The dynasty continues: Penrith breaks Melbourne hearts to secure fourth-straight premiership

BY DOMINIC CRINITI/SEN

THE Penrith Panthers have continued to rewrite history, winning a fourth-straight NRL premiership with a 14-6 win over the Melbourne Storm at Accor Stadium on Sunday night.

Penrith becomes the first team since the St George Dragons in 1966 to win more than four-straight premierships and now sits in equal sixth place for the most titles in NRL history with six.

Melbourne looked to set the tone from the first exchange and without Nelson Asofa-Solomona the responsibility fell into the hands of Josh King and Tui Kamikamica, with both players impressing in the opening stages.

The two best sides in the competition put on a rugby league clinic in the first 20 minutes, with neither side giving the other an edge, resulting in plenty of brutal collisions in the forward line.

With both teams engaging in an armwrestle in the middle of the park it was an uncharacteristic Penrith mistake that led to the Storm’s first try.

The Storm skipper, Harry Grant, with little room to move burrowed his way over the line from close range to open the scoring in the 2024 decider.

A disappointed Penrith side didn’t take long to answer as Sunia Turuva was the beneficiary of an overlap on the left side of Melbourne’s defence, as he slid over for Penrith’s first try of the night.

Penrith began to take control of the game as the first half came to a close, winning the battle of the forwards and gaining crucial ground going forward.

After knocking on the door several times, the Panthers cracked the opposing defence one more time as Nathan Cleary put Liam Martin through to the try line moments before halftime.

With Cleary going one from two with his conversions, the Panthers led 10-6 going into the break.

Melbourne came out with a point to prove in the second half but Penrith continued to match their intensity from onset.

On the back of a strong start, the Storm came within inches of retaking the lead as Jack Howarth found his way over but was agonisingly held up by Dylan Edwards.

Penrith was dealt a massive blow with just 20 minutes remaining as Brian To’o seemingly succumbed to a hamstring injury, forcing the reigning premier into a backline shuffle.

The backline switchup proved to be a blessing in disguise for Penrith, as Paul Alamoti, the man who replaced To’o on the wing, secured the Panthers’ third try with a sensational finish.

With the game hanging in the balance, play was halted after allegations of a bite on Paul Alamoti from Cameron Munster, for which the referee placed the Storm playmaker on report.

Penrith wasn’t troubled in the final stages and hung on for a 14-6 win, securing a fourth-straight premiership.