This weekend’s NRL grand final between Sydney clubs Parramatta and Penrith is more than a battle of two teams – it’s a battle within a region.

Parramatta peaked in the late 1980s, just as Australia under former prime minister Bob Hawke was opening up to the world, both economically and socially. Penrith, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, is a relative upstart. It used to be known as the Parramatta’s “little brother” but is now the dominant team.