The Panthers can claim to being “unlucky” in an NRL Grand Final of huge drama – but there is no denying the Storm are the rightful champions in 2020.
There is also no disputing the greatness and immortality of Storm legend Cameron Smith as he led the Storm to a nail-biting 26-20 victory that finished with a thrilling late fightback from the Panthers.
Smith was an absolute superstar as the Storm captain claimed his third NRL premiership and the fifth Grand Final win of his career where he also celebrated becoming the oldest grand final winner (37 years and 129 days) in the history of the game.
Smith's classy performance was only overshadowed by a freakish series of highlights from fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen that saw the No. 1 awarded the Clive Churchill medal as the best player on the field. Papenhuyzen's award came after several commercial bookmakers paid out bets on Smith to be awarded the medal early in the second half.
The honours very nearly disappeared in front of the Storm's eyes as the Panthers mounted an extraordinary comeback that set up a thrilling final minute of play where the Panthers had one final chance to score off the kick-off to steal the most unlikely of grand final wins.
It was set up by a try to Panthers playmaker Nathan Cleary in the 80th minute that brought the Panthers to within one converted try with just seconds left on the clock.
With one final play, the Panthers zigged and zagged within their own half, but the Storm defence held firm to take another historic grand final victory.
Earlier, the Panthers had been left dead in the water as the Storm ran out to a 26-0 lead early in the second half.
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The Panthers scored the last four tries of the match after a series of controversial calls went against the Storm.
The first allowed Isaah Yeo to set up a try after running around his own teammate in a clear obstruction.
The second saw halfback Jahrome Hughes sent to the sin bin with nine minutes left on the clock after the NRL Bunker ruled he had performed a professional foul by taking out Villiame Kikau.
With the Storm reduced to 12 men at the death, the Panthers very nearly pinched it.
But the Storm showed their class to endure the onslaught and emerge with a famous grand final triumph.
Smith was even left emotional at full time as he talked about his team's incredible defence when it mattered the most.
"Jeez, we did it the hard way there, 11 men in the end," Smith said.
"Penrith were coming home with a wet sail and playing the footy they played all year. If it goes another two minutes, I just don’t know.
"I'm just really proud of this club - not just this football team that played tonight, but the entire squad."
Panthers star Cleary was also overcome with emotion at full time after a game where he made several poor decisions with the ball in his hands and was also caught out in defence a number of times.
However, Cleary still showed his class by leading the Panthers in their late charge and even scored the try that set up the last-minute drama.
Despite his impressive second half display, Cleary looked a man who couldn't forget his early mistakes when he spoke to Brad Fittler immediately after the full time siren.
"It's super disappointing," a broken Cleary said.
"I thought I let the boys down, but hopefully we'll be back.
"It's going to hurt for a long time, but it's fuel for us for next year."
After 17 straight wins, it was a cruel way for the Panthers season to end.
Cleary's rollercoaster ride was just a taste of the high drama that exploded in the second half.
Here's how Melbourne Storm rode the turbulence to get their hands on the Provan-Summons Trophy.
Updates
Cleary stunner sets up grandstand finish
The Panthers were just one try short of a historic grand final comeback when Nathan Cleary ran the ball and cut between two tired defenders in the 80th minute.
Cleary's incredible try cut the margin to 26-20 -0 – and gave the Panthers one final play to go 100m.
In the end, the Storm stayed tough to hold on for a famous victory.
ONE MORE TWIST!
A sin bin AND a try in the dying moments… one play to go!😲
Storm star binned, Panthers make incredible comeback
Jahrome Hughes was sent to the sin bin as the Panthers mounted an extraordinary late fight back.
Hughes was controversially penalised after the NRL bunker ruled he deliberately took out Viliame Kikau as he chased through on a kick, despite Hughes having his back to the charging Panther.
The professional foul meant the Storm were down to 12-men for the final nine minutes of the game.
Just minutes later the Panthers found an overlap on the same side of the field, allowing Josh Mansour to score in the corner on the back of a sweet cut-out ball from Jarome Luai.
MANSOUR IS IN!
The Panthers are running out of time but they have a one-man advantage and three tries in a row!
The try set up a grandstand finish with the Storm's lead cut to 26-16 with more than seven minutes to play.
It came after Penrith gave themselves a sniff when Stephen Crichton cut the margin to just 14 points with 10 minutes to play.
Crichton skipped between Brenko Lee and Jahrome Hughes on the try line to give the Panthers back-to-back tries.
'They don't know the rules': NRL Bunker blunder
The Panthers finally got on the board in the 53rd minute – but it came on the back of a video referee farce.
With the Panthers already out of the contest, trailing 26-0, winger Brian To'o scored when he dived on a grubber from Isaah Yeo near the sideline.
Yeo's kick came after he had already run behind a lead-runner in a clear obstruction.
Despite the blatant obstruction the NRL video referee rules it was not clear that Yeo had kicked the ball after he had already run behind his own teammate.
"They don't know the rules. They don't know the fabric of the game," Andrew Johns said.
