NRL grand final LIVE: All the latest updates and scores as Penrith take on the Brisbane Broncos

The Bunnies defeated the Brisbane Tigers 42-22, with a converted try right at the death saving the Queenslanders from a more embarrassing scoreline.

Souths recorded eight tries, with standout Tyrone Munro – who broke into the first division this season – crediting three of them, with Tom Carr chipping in with two meat pies and Ethan O’Neill, Dion Teaupa and Tallis Duncan also crossing the line.

Some more cynical fans used to say that the state championship was won by the team that partied the least after winning the grand final, but that’s not true this time. The Tigers had an extra week to get that out of their system after beating Burleigh on September 17, while the Rabbitohs triumphed over Norths last Sunday.

Can Penrith become the first team to win three consecutive premierships since the great Parramatta sides of the early 1980s, or will the Broncos lift the trophy for the first time since 2006? We’re just hours away from discovering it on a sweltering day in Sydney.

Daily Mail Australia will be providing all the action and reaction as the biggest game of the year gets underway – and with both teams in excellent form, it’s shaping up to be a gripping contest.