NRL grand final 2024: Penrith Panthers defeat Melbourne Storm - as it happened

3m ago 06.55 EDT Summary As Simply The Best (what else?) blares out around Accor Stadium, I’ll take my leave for the night. And what a night it was, another demonstration of this extraordinary Penrith dynasty. Read more about it here from Angus Fontaine, and stay tuned for plenty of reaction tomorrow and through the week. Thanks for joining me this evening. Catch you in Vegas. Penrith Panthers seal fourth straight NRL title with victory over Melbourne Storm Read more Share

7m ago 06.51 EDT The catwalk of champions ends with Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo. The latter takes the mic to thank fans and sponsors. The pair then accept the Provan-Summons Trophy from Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys, taking it over to their teammates and raising it to the sky for the fourth time in a row! View image in fullscreen Jarome Luai and Brian To’o of the Panthers show off their four NRL premiership rings after victory over the Storm. Photograph: Mark Evans/AAP Share Updated at 06.57 EDT

13m ago 06.46 EDT A dejected Harry Grant says the right things when he’s invited to speak. Then it’s over to the most heartwarming passage of the night, when the massive footballers accept their premiership rings from kids barely a quarter of their mass. Share

17m ago 06.41 EDT Liam Martin wins the Clive Churchill medal The big Panther is a popular choice, and his curly mop top gets well ruffled by teammates as he makes his way to the dais to accept his award. Share Updated at 06.58 EDT

20m ago 06.38 EDT Nathan Cleary goes around the Melbourne team slapping backs and shaking hands. The Storm were below par tonight, a reflection perhaps of the lack of experience on the biggest of stages? Crucial errors, especially in the first half from the kind of players that drove them throughout the season, proved extremely costly and left too much to do when energy reserves were low. Penrith, by contrast, relished the big stage, upping the intensity as fatigue set in, backing their skills in clinch moments, and their capacity not to make errors made life too difficult for the Storm. Leota, Martin, Edwards, Yeo, and Cleary all excelled, powering their footy club into immortality. Share

25m ago 06.34 EDT Jahrome Hughes is barely audible he’s so dejected. “Just a bit loose in our contact,” he murmurs. “They got too many quick play-the-balls and you can’t give a team like Penrith anything or they run. “They’re the best and we’ve seen that the last couple of years. They’re so hard to beat. I don’t know, you need to be on your game for the full 80 to beat them and if you’re not they’re too good and they showed that tonight. “It was a tough game. Obviously, they’re a great team and they’ve been the best the last couple of years for a reason.” Share

27m ago 06.32 EDT “I can’t believe it,” beams Liam Martin – a Clive Churchill contender. “It is a dream come true with this bunch. I’m still pinching myself. Can’t believe it. “I don’t know, it’s just unspoken, I guess. Like, that was tough. That was so hard but we kept turning up for one another and that is it the character of the boys we have here and so special to be part of a group like this.” Share

28m ago 06.31 EDT “Left on a good note. Left on a good note,” exhales a dazed Jarome Luai. “History doesn’t matter. We’re soaking up this moment. Just to win one grand final is so special. This group of guys, no-one works harder than these boys and we got what we deserved. We did it brah.” Share

30m ago 06.29 EDT “What an incredible club. Not so long ago the Roosters were lauded for winning two in a row after so many years of single season winners. And that is now 4 in a row for this incredible Panthers club. Sensational stuff.” Hear hear HarryofOz. Share

31m ago 06.28 EDT Astonishing. They rarely hit top gear during the premiership season. They had to cope without their star man for long periods. That star man played hurt during the finals – and he ran for 200m in the decider! Set after set in attack and defence they were relentless for 80 minutes. What a team. Share Updated at 06.28 EDT

33m ago 06.26 EDT Full-time: Melbourne Storm 6-14 Penrith Panthers Four NRL premierships in a row for the peerless Penrith Panthers! Share

35m ago 06.24 EDT 79 mins: Penrith win a set restart 5m from Melbourne’s line. Smith then drops a soda, not that it matters. Share

37m ago 06.22 EDT 77 mins: Penrith are going to win a fourth premiership in a row. Incredible dedication and resilience from everyone at the football club. Share

38m ago 06.21 EDT 76 mins: Penrith are turning the screw now. Relentless in possession, offering Melbourne nothing. Then fast off the line in defence, suffocating the Storm at source. Melbourne try to go through hands deep in their own half, but nothing is materialising in broken play with purple jerseys exhausted and pink ones in full flight. Share

40m ago 06.19 EDT 75 mins: A rare break in play for the bunker to determine if Munster, the ball carrier, bit Alamoti, the tackler, while the pair were in close contact on the ground. There’s no clear cut evidence but the Storm half is put on report. Share

41m ago 06.17 EDT 74 mins: Penrith go down the other end and Smith travels a long way after contact to force Melbourne to scramble. Storm barely make halfway, let alone the 95m they need to score a try. Share

43m ago 06.16 EDT 72 mins: The Panthers grind either side of halfway and Coates accepts the kick 10m out and runs to the 20. Can his ball-players unlock this Penrith defence? Nope. Katoa and Loiero run hard, but there’s no creativity or inspiration, then on the last Munster kicks high and the ball dribbles into touch. Storm challenge and replays indicate Alamoti might have got a finger to the ball before it hit touch – only for the TMO to determine Coates knocked the ball on. The bunker have come up Penrith’s way a couple of times this half at crucial moments. Share

