Summary
Time for me to take my leave and thank you all for joining me tonight and throughout the season. It’s been terrific fun. Congratulations Penrith on a well deserved premiership. See you next year.
And there it is. The trophy presentation. The confetti canons. The bursts of flame. The team photos. Lots of beaming smiles in black jerseys.
Co-captain Isaah Yeo now has a few words, thanking sponsors , governments, families, the losing Bunnies, and whatnot. Although I’m not sure Penrith’s backers will be overly pleased with: “Our major sponsors for Penrith, all the major ones, thank you.” Kinda missing the point Isaah, but understandably so.
Ring presentation time. At a brisk pace, it must be said.
Adam Reynolds completes the grim duties required of the losing captain. “I love every one of youse,” he says to his teammates as he departs the stage and South Sydney, en route for the Broncos.
Meanwhile, Brian To’o has just proposed (successfully) to his now fiancée.
Nathan Cleary awarded Clive Churchill medal
There we go. He ran the game from halfback, kicked magnificently, never panicked, and he receives the medal from his dad. Decent night. “We’ve climbed Everest,” he bellows, voice hoarse.
I have no idea who wins the Clive Churchill. Nathan Cleary ran the game. Stephen Crichton delivered the decisive moment. Brian To’o carried for the most metres. Viliame Kikau was huge in defence...
“It feels like a dream,” says Nathan Cleary, “we had the hurt of last year, we did it the hard way.”
“It’s just special do it with him,” he says about his dad.
“We are not just playing for us but it is the whole community and alongside my brothers we have grown up together we are like a big family.” What an achievement for this group that have come through together.
“It’s bloody unreal,” says Isaah Yeo while the TV shot is tight on Cleary and son embracing in the tightest of bear hugs, tears streaming down their faces.
This isn't the result we wanted tonight but we could not be prouder of this group of boys. You are record breakers and you have done South Sydney so proud. Glory Glory. ❤️💚#GoRabbitohs #NRLGF #GloryBound pic.twitter.com/49tQrgns0a
— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🐰 (@SSFCRABBITOHS) October 3, 2021
A season that began in March, that was dominated by Melbourne Storm’s unbeaten run, that was taken to new heights by Tom Trbojevic, that looked over for Penrith after they were blunted in week one of the finals, ends with the Panthers in tears celebrating a victory by just two points.
FULL-TIME. 1991. 2003. 2021.
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) October 3, 2021
🖤❤️💛💚 #NRLGF #pantherpride pic.twitter.com/xbHIDnITWf
Full-time: Penrith Panthers 14-12 South Sydney Rabbitohs
They came the long route, they did it the hard way, but Penrith Panthers are NRL premiers for 2021.
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79 mins: Nothing doing for three tackles. On tackle four they cut left but Cleary nails a superb tackle. Tatola now accepts contact. What are they going for? Reynolds with the two-point drop-goal from 40m..... is short!
79 mins: The Panthers with a conservative drive, Cleary with a long bomb. One set for the Bunnies to win.
78 mins: Off the scrum the ball goes to the left and Johnston darts infield to set up momentum. Walker then takes the drive down the left edge - but the ball ends up in touch! Did it come off Cleary in the tackle? Souths have used up their captain’s challenge. Penrith escape.
77 mins: Marshall takes control trying to run to the line, draw a defender and spin the ball out. It works, and it isn’t called, then Fisher-Harris is pinged for a knock-on. Scrum to Souths just their side of halfway.
76 mins: Brilliant defensive work from the Panthers for the opening two tackles in South Sydney’s set, rushing up and shutting down Souths as they try to run left then right, Kikau again like a lion hunting wildebeest. The Bunnies want a penalty for a late shot from Burton on Gagai, but there’s nothing doing. Just four minutes, and four tackles in the set remaining...
76 mins: Reynolds from the left touchline.... it’s out to the right, but curling, curling.... not enough! Penrith retain the lead into the closing stages.