"He's got the rule wrong. He's got the rule wrong.
"They don't understand what happens with putting a question mark to the defence.
"This is an out-and-out obstruction.
"You clearly cannot do that."
Even Phil Gould said: "The bunker is wrong."
"They don't know the rules, they don't know the fabric of the game."😲😲
Panthers are finally on the board! But in VERY controversial decision.🏉
Cleary caught out again as Papenhuzen burns Panthers
Ryan Papenhuyzen has shut the door on the Panthers to kill off the NRL Grand Final with 33 minutes still to play.
Papenhuyzen produced a moment of magic when he danced across field before skipping outside Nathan Cleary and cutting between the Panthers playmaker and Tyrone May.
From there, Papenhuzen darted 70m untouched to score a try he will remember for the rest of his life.
The try put the Storm ahead 26-0 early in the second half and left the Storm with more than one hand on the Provan-Summons Trophy.
Cameron Smith has buried the Panthers before the half time siren after the NRL Bunker overruled a controversial decision on the eve of half time.
Smith darted out of dummy half just one metre short of the try line after Nelson Asofa-Solomona played the ball quickly to catch Panthers defenders on the back foot.
Smith had the ball knocked out of his hands by Api Koroisau before he regatherd and pushed between two defenders to score next to the posts. The try put the Storm in a commanding position 22-0 at half time.
"It's a crushing blow," Channel 9's Peter Sterling said at half time.
"We have spoken about the belief and the energy of this Penrith team all season. We're about to find out whether they have enough to get out of trouble. It would be probably the greatest come back in premiership history to get out of this one."
CAM SMITH!🔥
On the stroke of half time, the veteran is as crafty as ever!
Suliasi Vunivalu has put the Melbourne Storm right on top after running 80m and breaking two tackles in a stunning play that put the Storm ahead 16-0 with 10 minutes left in the first half.
Vunivalu shot out of the defensive line and seized on a loose cut-out pass from Nathan Cleary before he broke a tackle from Josh Mansour and sprinted the final 50m untouched to leave the Panthers on the ropes early.
"Honestly, that right there is a 12-point turn-around. For all money, it looked like 6 points to Penrith and then Vunivalu has stolen it from them," Channel 9's Phil Gould said.
✈️The Fijian Flyer!✈️
Suliasi Vunivalu breaking Panther hearts with a runaway meat pie!🥧
The Panthers had a try taken off them in the first 10 minutes when Stephen Crichton was penalised for taking out Storm centre Brenko Lee as Brian To'o scored in the corner.
Replays showed Crichton had run to the outside shoulder of Lee as the Panthers performed a wrap-around play.
NRL legend Brad Fittler told Channel 9: "Stephen Crichton had to know better. The hardest thing when you're playing Melbourne is attacking them when they're defending their own try line."
❌DENIED!❌
Moments after copping a penalty try at one end, the Panthers have been denied a pie of their own at the other!🏉
Penrith star Tyrone May has been slapped with a penalty try in a hugely controversial start to the 2020 NRL Grand Final.
The Storm were awarded the try when Justin Olam dived over the try line near the corner post, but was thwarted when May dived in with his boots, leading with his studs.
The play was sent to the NRL Bunker, with the video referee ruling May committed a professional foul while interrupting a play that the Storm would have scored on.
It put the Storm up 6-0 after five minutes.
"That's incredible. I don't know what Tyrone May could have done any
differently there," Phil Gould told Channel 9.
"It is not what I would call indiscriminate kicking but the referee ruled he's played at the ball with his foot.
"It is illegal to play at the ball with your foot.
"That is a stunning start to this game. Stunning."
😲PENALTY TRY!😲
Controversy erupts in the opening minutes! Crazy scenes, was it a penalty try?🤔
Panthers strike centre Brent Naden has officially been dropped to the bench, but has kept his spot in the team in a late shock selection switch from the Panthers.
It came just hours after reports Naden had been axed from the team altogether.
Naden had all week been linked with a late shift to the bench, despite coach Ivan Cleary naming him as a starting centre in the No. 3 jumper.
Cleary last week made a similar late change to dump Naden back to the bench in a move that saw Tyrone May start in the centres. May played the entire game, while Naden didn't even get on the field in the Panthers' win over the Rabbitohs.
Reports earlier on Sunday claimed Cleary had made the decision to dump Naden and call-up utility hooker Mitch Kenny.
However, when the official team was announced an hour before kick-off, Cleary named Naden on his four-man bench with May starting in the centres.
Naden said earlier in the grand final week he would happily sit out the game if it means the Panthers win the grand final.
Despite Naden's classy public face, fellow NRL star Blake Ferguson took to Twitter to reveal how Naden would really be feeling if he had missed out completely.
"Feel sorry for the brother Nado if the reports are true of him not getting an opportunity to play in a GF especially when he has been in the team the entire year! #letnadoplay," Ferguson wrote.
The Storm had no late changes to the team that was announced on Tuesday and will be 1-17.
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