46m ago 06.12 EDT 70 mins: Storm come again from 20m, but it’s all very narrow and linear. Grant almost dives over from dummy half but Melbourne need to expand. Still it’s all one-out stuff – until tackle four – and Howarth, who is not having a great grand final, tries to go outside Tago, only to be scragged and then bundled into touch by Alamoti and Cleary. That felt like a real show of force from the Panthers defence. Share

48m ago 06.10 EDT 69 mins: Yes! Harry Grant dashes from dummy half and earns a set restart 40m out. Lazarus Vaalepu carries strongly just after coming on and nears the try line. Is there an opening? Not yet: Munster’s grubber is blocked out of play by Cleary. Share

50m ago 06.09 EDT 67 mins: Storm need a miracle at the other end though, but one does not appear forthcoming as they gasp for air running one-out then kicking on the last. It’s meat and drink for Penrith who absorb the pressure in midfield and grind their way downfield. Every set is draining fuel from the Melbourne tank. Can they find a spark? Share

52m ago 06.07 EDT 66 mins: Storm withstand another full Penrith set in their own defensive territory. Kenny, Martin, Sorensen, all went close, but Melbourne’s miraculous defence holds. View image in fullscreen Liam Martin and the Panthers have the Storm on the ropes in the 2024 NRL grand final. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Share Updated at 06.12 EDT

53m ago 06.05 EDT 64 mins: Far from To’o’s absence causing an issue, it was his replacement, Alamoti, moving from left centre to right wing, who finished superbly to put Penrith in a dominant position. Just as I type that, To’o is back on the bench ready to return… and Munster spills the ball. Storm need a serious game changing moment soon if they’re going to remain alive in this grand final. Share

1h ago 06.02 EDT TRY! Melbourne Storm 6-14 Penrith Panthers 14 (Alamoti, 61) From one of those ding-dong sets starting the wrong side of halfway Penrith score! Cleary launches a bomb on the last. Martin takes Coates and ball in the air, lands, finds Leota, who hurls a beautiful pass to his right for Alamoti to dab the ball into the right corner in full flight, parallel to the ground. That feels significant. Cleary hangs the touchline conversion out to the right, but his side is in very good shape with not long to go in Sydney. LIAM MARTIN 🤯#NRLGF @telstra Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/TQQdMOqGop — NRL (@NRL) October 6, 2024 Share Updated at 06.05 EDT

1h ago 05.59 EDT 60 mins: Set after set threatens to break open. Warbrick wins another aerial contest but a swarm of pink is waiting for him on the ground. Cleary then breaks the line but can’t streak clear. Melbourne are growing into the contest with every minute, establishing field position and setting themselves up for one final assault. To’o’s injury is a knee complaint. Share

1h ago 05.57 EDT 59 mins: The pace remains relentless and fatigue is sure to kick in soon, but for now, the match has settled into a arm wrestle either side of halfway – but To’o is leaving the field for the Panthers – not sure why yet, but that could create an opening for Melbourne. Share

1h ago 05.55 EDT 57 mins: Excellent contested mark from Warbrick after another trademark Penrith set. Melbourne respond with a tidy set of their own, but there’s nothing expansive on the last and no chaser gets within sniffing difference of Edwards. Share

1h ago 05.54 EDT 56 mins: Katoa sets up Melbourne with two superb runs and a neat offload. Storm reach 30m and Blore gets his hands free for Howarth on his outside… but he spills under pressure. View image in fullscreen Eliesa Katoa has helped ignite the Storm in the second half of the 2024 NRL grand final. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Share Updated at 05.56 EDT

1h ago 05.53 EDT 55 mins: Yeo and Leota bust Melbourne open through the middle forcing Papenhuyzen to scramble, but he does well, and earns a penalty for some needless face-rubbing from Tago on the ground. Silly indiscipline from the Panther letting Storm off the hook. Share

1h ago 05.51 EDT 53 mins: Garner improves what was turning out to be another modest set, allowing Cleary to kick high from 40 that Coates deals with safely. But Melbourne continue to spark! Papenhuyzen and Coates link well on the short side, the left, but Tago tackles well. Hughes then picks the wrong option, grubbering into touch on the right with Warbrick on the chase. Share

1h ago 05.49 EDT 51 mins: Brad Fittler disagrees with Johns, and adds that the bunker has access to many more angles than we see on TV. The game goes on, and Melbourne are renewed, keeping Penrith to a modest set and returning fire on halfway. Hughes goes high on the last, and not for the first time tonight the Panthers don’t contest in the air, simply wrapping up Coates on his return to dry land 10m from home. Share

1h ago 05.47 EDT 50 mins: Melbourne enjoy some rare possession inside Penrith’s half and on the last Munster hoists a bomb to the left corner. Xavier Coates does Xavier Coates things, marking and offloading in mid-air in one move. Howarth is front and square to gather and dive over – with four pink jerseys hanging off him… does he get the ball down? Ashley Klein says no. What does the TMO say? No try! Channel 9 was convinced Steeden touched turf. “I’m sure the ball is down!” asserts Andrew Johns. Wow. That will be talked about for a long time. View image in fullscreen Jack Howarth crosses for the Storm but cannot clearly get the ball down in the 2024 NRL grand final. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Share Updated at 05.54 EDT

1h ago 05.45 EDT 48 mins: But not quite yet. Katoa tackles Edwards by the fullback’s right arm in the act of passing to force a loose carry. Katoa backs that up with a bullocking run off the back of the scrum. Share

Click here to read article