- Penrith have completed one of the greatest comebacks in NRL history
- The Panthers trailed by 16 points with 19 minutes remaining against the Broncos
- But Nathan Cleary led the charge in a historic victory for his party
Penrith Panthers have completed one of the greatest comebacks in NRL history by winning the grand final after overturning a 16-point deficit in Sydney.
The reigning premiers weren’t looking at all after allowing Ezra Mam to score a quick second-half hat-trick on Sunday night, but fought back superbly to break Brisbane hearts at Accor Stadium.
Led by Nathan Cleary, it was the Penrith halfback who bagged the winning try and took home his second Clive Churchill medal.
Mitch Kenny was the unlikely source of the opening try as the hooker pounced on a Broncos error and scored with ease after a period of sustained pressure from Penrith.
The first half was a one-sided attack with Brisbane struggling in their own 20, but the Panthers were unable to convert that dominance into points and paid the price when Thomas Flegler clawed his side back into the game before half-time.
Brisbane, with renewed goal after the break, got their revenge for the second half and Mam put Walters’ side ahead with a thrilling point for the corner. Dylan Edwards couldn’t stop him.
Penrith completed one of the greatest comebacks of all time, winning the NRL grand final
Nathan Cleary inspired the Panthers to victory with a late surge to win the three-peat
Stephen Crichton’s try increased the pressure on the Broncos, who led by 16 points
The Broncos’ Payne Haas cuts a dejected figure after the final whistle in devastating scenes
The youngster struck again moments later as he evaded tackles from Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo and flew over the line.
Before Penrith had time to overcome their ten-point deficit, Mam had crossed the line for the third time after being overtaken by Reece Walsh.
But Penrith refused to let themselves out and slowly but surely built their way back into the game.
Moses Leota gave his side a lifeline in the 62nd minute before Stephen Crichton brought Penrith within four points of Brisbane with a score in the corner.
With tired legs and dented morale, the Broncos gave in to the Panthers’ pressure and succumbed to Cleary who powered through for the winning score.
“This doesn’t even feel real right now, it feels like a dream,” Cleary said. ‘The start of the second half was a nightmare but our mentality was that we were down but never out.
Penrith took the lead from an unlikely source when Mitch Kenny scored the opening try
The Panthers hooker pounced on a Broncos mistake to score for the reigning premiers
Ezra Mam thought he had put the Broncos out of sight with an incredible hat-trick in the second half
Mum was too quick for the Penrith defense and scored three times in the second half
‘That’s certainly the case with Origin (in terms of difficulty). So much tiredness. I told myself to keep going, keep going, keep fighting, and that’s what we’re doing.”
A devastated Adam Reynolds said: “Extremely proud, but we left that one behind. I can’t blame the team, it’s just a lack of concentration.
‘It’s difficult to accept. Thanks to Penrith, they were fantastic, led by Nathan Cleary. I have no words for it, I can’t summarize it.’