It was an NRL grand final with more twists and turns than an amusement park rollercoaster, with the Penrith Panthers staging a comeback for the ages to etch their name into rugby league folklore.
It came after the Broncos dictated the terms and a match took place in which players were forced to show incredible resilience under duress, while injuries brought players down like tall grass.
Who was the best player for your team? And who succumbed to the pressure of the big event? Daily Mail Australia applied the rule to each player:
Penrith Panthers
Dylan Edwards8
Kept probing, but couldn’t find his way through the Broncos defense. Had six tackle breaks, was solid under the high ball and only missed one tackle. A game-high 73 post-contact meters shows how difficult he was to handle.
Sunia Turuva 6
Penrith’s wingers struggled to get into the game and the attacking high ball was rarely used. Ended up with a handful of tackle busts, but an equal number of missed tackles
Brian To’o connected Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh to prevent a try in a strong performance
Isaac Tago 5.5
Almost the same evening as Turuva. Has struggled since his return and couldn’t find the spark he would have wanted in the decider. He had problems with the Broncos line, but also struggled with his tackles
Stephen Crichton 8.5
The Bulldogs know they signed a good contract with Crichton. Was always going to score on the biggest stage, getting the Panthers back into the game after a spate of Broncos tries and Penrith injuries. Has now been a try scorer in four consecutive Grand Finals. Increased the pressure with a series of kicks to pin the Broncos in their goal area.
Brian To’o 7.5
It’s strange that the sneak attempt would go without in a Panthers win, but he played an important role nonetheless. Bundled Reece Walsh in touch to prevent a Broncos try and had a whopping 49 post contact meters as he hammered into the Brisbane defense.
Jarome Luai6
Showed no signs of the shoulder dislocation from a little over a month ago as he was hitting the line early and often. Everything fell apart after 50 minutes as he left the pitch, clutching the joint. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.
Nathan Cleary cemented himself as the game’s best with a five-star single-leg performance to pull off the biggest Grand Final comeback in recent memory
Even when they were 16 points behind, Penrith never gave up and forced themselves to get over the line despite a litany of injuries.
Nathan Cleary10
Appeared to suffer an injury in the first half and had to temporarily give up his kicking duties. Playing on the back foot, he crossed Moses Leota for an unlikely try to keep his side in the match. This was followed by a 40/20. He grabbed the game by the neck, smart play defused a Broncos clearance and eventually, fittingly, scored the winning try. Developed the greatest Grand Final breakaway in history on one leg.
Moses Leota 8.5
Every prop loves to score a meat pie and might owe Nathan Cleary a beer or two after the halfback is put on a silver platter in front of him. I didn’t take Reece Walsh’s head off as one young fan predicted.
Mitch Kenny4
Came forward for the opening try after putting himself in an opportunistic position. No fewer than 11 tackles missed.
James Fisher Harris 7
Had 95 yards under his belt at halftime. Had some trouble in defense but the big Kiwi was always a threat when running the ball
Jarome Luai made a courageous comeback from a shoulder dislocation in the preliminary final, but aggravated the injury again in the grand final.
Moses Leota was the choice of the Penrith Panthers forwards and scored a big last-gasp try in his troubles
Scott Sorensen4
Also left the field in the second half for a HIA as the Panthers started dropping like flies. Before that, I struggled with impact
Liam Martin 7.5
Another player who was picked up but bravely stayed on the field with an injured shoulder as his teammates fell around him. Broncos couldn’t pick him to exploit the injured man and he made 37 tackles under duress. Courageous performance
Isaiah Yeo 7.5
He hit Kobe Hetherington’s shoulder in the head in the second half and was carted off for a HIA. Had a great evening until then.
Exchange
Jack Cogger4
Came on as a substitute for Jarome Luai in the 50th minute, but Cleary took over completely and had little chance to shine
Lindsay Smith 3
A poor defensive read led to the Broncos’ second fumble. Scottie Pippen had a better night than Smith.
Spencer Leniu 5
Didn’t do much wrong in his 22 minute cameo
Lucas Garner6
Now has as many premierships as Wests Tigers, the club where Penrith signed him. As a result, he has become a cult hero
Brisbane Broncos
Reece Walsh 7.5
Wobbly start, looks injured and struggles to get his hands on the ball. A bad kick to open the second half. Finally it came to life as the Broncos led the way to set up Mam’s third. As he warmed up in the match he became unstoppable but was overshadowed by Cleary.
Jesse Arthars7
Two neat line breaks in an inspired start while his team was under the pump. The Broncos were the best player in the first half and turned the tide when the Panthers were well on top. Did well under the Cleary high ball.
It was a slow start for Walsh, but once the Broncos tyro got fired up he was extremely difficult to stop
Kotoni Staggs6
Had very little regard for his own well-being as he hurled his body into the Penrith line with careless abandon. Acted as an extra attacker with 15 thrilling runs and 114 meters the hard way. Loses points for five missed tackles.
Herbie Farnworth7.5
Had the game of his life in his last game as a Brisbane Bronco before moving to the Dolphins in 2024. Loses half a point as he knocks the ball back into Mitch Kenny’s hands for the Panthers’ first try.
Selwyn Cobbo 6.5
A stunning heads-up catch that the Australian cricket team’s slip cordon would be proud of. Courageous on the ball, but never really threatened to score.
A masterful performance from Ezra Mam saw the Broncos five-eighth score three tries in the NRL grand final
Tom Flegler came up huge for the Broncos with a try-off, a crash play, several decisive runs and a strong defense
Ezra Mom 9
Broke the record for tries scored in a season with a five-eighth. Burned the Panthers with a big final hat trick. Broncos will have to sharpen their pencil to keep him.
Adam Reynolds5
He looked every bit the part after making the splits 15 minutes into the match and looked like he had re-aggravated a groin injury. A short kickoff gave the Panthers two points. The spade game failed him, probably due to an injury,
Tom Flegler6
Sent off early for a HIA, but was able to return. He immediately showed his importance with a crash play to score the Broncos’ opening try. Formed into Crichton after a nasty tackle on Walsh. Couldn’t crack the 100 meters, but still made his mark
Billy Walters3
Had just two passes out of dummy half and missed seven tackles. Was excellent last week but left his best game in Brisbane tonight.
An injury in the first half softened Adam Reynolds’ impact and he struggled with his kicking game for the rest of the match
Patrick Carrigan stormed to the Penrith line for 71 minutes in a huge game for the Queensland Maroons representative
Payne Haas 8.5
Crossed the line 14 times over 150 meters and made 40 tackles without misses. Did everything a player of caliber needs to do in a grand final
Kurt Capewell3
Six missed tackles are not enough for a lead in a grand final. Minimal attacking impact on a tough night for the big Queenslander
Jordan Riki 4
Some poor defensive plays and a lack of punch in his eight hitups. Could stamp himself on the match, but still worked his guts out
Patrick Carrigan8
Tireless as ever. His 49 post-contact meters were second only to Haas and he played 71 minutes in a losing cause.
Exchange
Tyson Smoothy 6.5
Huge assignment coming off the bench at dummy half in just his 17th NRL game. Handled the occasion well and set up Flegler’s try.
Brendan Piakura4
The ball ran off the final tackle as the Broncos chased a try after a Reece Walsh break. Fought for impact.
Kobe Hetherington7
A huge tackle to prevent Moses Leota from scoring his second post under the sticks. Saved a try and stopped the momentum swing against the Broncos.
Keenan Palasia 9
An unsung hero off the bench with over 150 meters and over 20 tackles. The workhorse every team needs.