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TRY! Penrith 14-12 Souths (Johnston, 75)
Souths have only been down this end of the field once this half - and that’s all they need! The ball comes to Walker, he dummies to Murray, feeds Gagai, who keeps the ball moving and ships it onto Johnston who flies into the corner! Textbook South Sydney! The try machine adds to his extraordinary season when it matters most.
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74 mins: The Bunnies are going all out now. Johnston, Taafe, Gagai, Cook, all taking the game on before tackle three. They get to the 30m line with a serious surge and increase in intensity. Then there’s a penalty and a rare full attacking set deep in Penrith’s territory.
73 mins: No go-forward again early in South Sydney’s set coming out of their 10m zone. After four tackles Su’A and Paulo combine on the right to improvise. The latter kicks ahead but it’s harmless - until Burgess bulldozes his way into the game with a mighty kick-chase to keep the Panthers honest.
71 mins: Souths tread water coming out of their own half. Kikau is a one-man wrecking crew in defence, leading the Panthers in a brilliant pressing effort. The Bunnies need a couple of miracles.
70 mins: That was tough on Walker, and the momentum was with Souths on that left edge, it was just the wrong pass. Crichton gambled with the farm, and it paid off handsomely. Such small margins determine matches as tight as this.
Conversion! Penrith 14-8 Souths (Cleary, 69)
Cleary knocks over the extras. Souths have to do something special from here.
HOLYYYYY SNATCH 🤯
— NRL (@NRL) October 3, 2021
That's a nasty intercept from Critta!#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/jSM8Oq5vAm
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TRY! Penrith 12-8 Souths (Crichton, 67)
There it is. Souths get some flow down the left edge running out of defence but Walker goes for the long cutout pass instead of keeping it in formation and Crichton is sharking, spotting the move a mile out. He times his step, intercepts, and canters the 40m to the line. Massive moment in this contest.
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66 mins: And again Penrith cannot find the score! May drops a soda from Cleary with the Panthers pressing 10m from the line. Souths are just hanging on. Penrith must be wondering if the breakthrough will ever come.
65 mins: Ooof. That grunt work ended with a Luai kick to the left edge and Burton is up in a flash scragging Paulo into touch. The Panthers have an attacking platform again!
65 mins: Not really. The drive lacks purpose and Reynolds throws a loose pass to the left edge. In the end Walker tries to chip and chase and it’s gather by Yeo 25m out. Not what Wayne Bennett would have wanted as Penrith return to their disciplined midfield grunt-work.
63 mins: Great chase and defensive set from South Sydney. Cleary is crowded out trying to kick, the ball goes back infield and it’s a hurried mongrel forward that gives Souths possession near halfway. Can they capitalise?
61 mins: Now it’s Penrith’s turn to cough the ball up! The move to the left edge is full of runners and when Burton takes the ball on the burst he has a gap to run into, but Murray and Reynolds do brilliantly to drag him down, in the process forcing a loose carry.
Into the final 20 minutes of the season. Still anyone’s premiership.
60 mins: Souths complete their set and Reynolds kicks cannily to turn To’o around in his left corner and we’re back to the midfield grind. It’s remarkable how few errors and penalties we’ve seen... I typed too soon. Penrith with the drive, Clery with the long bomb, Kikau with the monster hit on Taaffe, dislodging the ball in the process, and Souths are forced to concede a line drop-out. In one movement the momentum is back decisively the way of the men in black.
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58 mins: A full set for Penrith in sniffing distance of the Souths line. Yeo tries route one, then the ball goes to the left wing . Yeo again, and this time the flow is to the right touchline, but Souths are up quickly with rush defence and there’s a knock-on. The Bunnies continue to cling on with great determination.
56 mins: Souths have clearly been told to spread the play in response to Penrith’s suffocating pressure. They look right, then left, but the Panthers are swift to cover and Reynolds has to kick from halfway. It’s a better defensive set from South Sydney though, denying Cleary territory with his boot. But Clearly doesn’t mind. He goes miles into the night sky and the onrushing Taaffe can only parry the ball mid-air and it lands in a black jersey.
