SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Penrith Panthers beat the Melbourne Storm 14-6 in a blockbuster Grand Final at Stadium Australia on Sunday to become the first team to win four successive National Rugby League titles.
Led by the father-son combination of coach Ivan and captain Nathan Cleary, the club from the western reaches of Sydney staked a strong claim to be the greatest team of the NRL era by outlasting the Storm over 80 hard-fought minutes.
"We've just won four in a row, it's mind-blowing," halfback Nathan said after sharing a hug with his father at the final whistle.
"It's all worth it. It is hard. It's hard to reach the top, it's very hard to stay there. But this moment, it's all worth it. Honestly, it's the best feeling in the world."
Melbourne, minor premiers after topping the regular season standings, opened the scoring when hooker Harry Grant got over the line after 22 minutes but Fijian winger Sunia Turuva replied for Penrith with a finish in the corner four minutes later.
Two minutes before the break, Penrith edge forward Liam Martin, who later won the Clive Churchill Medal as the Player of the Match, combined with Cleary to cross the try line and give his side a 10-6 halftime lead.
Melbourne, who won when the teams met in the 2020 Grand Final before the Panthers started their run of title triumphs, never stinted in effort but the Penrith defence held firm.
On the hour mark, Martin wrenched a high ball out of the hands of the Melbourne defenders to allow centre Paul Alamoti to cross for the third Penrith try.
"Tough game," said Melbourne halfback Jahrome Hughes, who earlier this week won the Dally M Medal as the best player of the 2024 season.
"Obviously, they're a great team. They've been the best for the last couple of years for a reason."
The Panthers still have a way to go to match the 11 straight New South Wales titles that the St George Dragons team of the 1950s and 1960s achieved but Penrith's Isaah Yeo suggested four titles in a row would remain the record in the NRL era.
"It's a very special group. To do what we've done, I can't see it being done again, it's just so tough," the test lock said at the presentation ceremony.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Toby Davis)
