NRL: Storm hold off Panthers in NRL Grand Final rematch thriller

The Melbourne Storm have hung on to beat the Penrith Panthers 30-24 in a rollercoaster NRL grand final rematch in Melbourne that saw Nathan Cleary ruled out in the opening minutes on Thursday night.

Cleary was concussed when he collided with his opposite number, Jahrome Hughes, off the ball in the eighth minute in what appeared to be a freak accident.

Both halfbacks scrambled to clean up a loose ball near the Panthers’ line, but Cleary came off second best and was deemed a Category 1 concussion, ruling him out for the remainder of the match.

Blaize Talagi replaced Cleary in his debut for the Penrith Panthers and stood tall alongside Jack Cole, guiding the Panthers through a spirited fightback that almost saw them steal an unlikely victory.

The Melbourne Storm raced out to a 14-0 lead following a Nick Meaney’s penalty conversion.

Penrith responded with 16 unanswered points either side of halftime to take the lead early in the second half.

Melbourne’s big names then took control from that, with Xavier Coates, Tyran Wishart, and Ryan Papenhuyzen all crossing to put the game beyond reach.

Papenhuyzen’s 73rd-minute try, off a well-weighted grubber from Cameron Munster, proved decisive.

Brian To’o was a standout for Penrith, racking up 214 metres from 17 runs and scoring a late double, including a spectacular effort in the 76th minute that gave the Panthers a glimmer of hope.

However, the missed conversion left them trailing by six points, and Melbourne held on.

Storm’s forward pack, led by Stefano Utoikamanu and Josh King, dominated the middle, combining for 23 runs and 270 metres, laying the perfect platform for Munster and Hughes to control the game.

• 

  Fast Payouts

Sports news