Cook is a big groggy following a head clash with Crichton. He’s still on the field for now.
54 mins: Sorensen absolutely marmalized on the kick-return hit-up but Penrith continue to probe. Luai then takes an age to play the ball, looking to milk a crusher penalty. Play continues, Cleary goes to the air again, the ball comes to ground, but Sorensen is scragged and there’s a handover near the line. Can the Rabbitohs release the pressure? This is like the first half all over again.
52 mins: Penrith take no chances with a territorial drive that ends with Cleary forcing a line drop-out with another pinpoint garryowen. Souths under pressure again.
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50 mins: Back to the midfield grind for a set and a half until the Bunnies go slickly through hands to the left. Reynolds can kick on 30m, but Leniu comes steaming through and nails the No 7 in the act of kicking. The ball ricochet’s back and bobbles into touch, and it’s Penrith’s possession. Souths challenge the decision thinking Leniu plays at the ball, but the bunker upholds the onfield call.
48 mins: Penrith score! Or do they? The Panthers haven’t seen much ball this half but they look dangerous on this drive, throwing the ball around and inviting runners to hit the line. Cleary jags to the left, runs to the line looking for an offload, and Kikau is there for the easy gather and try! But it’s not given on-field for a knock-on. And replays show the ball does clearly come forward out of the stand-off’s hands.
47 mins: Burgess with another powerful hit-up, but it’s a drive that ends early with a loose carry from Su’A under pressure from Kikau. Big chance for Penrith.
Arrow has now been ruled out with delayed symptoms! Blow for Souths.
Penalty! Penrith 8-8 Souths (Reynolds, 45)
It was a soft penalty but it allowed Reynolds an easy opportunity to kick his side level.
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44 mins: The Panthers are solid in midfield and chase hard behind Cleary’s bomb on Taaffe. When they reach the youngster three black jerseys pick him up and drag him backwards. Souths run clear of their line and are then very fortunate to receive a penalty deep in Penrith territory when Murray milks an obstruction against Capewell in a passage that saw Burgess clothesline Edwards.
Jai Arrow is back on the bench for a second HIA following his early head knock.
42 mins: An early six-again as Souths enjoy the first carry of the half - and then another on halfway! Territory and possession, just what the Rabbitohs wanted. They try to go down the right but make little headway so Burgess storms back down the middle to set up a final tackle run down the left. Penrith’s defence backs off allowing Walker to picks his pass, but then Crichton steps up and makes the final decisive pass too awkward and the ball bobbles into touch.
41 mins: Can Penrith finish the job, or has the master Wayne Bennett delivered another history-making team talk?
The teams are back out for the second term.
Jason Demtriou has just spoken to Australian TV, and to paraphrase, the Bunnies assistant said Penrith controlled field position in the first half so his side needs to fight harder to get out of their defensive end.
Penrith with a 60-40 split of possession and completing at 91%. That is going to cause any side trouble, especially with most of those 20 completed sets ending with the boot of Nathan Cleary. Souths have done well just to hang in there.
Only three penalties and six errors in total testify to the relentless stoppage-free action.
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Half-time: Penrith 8-6 Souths
And breathe. That was fast and furious rugby league. Penrith dominated for most of it. South Sydney will be pleased to go in only two points down. But they are already bloody knackered.
39 mins: Momirovski has run powerfully early on and he makes another tackle bust on his own 20m line to turn defence into attack. Then with Cleary in dangerous kicking territory Koloamatangi pulls a bullet out of the sky to snuff out any danger. Reynolds runs the ball back, offering Paulo a chance to gallop on the right wing - but he runs out of room! Great chase from Kikau and there’s a soft unnecessary turnover.
