NRL Grand Final 2020: Two moments that buried Penrith Panthers

After 17-straight wins, Penrith’s Grand Final dream dissipated in the opening ten minutes - and they were both ruled by the Bunker. RE-LIVE THE MATCH HERE.

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Ivan Cleary would have prepared for every situation in the playbook leading into last night’s 26-20 grand final loss to the Melbourne Storm.

But what the Penrith coach could not have anticipated is that two crucial moments in the first 10 minutes would consume his side mentally and effectively kill off their title tilt. 

After 17-straight wins, Penrith’s season dissipated before their eyes as the Storm delivered the first blow in what was startling fashion with a penalty try to centre Justin Olam in just the 3rd minute. 

Flirting with the sideline, Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr managed to sneak the ball away to Olam. With Panthers defenders converging, Olam sneaked over the try line.

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Tyrone May looks up at the referee after Justin Olam dives over.

But referee Gerrard Sutton spotted a bobble in the put down and sent it to the video referee as a no-try. 

Bunker official Steve Chiddy returned a penalty try decision. 

Chiddy ruled that Olam had lost the ball in scoring through an illegal play by Penrith centre Tyrone May. 

In a desperate attempt to stop Olam from grounded the ball, May stuck out his boot and it made contact with footy and Olam, the process of scoring, spilled the footy. 

And then came the dagger through the heart of Panthers fans as Chiddy ruled down the referees microphone: “May used the foot to kick the ball out of the possession of justin olam, in our opinion a try would have been scored. Penalty try,”.

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Olam’s four pointers was the first penalty try in a NRL grand final since Manly Sea Eagles centre Jamie Lyon had one awarded in their 26-18 loss to the Sydney Roosters.

But Sunday’s call wasn’t without controversy. 

While May did use his foot to Olam, Penrith fans would have argued that May did not indiscriminately kick at the ball. 

May’s defensive error will now raise questions about Cleary’s decision to play the utility ahead of Brent Naden, who was named on the bench for the second week running. 

The move worked in Penrith’s favour in the preliminary final against South Sydney but came back to bite Cleary just three minutes into the biggest game of the year. 

“It’s so hard to get here, the opportunities don’t come so often. It was a frustrating game. I still can’t explain it, I need a bit of time for that. I’d love to play that game tomorrow again that’s for sure,” coach Cleary said after the match.

“We were getting knocked psychologically and on the scoreboard...it just wasn’t meant to be I think.”

“It’s hard to believe we were 22-nill down at halftime. We were just trying to keep the belief up. But to be still swinging at the end of the game was an incredible effort."

The Storm are no strangers to penalty try calls in title deciders. In the Storm's first ever grand final appearance back in 1999, legendary whistle blower Bill Harrigan and video referee Chris Ward made one of the most famous calls in the game’s history. After clawing their way back into the to trail by four points with three minutes to go, Chris Smith was hammered in trying to take a cross field bomb by Brett Kimmorley. Ward ruled a penalty try, gifting the Storm the club’s maiden premiership. 

Dejected Panthers players react after a Storm try.

Penrith’s hard luck last night was consolidated only minutes after the Olam penalty try decision when Chiddy ruled Stephen Crichton had obstructed Storm centre Brenko Lee in the lead-up to Josh Mansour diving over in the right hand corner. 

The two calls not only put the Panthers behind on the scoreboard it had them on the backfoot mentally and playing to the scoreboard.

The normally unflappable Nathan Cleary threw a rainbow pass with Melbourne rushing in defence. The pass didn’t hit it’s target and found the arms of flying Suliasi Vunivalu, who streaked 90 metres to score.  

Last night was a lesson in how not to play against the Melbourne Storm when you’re behind in on the scoreboard. After losing touch mentally with the Storm in the first half, Penrith found a way to claw back and win the second half 20-4.

But forty minutes of football against the Storm was never going to be enough against Craig Bellamy’s men.

Originally published as NRL Grand Final 2020: Two moments that buried Penrith Panthers