NRL Grand Final: Sydneysiders urged to back Penrith over Melbourne
NRL supporters across NSW are being urged to put their state first and get behind “underdogs” Penrith against Melbourne Storm in Sunday’s grand final. Read our ‘How to be a Westie’ guide.
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Penrith Panthers greats have called on the people of NSW to unite behind a common cause and become proud westies for the week.
The Panthers secured their spot in the NRL Grand Final after they beat Souths 20-16 on Saturday in a thrilling Preliminary Final at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
Melbourne Storm are facing the Panthers and Penrith legends Greg Alexander, Craig Gower and Scott Sattler want you jump on board their mighty Western Sydney Panthers.
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“Sydney fans should become a westie for the day – get your Uggies out. Everyone loves a battler and Penrith have had plenty of battles over the years,” said Sattler, Penrith’s 2003 grand final hero.
“It becomes state versus state doesn’t it?”
“I really have a deep respect for the Storm but I can’t see many Melbourne fans being in the crowd given the borders are closed.”
The Storm are in their third grand final in four years, but this time it’s worse than usual — despite being based in Victoria the Storm has spent the second half of the season playing out of Queensland.
The Storm will have strong support from both states, making it even more important for the Panthers to feel the love from NSW – from the city’s west to the Shire and out through the regions.
Penrith devotee Cathy Craig, 61, will be watching with her four kids hoping her “underdogs” take out the gold.
“They’re such a young team but what will see them through is the talent of Ivan and Nathan,” Ms Craig said.
“They’ll seal the deal if they make sure they get a good share of 50 per cent of the position and bring it home.”
“If so, the game will do down in the history books.”
Either way the game will be a historic event for the Craig family – it marks the first time Cathy’s 16 grandkids will see Penrith in a grand final.
Grandson Elijah Craig, 12, will see his favourite team make it to the finals. He’ll be there at ANZ Stadium in his Panthers jersey cheering the club on from the sidelines.
“I was so happy after last night. I knew before the game that no matter what the result was, I would be crying and I’m just glad they were happy tears.”
He says he “can’t wait” for the next seven days to be over as he counts every sleep until the boys hit the turf.
Veteran Panthers fan and Emu Plains resident Kevin Pippen, 84, said Saturday’s win was “unbelievable” and he was “incredibly proud” to see the boys climb to the top after seeing them play their inaugural game against Canterbury at Belmore Oval back in 1967.
“Having their seventeenth win in a row is unbelievable for any team and a record of itself. It was a real battle last night but they got there.”
Since they last won a grand final in 2003, premiership success has been enjoyed in Belmore, Concord, Bondi, Kogarah, Wollongong, Brookvale, Brisbane, Townsville, Cronulla, Redfern and Melbourne.
And now Penrith want it back.
With the Queensland and Victorian borders still closed, Penrith fans – whether they are lifelong or temporary – are expected to dominate the 40,000 crowd.
“We are the only Sydney side remaining in the competition so it would be great to see 40,000 fans there supporting Penrith,” said Alexander, arguably Penrith’s greatest player.
“Melbourne will have some Sydney fans at the game but there won’t be any travel from Victoria or Queensland. It’s been 17 years since Penrith has been in a grand final so hopefully fans get out there to support the NSW team.”
Gower said non-Penrith fans throughout NSW should cast aside their own club passion and barrack for Penrith.
“Why not support the Sydney team? We should have a fair crowd out there full of Penrith fans,” said Gower, who captained Penrith to their famous 2003 title.
He said the noise of the crowd drove so many of the plays of Penrith’s last victory.
“When you’re out, and you’re going through a hard time, and you need to break momentum, and when the crowd gets behind you, it certainly lifts you,” he said.
“Melbourne is always around the mark so why not back the Panthers, mate?
“It’s going to be a cracking game and it will come down to who takes those big moments.”
Penrith hope to start grand final week on a high today with Nathan Cleary the favourite to win his first Dally M Medal — the highest individual award in the NRL.
The Panthers advanced to the grand final with a record-equalling 17th straight win in the preliminary final over South Sydney.
The streak is an NRL-era record – equalling Canterbury’s run in 2002.
The Panthers boast a big fan base and will have heavyweight support tuning in from around the world.
Surfing great Mick Fanning was born in Penrith and became a passionate fan in 1990 when the Panthers played Canberra in the grand final.
Fanning is in Huntington Beach, California, on business and tuned in at 1.30am to watch the Panthers’ preliminary final win on Saturday.
“A lot of people are saying they haven’t played big games but Cleary has won Origin series,” Fanning said last week.
“He is so composed in those big moments and a lot of players in the team feed off what he is doing.”
The path to the grand final comes less than a year after a horror season marred by controversy – starting with a sex tape scandal involving Samoan five-eight Tyrone May which foiled their fate in the pre-season before the campaign had even begun.
The scandal saw halfback Nathan Cleary admitting the pressure of the scandal had taken its toll and sent the team “off a cliff” at the start of the year.
Just months later, the team was again derailed – this time by a scandal involving Cleary himself – who was slapped with a $30,000 fine and suspended for breaching COVID-19 restrictions after a Tik Tok video emerged of him dancing with a group of girls at home.
The NRL grand final will have a 40,000 capacity.
Originally published as NRL Grand Final: Sydneysiders urged to back Penrith over Melbourne