37 mins: South Sydney have got the game back on an even keel either side of halfway, but the defensive intensity from the Panthers remains terrifying. Reynolds does his best to bob and weave and create a gap but it’s just an immovable black wall in his face.
35 mins: Can Souths hold on until half-time without conceding any more points? Penrith take no risks with the restart set but the Bunnies are more expansive down the left and cross halfway. Reynolds’ kick isn’t fielded cleanly and the Panthers will have to travel 90m on their drive.
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Penalty! Penrith 8-6 Souths (Cleary, 33)
Cleary doesn’t miss from point-blank range and Penrith retake the lead. The Panthers have dominated possession and territory and it’s beginning to tell on a weary Souths defence.
31 mins: Souths feed a scrum 20m out from their posts, and they spill the ball on the set play! Disaster. Now Penrith have a feed of their own. The Rabbitohs look exhausted and rattled. The Panthers have a chance to take advantage. After the scrum there’s a messy play the ball. Koroisau sniffs he has an advantage and goes alone from dummy-half. Souths hold him up, but play is called back for the penalty.
30 mins: Cleary goes left to right this time but Johnston is even to it after Crichton drove 20m further than expected in midfield. Souths are offering nothing going forward at present and the ball is coming back with interest, Crichton again proving tricky in the engine room. Penrith get to 20m out and there’s spare tackles and spare men to play with on the right, but Momirovski can’t hold onto Luai’s pass under pressure form Johnston.
28 mins: With Yeo in the line Penrith spread to the right and Edwards has a sniff of a gap until he’s scragged. From the right Cleary lofts a lovely wedge to the left but Graham soars to hold onto a cracking mark. Still, as soon as Souths take possession there’s a black jersey up in their face hassling them and denying them room to breathe. A tight set ends with a terrific kick down the line that turns Edwards around and buys the Bunnies 20m.
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26 mins: Penrith return to playing for territory. Their start has been marked by the intensity of the kick-chase which is again ferocious. We’re back to a midfield scrap.
Arrow has now passed his HIA.
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24 mins: Superb response by Souths, and Walker in particular. They have barely had a sniff but they’re back level and Walker will have his tail up. There’s a six-again call early in the Rabbitohs’ restart set but Walker overcooks his kick and Edwards can mark in-goal for a 20m restart.
Gagai has passed his HIA and can return to the field.
TRY! Penrith 6-6 Souths (Walker, 22)
CODY WALKER! Out of nothing Souths are back level! The penalty was kicked downfield for decent attacking territory. On the second tackle Reynolds feeds Walker deep and he cuts a strong angle, running straight at - and through - Cleary with a devastating show and go. Once through the line he drives his knees and puts the hammer down until he gets to the line. Unstoppable. Big game mood right there.
Reynolds cannot miss from under the crossbar.
BRUH! Walker ain't messing round 🥵#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/AleLmb47xw
— NRL (@NRL) October 3, 2021
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21 mins: Nathan Cleary is a magician. The restart set is solid if unspectacular from Penrith, but Cleary’s kick is possessed by demons as it swirls and dips in the air. It bounces in front of Taaffe and jerks towards the onrushing To’o, but he’s tackled before he can gain momentum. Souths are up against it in reply and they benefit from a high-tackle call against Kikau on Arrow that releases pressure. Kikau was placed on report for the incident, but it was hard to see what he did wrong on review.
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Conversion! Penrith 6-0 Souths (Cleary, 20)
Cleary begins his night off the tee superbly with a right-footed draw from the touchline sending the conversion over the black dot.
PANTHERS SWITCH IT ON 🔥
— NRL (@NRL) October 3, 2021
First #NRLGF blood drawn. Lesssssgo! pic.twitter.com/T1Gl3Q6tWn
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TRY! Penrith 4-0 Souths (Burton, 19)
Leota runs the drop-out back hard and gets to 15m out when the six-again klaxon rings. It’s on now. Cleary has a dart, Yeo tries to find an angle, Koroisau from dummy half, the pressure is relentless - and BURTON SCORES! The Souths defence was so tired and stretched, the ball once again is fired to the left, Graham steams up to initiate contact infield but Penrith keep the ball moving and Burton has space on his outside to dash over.
