FULL-TIME: Melbourne 30 def Penrith 24.
TALAGI IS MET BY LOIERO!
Penrith need to go 78 metres for golden point.
FORWARD PASS! Melbourne should survive.
Martin loses it and Munster gives him an old fashioned spray and Adam Gee decides to penalise Munster for inflaming a situation... on merit it's a fair penalty but given we've had many melees tonight, that's a rough time to pick it.
GRANT ANDERSON IS BACK! I repeat Grant Anderson is BACK!
SHANKED!
TO'O!! MAGIC!! They will not go away!!
Challenge successful - on-field position changes. PENALTY PENRITH
Short kickoff chaos - but we have a challenge from Storm
Converts the try
Penrith failed to complete their set after points and the wheels of the Melbourne machine entered over drive. Munster again had it on a silver platter with a pinpoint grubber and who else but the flying mullet of the one, the only Ryan Papenhuyzen!
SIX MORE MELBOURNE: Slow peel.
Oh no... Tom Jenkins drops it coming out of yardage.
No goal from Alamoti - wide right... JUST!
Penrith capitalised on some poor discipline and handling from the home team to get to within a possession of the Storm. Some great set play saw the Panthers move left and Brian To'o crosses in the left corner.
PENALTY PANTHERS: Ruck breakdown.
SIX AGAIN STORM: A game of twister gone wrong.
PAPI HAS IT THEN LOSES IT... THEY SHIFT RIGHT AND COATES SMASHES ALAMOTI
SIX MORE PANTHERS: Slow peel.
Melbourne plan the shift left and that is put down by R.Papenhuyzen.
PENALTY STORM: Stripped after the call of held.
Now Eli Katoa undergoing the dreaded knee test.
We have another awkward collision. Katoa and Casey McLean are down.
ALAMOTI HAVING A BIG NIGHT OUT! Gets to within 5 metres of the line.
Good scrambling catch from Lindsay Smith.
Two parts to a short dropout: 1 - bat it back, 2... don't let Xavier Coates near it. Penrith fail step two and the Storm get it straight back.
Good scramble from an even better Penrith kick and they get it back with a goal-line dropout.
Good to see Grant Anderson come back to the sideline.
Shanked from Papi - 24-16
With Melbourne's outside backs dropping like flies with Anderson leaving the game. The middle needed to stand-up and they delivered with a nice 1-2 combo with Tui Kamikamica and Alec MacDonald getting the Storm within inches of the line. On the ensuing play, a beautiful pass from Hughes found Tyran Wishart and the young Mr Fix It crossed out wide.
Nice link from Tui to Alec
Grant Anderson UPDATE: Unlikely to return but they do not suspect a serious knee injury.
PENALTY STORM: High tackle
Good carry from To'o.
Wishart would go to wing and Katoa looking like a centre shift.
Good news is he is walking unassisted from the field.
Oh no... Grant Anderson is down injured here. Non-contact and I hope he is okay. Was the League Scene QLD Cup Player of the Week this week.
Outside that last bomb take - Tom Jenkins has been fairly solid under the high ball.
Bellamy listens and NAS comes off.
Really important period of this game for both sides.
Goal is good!
Great kick under pressure from Munster and Xavier Coates flys over the top of several Panthers defenders to slam the football down!
If Bellamy was serious about winning this game, he'd hook NAS now and send him on an express charter plane to the Sunshine Coast.
No major injuries for Nath... he will enter the NRL's return to play concussion protocols.
PENRITH IN FRONT !
From the scrum, Melbourne haven't executed in defence and Casey McLean crosses, exploding off a Tom Jenkins pass and they can take the lead in a moment.
NAS loses it trying to get the ball there - great execution from Jack Cole.
BIG SHOT! Howarth goes without it... but Penrith blow it and the referee says no advantage...
NAS v Henry at the moment... these guys are going at each other relentlessly.
HT: Storm 14 lead Penrith 10
GREAT LEAP from Howarth.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS... THIS IS MADNESS.
FRONT ROWER KICKING LICENCE APPLICATION NUMBER #467 - Liam Henry... REJECTED
PENALTY PENRITH: Play the ball is unacceptable - Alec MacDonald just shoves the player playing the ball. There's some ridiculous moments in this one.
NAS has had a hit list style impact tonight but he has made a big time error.
Penrith have all momentum in the final five-ten minutes in this one.
Meaney off via concussion protocols - Tyran Wishart is coming on.
Craig Bellamy ain't a happy camper "HE IS NOT ENJOYING THIS" - A.Voss 2025.
CAN THIS GAME GET ANYMORE CHAOTIC. Now, NAS has taken out his own team-mate in a bit of friendly fire. Mitch Kenny is yelling at the air...
That's a better strike.
NUMBER TWO FOR ALAMOTI! Great finish out wide in a try that was remarkably similar to the first he scored.
