we're getting set for the last of the festivities before the big dance (sorry guys) kicks off.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Touch Judges: Todd Smith, Chris Butler
Video Referee: Steve Chiddy
PENRITH PANTHERS (20)
Tries: Brian To'o, Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton, Josh Mansour
Field Goals:
Conversions: Nathan Cleary (2/4)
Penalty Goals:
MELBOURNE STORM (26)
Tries: Justin Olam, Cameron Smith, Suliasi Vunivalu, Ryan Papenhuyzen
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (3/4)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (2/2)