Penrith open the scoring. It was coming.
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16 mins: This is exhausting to watch. Just that one stoppage, a match played at a hundred miles an hour, defences rushing up incredibly fast. Amidst the chaos Nathan Cleary keeps a cool head, placing his latest kick right on the money in the left corner. A pack forms to mark it but the ball bobbles loose and Souths scramble concede their third line drop-out of the opening quarter.
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14 mins: Close! Penrith run on the last, again to the left edge, and after Burton feeds To’o the winger is 10m out with four Bunnies blocking his path. He ducks under one tackle then steams head on at the other three and gets within inches of the line! That was a superb effort. South Sydney accept the handover but make it only 30m before Reynolds has to kick.
13 mins: The clock has stopped for Gagai to leave the field and receive an HIA. The pause was generated by a penalty against Souths for interfering with Luai at the ruck. Penrith kick to halfway and the game is back to a midfield arm-wrestle.
Benji Marshall is Gagai’s replacement.
12 mins: Penrith are having to dig their way out of defensive territory for a while, and their cause is helped by a huge hit-up from Momirovski that leaves Gagai’s knees quivering. Souths return fire in kind and reach the 30m line before being forced to kick. Again To’o is the target, but this time he does well int he air and accepts contact.
10 mins: Souths are playing fast and loose in possession but they get away with it. Reynolds then launches a very testing bomb to the short To’o’s corner and the ball bounces with Bunnies steaming in to feed on the scraps. All that results is a handover.
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8 mins: Massive play! On the first tackle of the second line-drop in succession Nicholls executes a 1-1 strip on Leota and the Rabbitohs can clear their lines. Immediately they engineer space on the right edge and there’s an opening, but communication is broken and the ball goes to ground and lands in Penrith’s hands inside their 10m line. A secure midfield set puts us back on an even keel, but this is brutally fast.
7 mins: Again Penrith go through hands to the left, making sure To’o sees plenty of early ball. Graham nails Burton in a huge 1-1 tackle as the left edge began to open. Cleary is again forced to kick on the last, this time dabbing a delicate garryowen to the posts where Souths are again forced to concede a drop-out. Serious intent early from the Panthers.
5 mins: The first multi-pass moves see the Panthers move to the left, then back infield, but on both occasions the Bunnies defend well. Cleary then sends up his most dangerous bomb so far. Taaffe does well to defuse it, but the chase is phenomenal and the No 1 is bundled over the line for a drop-out. Penrith turning the screw early.
4 mins: The Panthers again make decent yardage with their drive, To’o and Burton to the fore. But there’s a loose carry at the ruck from Luai and an early advantage to South Sydney. Or maybe not? There’s a captain’s challenge just three minutes in, and it is a good one with no obvious error from the five-eighth on review. Cleary again goes aerially on the last but Johnston is equal to it with a strong mark. The Bunnies are being pinned inside their own 20m zone by a ferocious Penrith line and Reynolds is forced to kick under pressure and the Panthers begin their third set from almost halfway.
2 mins: Fisher-Harris has the first carry of the grand final as Penrith begin with a powerful drive up the guts Cleary’s kick is taken safely by Taaffe. Souths make less ground but complete their set before Reynolds confirms his groin is ok with a long bomb.
Behind play Cameron Murray is groggy after getting pinballed in the first hit-up. He may require an HIA.
Kick-off!
The 2021 NRL grand final is underway!
The Origin legend only just finished his address before the opening strains of Advance Australia Fair kicked in. Kate Miller-Heidke with the honours. And she nailed the soprano octave change at the end - and held it! Blimey. This has been spectacular.
Johnathan Thurston delivers the welcome to country.