WELCOME TO THE NRL BLAIZE! Monster shot by Eli Katoa.
SIX AGAIN PENRITH: Slow peel.
SIX AGAIN PENRITH: Inside 10m.
short dropout failed to break the plane - play the ball 10 x 10 out.
Jenkins forces the dropout - great work from the fullback.
PENALTY PANTHERS: Dangerous contact from Cam Munster.
Martin busts open and this may have looked a bit ordinary... Cameron Munster has been placed on report for a dangerous tackle.
Moving in... Alamoti is 18 in from touch, 21 out and he shanks it. May have gotten a behind at Marvel Stadium but no cigar here.
Penrith forced some pressure and a cheap Melbourne error which gave the Panthers some possession inside the opposition 20 and hit back in style 13 minutes before the break. It was great shape out to the right hand side which saw Jack Cole combine with Thomas Jenkins and Izack Tago with the latter holding up the pass brilliantly to Paul Alamoti who scored out wide.
That one goes out on the full - Hughes went for an early kick and the Panthers get a result from pressure.
Good take from Xavier Coates - Jack Cole needed to show something to stand up in this one.
Melbourne throw the bomb in the air - Penrith are handling it in a sign that they are slowly settling into the contest.
Oh no Blaize... he loses it in the ruck.
SIX AGAIN PENRITH
Great take from Jenkins under pressure.
11 infringements in 21 minutes so far. Nearly a .5 ratio
Meaney adds the extras.
PENALTY STORM: Leg lift - this is getting a touch ridiculous from the Panthers in the ruck - they will go for goal.
PENALTY STORM: Disruptor against Izack Tago.
Penrith need a leader to stand up here. They won't be given the easy chances they had against the Roosters.
Bold strategy from Blaize Talagi to kick it straight to Xavier Coates.
PENALTY PANTHERS: Inside 10m - Adam Gee clearly didn't read Buzz's article critiquing him and has wasted no time getting the sides in shape.
Good read in defence from the Panthers this time! The Penrith left edge reads that one well
SIX MORE MELBOURNE: Ruck infringement x 2
For the SECOND TIME in 5 minutes, Penrith don't find touch. No bunker to save them
PENALTY PANTHERS: Slow peel against Stefano Utoikamanu.
Meaney successful.
Once the dust had settled, the Storm crossed for a second try off another late tackle count penalty against the Panthers. Munster kicked early in the set and it was in the arms of Eliesa Katoa to score for the Storm.
PENALTY STORM: Leg pull against Moses Leota.
Melbourne recover it from the crossfield kick.
SIX AGAIN MEL: Ruck infringement
Challenge successful - Papi's attempt on saving the touch finder... Nathan Cleary is GONE! Cat 1 symptoms.
Oh my goodness... Penrith haven't found touch and then there's a potential knock on... WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING HERE!
PENALTY PANTHERS: Hughes and Cleary have combined and they are out for the count... THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY
Meaney converts the Anderson try.
Off a Melbourne penalty, the Storm worked down the short side and got the first try of the contest after five minutes. It was a great ball from Ryan Papenhuyzen that saw Grant Anderson step inside the Penrith left edge defence to score the opening try of the contest.
Really intriguing to see if the defensive edge changes have any impact - especially on Tago who has struggled in defence in the last 12 months or so.
PENALTY STORM: Second effort there against the ruck.
So it looks like Paul Alamoti is defending at right wing with Casey McLean at left centre.
UNDERWAY! Penrith with first use running from left to right on your device of choice.
Andrew Voss and Michael Ennis in the commentary box for this one!
The referee for this match tonight is Adam Gee in NRL game number 265. Touch judges are Dave Munro and Phil Henderson. Our bunker review official is Chris Butler, KICKOFF at 8pm.
It is the grand final rematch - the Melbourne Storm looking for revenge on last year's grand final loss to the Penrith Panthers. The visitors themselves are looking for redemption after losing the unlosable match to the Sydney Roosters last week. AJ Lucantonio on hand to bring you an amazing match between these two sides. For the Storm, Grant Anderson comes onto the wing for Will Warbrick while Nelson Asofa-Solomona arrives on the bench after escaping suspension in QLD Cup, replacing Lazarus Vaalepu. For Penrith, chaos, Thomas Jenkins is the fullback, Casey McLean retained on the wing, but is wearing jersey 24. Blaize Talagi makes his Panthers debut off the pine with Brad Schneider is 18th man.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee
Touch Judges: David Munro, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Chris Butler
MELBOURNE STORM (30)
Tries: Grant Anderson, Eliesa Katoa, Xavier Coates, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Tyran Wishart
Conversions: Nick Meaney (2/2), Ryan Papenhuyzen (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Nick Meaney (1/1)
PENRITH PANTHERS (24)
Tries: Paul Alamoti (2), Casey McLean, Brian To'o (2)
Conversions: Paul Alamoti (2/5)