Panthers star Stephen Crichton reveals the key area he needs to step-up in for Sunday’s NRL grand final

Two key moments in two of the biggest games of the year have given this Penrith star something special as he heads into the biggest game of his life.

Penrith’s Stephen Crichton is primed for the NRL grand final. Picture: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images

Penrith winger Stephen Crichton says he is “not a kid anymore” as he draws on two of his massive defensive plays this year to achieve his ultimate goal of being remembered forever as a premiership winner.

Two desperate and crucial try saving tackles on Storm beast Justin Olam six months apart have given Crichton massive confidence that he is ready for anything the Rabbitohs’ lethal left-side attack throws at him in the grand final on Sunday.

The first was in round three when after full-time he combined with Viliame Kikau to hold Olam up over the line in a thrilling 12-10 win. The second was in the 10-6 preliminary final victory when the 21-year-old’s desperation inches from the line denied a rampaging Olam from scoring a certain try.

“Those two tackles have given me heaps of confidence for Sunday. My adrenaline is running in those moments and I’ve just got to make the tackle for the team,” Crichton said.

“Even though it is early on in my career I feel like one of the senior players with the experience I have had now.

“Look, I am not a little kid anymore. Other players look up to me so I can‘t be waiting for others. It is up to me to step up.

“It is my attack that probably got me here but I’ve been trying to nail down being the defender the boys around me can trust.

“They need to believe I can make those key tackles in these big games where you just need to be hungry and scramble a lot.”

Penrith’s Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu celebrate their preliminary final victory. Picture: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images

Crichton did to Olam what the PNG international has been doing to others these past two seasons. He was that confident, he threw Olam’s boot away in the second half of the prelim final, and received a fine from the NRL for good measure.

“Olam just scares people, I guess, and is a strong, big unit,” Crichton grinned.

“Even though I did a good tackle on him, he still gave me a dead arm. He still came out of it better, but I was hungry to stop him.

“The lesson for me is that we have just got to be hungrier again against Souths. Whichever team has the stronger culture and sticks together until the end will get the trophy.”

Crichton said the 1991 and 2003 premiership winning greats would be remembered forever at Penrith and that he wanted to be held in the same regard.

“Those greats mean a lot to all of us and will be remembered forever. Walk into our academy and their photos are all over the walls,” he said.

“That is what we are striving for. We want to be immortals for the junior generations coming through. We are in a good position to do that.”

Brian To’o and Jarome Luai hug Stephen Crichton ahead of the NRL grand final. Picture: Annette Dew

Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo said Crichton’s hunger epitomised what the Panthers stood for this year.

“We have the superstars in our team, but our game is based on defence and those kinds of big plays from Stephen mean more to us than anything else,” he said.

“He‘ll need to be on again against Souths because you look at the edges they have got and the tries they have scored. We have to all be on the same page and he is a part of that.

“Stephen is playing in a different position to what he was at the start of the year, too. He’s played centre, fullback and now he is on the wing. He’s doing a wonderful job and not just in attack, which he is known for, but in defence as well.”