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And now the Panthers, still burning from last year’s disappointment, led onto the field by Nathan Cleary, closely followed by co-captain Isaah Yeo. Smoke drifts across the turf, Cleary looks to the skies, the atmosphere is stunning.
Here come South Sydney, walking out onto Suncorp Stadium in their cardinal and myrtle hoops with black trim. Adam Reynolds is at the front of the line for one final time. There are definitely more Bunnies fans in attendance than Panthers.
Both teams are going through their final hugs and slaps and high-fives in the sheds. Tension etched over every face.
This match might be being played a long way from Sydney, and there might be ‘only’ 39,000 fans in Suncorp Stadium, but it is loud.
Almost go time.
I should have pointed out already that conditions in Brisbane have been glorious all day and they remain perfect, still, dry, and warm, under lights.
From the beach at Cape Hillsborough, to Townsville and the dunes of Moreton Island, the NRL Premiership trophy has journeyed far and wide.
— NRL (@NRL) October 3, 2021
Thank you for having us, @queensland 🙏 pic.twitter.com/yClfLhEmut
Gerard Sutton has the whistle. Dave Munro and Todd Smith are his touch judges. Grant Atkins is in the bunker.
Pregame over. Nailed it.
Ian Moss has flying solo with Tucker’s Daughter. I say solo, he has an orchestra on stage with him that is providing a terrific accompaniment.
I am unapologetically loving this so far.
Now a change of scene while William Barton performs on his didgeridoo while Kate-Miller Heidke and Ian Moss sing a sparse rendition of Flame Trees.
Now Nunukul Yuggera are performing to a heavy beat. Lots of dancing, didgeridoos, and dry ice. It’s very made-for-tv, but on my screen it looks and sounds brill.
The lights are out in Suncorp Stadium. Timmy Trumpet has taken to the stage. In the blink of an eye this has gone from Queensland afternoon to cheek-chewing 3am rave. I am very much here for it.
The AFL’s Gil McLachlan will be hitting his group chat hard right now.
*Very Beyonce voice: If you like it then you shoulda...
💍🐇❤️💚 #GoRabbitohs #NRLGF pic.twitter.com/anT9Aqx9g3
— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🐰 (@SSFCRABBITOHS) October 3, 2021
Benji Marshall’s renaissance has been a fun subplot to this season.
And now he has a grand final to play, 16 years after his last. That fact in itself is astonishing and unprecedented, breaking the record of Lote Tuqiri who, 14 years after playing in the 2000 decider with Brisbane, appeared in the 2014 instalment with Souths. Tuqiri, though, benefited from a seven-year holiday from the physicality of the NRL with a stint playing rugby union.
One try tonight would see Alex Johnston become the first player since 1954 and just the third of all time to score 30 tries in a season! 🤯#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/EpnimOencr
— NRL (@NRL) October 3, 2021
Life as a Panthers fan has not been easy.
But, of course, the suffering is the point. Nothing here comes easy. This was a place that swelled with pride when it was declared the hottest place on Earth. And we’re the only ones who can handle that heat. More than that, we’ll do it dressed in black. That’s what I loved about the team: panther pride. In a place that’s constantly told that it’s lesser, having pride is a bold act.
The links and similarities between the 2021 Panthers and their two premiership-winning predecessors are prolific. Few clubs embody their history or lineage more than Penrith. The Panthers know what they are and are at their best when they live that.
Souths XIII
Wayne Bennett has named the same 17 players who disposed of Manly to advance to the club’s first grand final since 2014. Settled, fit, in-form, preparation could not be better for the Bunnies.
The one slight doubt has been over Adam Reynolds’ ability to kick for goal, but his groin injury has had enough time to heal. “I’ll be close to 100%, if not 100,” Reynolds said during the week.
