NRL Grand Final

By Stephen Gallagher

Penrith Panthers V Parramatta Eels – Accor Stadium – 21.30NZT

Firstly, I wanna say that I’ve been a rugby league fan since I was in the womb. My grandfather was heavily involved with many different things at Mount Smart, he and my grandmother were season ticket holders to the Warriors from day dot. 

I even think it was my grandfather who invented the Mount Smart Shuffle… “Those bloody Warriors” he’d say and he’d try to convince my nana to leave with him with twenty to go when the scoreboard wasn’t favourable

I’ve even had a great uncle die watching his beloved Warriors… The infamous game where Kevin Campion gave Shane Webcke a hiding…

Anyway, what I am alluding to here is that I am off to this NRL Grand Final – and I can’t wait. Definitely bucket list stuff for me.

By the time you read this, I’ll be in Sydney and among the hype. I can’t bloody wait!

I have so much respect and admiration for the Penrith Panthers. If I was about 12 years younger, I’d hate them. Much like the Melbourne Storm and Queensland sides of their time. I hated how successful they were.

I love how successful the Panthers are. Western Sydney is the biggest nursery for rugby league, and they have got everything working in their favour.

Winners of the SG Ball grand final. Winners of the Jersey Flegg grand final. Winners of the Knock-On Effect Cup grand final. And off to the NRL grand final for a third consecutive year.

While we all laughed at Phil Gould’s five-year plan rhetoric at the time – it was he and the entire Panthers club who had the last laugh, albeit taking a little longer than expected the success speaks for itself.

A side that’s filled with representative players, they have all got better individually and as a team over the last few seasons. It’s incredibly impressive that this Penrith dynasty is just in its infancy, and who knows just what else they could go on to achieve.

Sorry Parramatta fans, this may come across as a love fest for Penrith, but we’ll get to your Eels soon.

While making it to three grand finals in a row seems like it would be hard work – there’s something about this Panthers outfit that just makes it look easy. 

A bench that’s impacted every game. Halves that dictate everything for their backline full of speed and strength, with a forward pack that has their sleeves permanently rolled up.

This is what the benchmark looks like, and my goodness it’s intimidating.

If you’re a Parramatta fan, you’ll relish the opportunity to have this opportunity of success. Playing in their third grand final since the dawn of the new millennium, the Eels are desperate to turn their fortunes which saw them have great success in the 80s, winning four finals in six years.

1986 was the year, they defeated Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs 4-2 in their 40th season in the competition. The outstanding halves pairing of Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling were the orchestrators of success through that time.
A lot has changed since then, but there’s still the glimmer of hope and excitement in Parramatta that this indeed can be their year.

And why not? They’ve beaten the Panthers three times in 2022 (if you include a pre-season fixture) and have shown that they can bind together in tough times as they navigated their way through the finals series, especially in that impressive win against the Cowboys in North Queensland.

There’s been many a conversation around Parra’s premiership window, and many media and NRL experts believe that it’s going to close at the end of this year. So, if that is the case, what a perfect time to bestow a premiership for the blue and gold army.

Timing can be everything, and the way that Brad Arthur has timed their run this season compared to last deserves recognition. 

A roster that’s remained largely injury-free this year – this squad has the talent to win their first Premiership in 36 years.

Dylan Edwards and Clint Gutherson are very similar in stature. Edwards made a name for himself in last year’s decider, playing on a broken foot in a mammoth performance by the fullback. He’s not going to get the rep honours he deserves, but shit he’s the glue to Penrith.

Gutherson brings passion, flare, and leadership from the back to this side. The energy he can create from his desire has fired teammates up many times. They’ll look to him to do the same again in this final.

Penrith’s outside backs are so young but so good. Charlie Staines, AKA the Forbes Ferrari makes the cut after Taylan May fails a fitness test.

We’ve all seen what Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton are capable of in big games, and what a remarkable rise for Isack Tago in this side. Only one of four new faces from last year’s Premiership winning side.

Parramatta’s Maika Sivo is a weapon. His strengths are his strength. The way he runs is powerful, and his involvement can break the game wide open. Waqa Blake has some question marks around his ability under the high ball in round one of the finals, but he’s going to go out there and give it his all the way he always does.

It’s hard to believe Will Penisini is only 20 years old, and Bailey Simonsson makes it after a strong outing last week filling in for the injured Tom Opacic.

We’re all aware of the partnership Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary has formed. From age grade to State Of Origin, they know each other’s game inside and out.

Mitchell Moses has matured so much since joining Parramatta. What a week for him it was with the passing of his grandmother and the birth of his first child leading up to the North Queensland win.

And the rise of Dylan Brown has been meteoric. At 22 years old, Brown is a top three five-eighth in the NRL in my opinion.

Led by the alpha James Fisher-Harris, Penrith’s forward pack are solid as granite, with the ability to ball play and play the ball quickly – there’s no wonder why they are as dominant as they are.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo are two of the best props going around right now, and the platform they created for Parramatta has been monumental. They go hard, they don’t take a backward step, and they love the contest of the arm-wrestle in the middle.

The Panther’s bench has had an impact in every game they’ve played this season. Showing that this game truly is about all 17 players.

Parramatta has recalled one of their strongest enforcers in Nathan Brown to do what he does best. Run hard. Tackle hard. Pressure the halves.

Where the game will be won is, as cliche as it is – what impact Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai have on this game.

We’ve seen the Panthers start slow this finals series – and if I’m Parramatta, I will target the first half. Put it in the heads of the players to play their best-ever half of football. Prepare them to upset and unsettle the Panthers. They’ve done it before this year, and have to do it again.

When Nathan Cleary is put in a phone box, he doesn’t get the opportunity to put his fingerprints on everything – and that is something that needs to happen. If he gets time, he’ll take over.

Parramatta also has to play at a 10. It’s not often you get Penrith less than an 8/10 – so you know that to beat them, you have to beat them on the field in everything they do. They won’t beat themselves.

This game will be electric. I have a feeling this Western Sydney derby will give us an instant classic. 

Penrith to take the honours 24-18, with Apisai Koroisau taking home the Clive Churchill Medal.

I’m also going to say that the Penrith Panthers will be too good for the Norths Devils in the Interstate Championship and that the Newcastle Knights will be crowned NRLW champions with a win over Parramatta.

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