2022 NRL Grand Final: Relentless Panthers dominate their way to Western supremacy

The Provan-Summons Trophy will once again reside at the foot of the mountains after the Penrith Panthers dominated their way to a 28-12 Grand Final victory over rivals Parramatta in front of 82,415 fans at Accor Stadium last night.

The Panthers got off to a flying start with centre Stephen Crichton dropping under fullback Dylan Edwards to streak through a piercing gap in the 11th minute and cross for his third try in three Grand Finals.

Just six minutes later, the Panthers picked apart Parramatta’s right edge with a simple shift spurred on by their halves linking for Brian To’o to absorb a try-saving attempt from fullback Clint Gutherson and plant the ball down.

Nathan Cleary slotted through a penalty goal off an Eels dropout that went over the touchline on the full to balloon the lead out to 12 at the first-quarter mark.

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After another period of sustained pressure, a deft Cleary grubber ended up in the lap of interchange middle Scott Sorensen who dove over to extend the lead to three converted tries heading into halftime.

Any hopes of a Parramatta fightback were all but dashed in the early stages of the second-half with To’o crossing for his second four-pointer of the contest in the left corner to make it a 22-point game.

Parramatta’s edge defence was again picked apart at the hour-mark with winger Charlie Staines the beneficiary of another slick backline shift stepping his way past Gutherson and managing the ground the football to put the Panthers well and truly into party-mode.

Gutherson and interchange utility Jake Arthur found a pair of consolation tries late for the Eels but the result had been secured – Penrith were the champions once more.

They become the just the second team of the NRL era to secure back-to-back titles.

Edwards capped off a remarkable year with a Clive Churchill Medal for best on ground after he ran for 291 metres from 28 carries, broke nine tackles, made a line break, assisted on a try and pulled off a Sattler-esque try-saver on a streaking Bailey Simonsson in the second-half.

He joins Luke Priddis and Nathan Cleary as the only Clive Churchill Medal winners in Panthers history.

Panthers winger Brian To’o was similarly strong running for a game-high 299 metres from 24 carries, with nine tackle breaks, three line breaks and try-scoring double.

Star halfback Nathan Cleary orchestrated Penrith’s attack for much of the night finishing with 117 run metres, a line break, a try assist and 556 kick metres.

Several of the forwards deserve a mention also; James Fisher-Harris ran for 201 metres from 20 carries and made 32 tackles whilst Isaah Yeo ran for 186 metres of his own and made 36 tackles.

Liam Martin was also sensational for the Panthers on the right edge running for 155 metres and making a team-high 45 tackles.

The likes of Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, and Mitch Kenny set the tone for Penrith from the get-go with their aggression and contact making life very difficult for a Parramatta pack that looked shellshocked.

Penrith dominated possession and yardage for close the full 80, suffocating their way to another premiership, and leaving Parramatta with some soul-searching to do after their 36-year premiership drought extends another 12 months.

Penrith stars Apisai Koroisau and Viliame Kikau capped off incredible runs with the club with Grand Final glory before they head to the Wests Tigers and Bulldogs next season.

The likes of Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi were not afforded the same fairy-tale, however, as their emotional runs in the blue-and-gold conclude.

Penrith’s triumphant celebrations lasted long into the night and will undoubtedly continue for weeks to come.

Having also secured premierships in the NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg Cup, and S.G. Ball Cup, the Penrith pipeline has proven to be special as the club enters what looks to be an historic golden era.

With 67 wins from their past 78 games, this Panthers side are among the most dominant sides of the past few decades and appear well-positioned for more title runs in coming years.

Say what you want, this star-studded group of young men are ascending towards rugby league royalty.

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