1. Blake Taaffe 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dane Gagai 4. Campbell Graham 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Mark Nicholls 9. Damien Cook 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Cameron Murray
Interchange: 14. Benji Marshall 15. Jacob Host 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Jai Arrow
Penrith XIII
The Panthers are a touch battered and bruised coming into the grand final. They were forced to play one match more than the Bunnies and that is telling with Tevita Pangai jnr missing out through injury and a host of others carrying knocks. Dylan Edwards has been in a moon boot all week, while Brian To’o, James Fisher-Harris, and Moses Leota are all below full fitness.
“I just marvel at the resilience of these boys and the courage they show each week,” Ivan Cleary said in the build-up. “They just refuse not to play and they keep turning up and doing their thing. I’m sure it will be the same tomorrow.”
All things considered, his 17 contains no surprises.
1 Dylan Edwards 2. Stephen Crichton 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Matt Burton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8 Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 17 Liam Martin 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 11. Viliame Kikau 14. Tyrone May 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Spencer Leniu
The final team lists are in...
Another grand final, another opportunity to salute Wayne Bennett’s greatness.
Rugby league in Australia is 114 years old. That Wayne Bennett has coached at premiership level for 46 of those is remarkable. The possibility that this weekend could be the last time he leads a team is difficult to comprehend. Rugby league without Bennett seems as foreign as a footy game with no pies or a pub with no beer.
Today’s match features the club that defined the traditional blue collar beating heart of inner Sydney, and the side that now best represents that tradition out west.
If a change has occurred, it has been in tandem with the cultural dynamic of the area. As western Sydney has become more diverse, so too has the talent pool of young and eager footballers. That has, in many ways, helped rugby league reflect the culture and background of its fans more effectively than its rival code in Victoria.
You know in 50 years here at Panthers we’ve had over 50 jerseys. Now wouldn’t it be nice to have just one jersey for the next 50 years? I don’t know if that is possible but this is where we need to start. This is the jersey you wanted. This is the jersey we will aspire to. This is the jersey we will fight for. We are the Panthers. And these are our colours.*
When Phil Gould launched the latest effort to nail down Penrith’s identity in 2016 he did so with typical bombast. They’ve ended up with a beautiful uniform.
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The original jersey of 1908 was comprised of fourteen even stripes; seven being Cardinal Red and seven being Myrtle Green. The design was to highlight the change from rugby union to Rugby League, and also incorporated a four-button white collar while changing the stripes from two-thirds Myrtle and one-third Cardinal striping pattern.*
Fans turning up in droves ❤️💚🏆 #GoRabbitohs #NRLGF #glorybound pic.twitter.com/tO6Rni16yY
— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🐰 (@SSFCRABBITOHS) October 3, 2021
*From: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2019/12/31/evolution-of-the-rabbitohs-jersey/
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the NRL grand final between Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Kick-off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane is 6.30pm local time, 7.30pm in Sydney and Melbourne. The rest of you, who knows? It’s that weird post-Daylight Savings day when everything feels out of kilter and my dog’s looking at me askance like: “Dinner; at this time? I mean, I’m not going to say no, but, are you sure?”
It’s a relief to say that we’re building up to a grand final at all at the end of another Covid-disrupted campaign, one that sees the rugby league showpiece move north from NSW (and for a brief period the possibility of moving further north still). Thankfully, contingencies were not required.
As expected, the Panthers have made it to the final match of the season. Ivan Cleary’s outfit have been a powerhouse for two years now with their squad of vibrant homegrown stars.
But facing them is not, as was supposed to be the case, the record breaking Melbourne Storm, but instead Wayne Bennett’s incredible South Sydney Rabbitohs. Once the Bunnies knocked off the Panthers in week one of the finals the draw transformed and the outcome was a Storm implosion against Penrith in the preliminary final, while on the other side of the bracket Souths have marched imperiously to the decider with a settled, in-form squad, and arguably start as favourites.
The outcome is a mouthwatering match-up between two sides that delivered a modern classic just three weeks ago. Two defensive units in prime condition, the best two halfback pairings in the comp, and an array of game-changing flyers. This should be a cracker.
I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
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Preamble
Happy grand final day!
