Penrith are in new territory eyeing their third-straight title but Brisbane will be fired up by the chance to slay a giant
hether it is the Penrith Panthers hoisting the Provan-Summons Trophy aloft for the third straight season next Sunday or whether it is theplaying the role of David bathing in premiership glory, greatness awaits the winner.
Some premiership deciders are mismatches. Some mean less in the grand scheme of history than others. Some are ideological battles and others lack identity. Some feature two teams that either don’t appeal or don’t necessarily contain the top two teams this season. That is not the case this year. Penrith and Brisbane cleared out at the top of the table. They were not only the two most dominant teams but they both succeeded on the back of two very different philosophies and styles. This is also a grand final with as much history and meaning and importance as any we have seen in 40 years.The Panthers are in rare air now, becoming just the fourth team in the 70 years of the mandatory grand final era to play in four straight deciders.
The St George team that won 11 in a row are untouchable in the pantheon of great teams but there is a very real argument that the Panthers of the last four seasons are the best team since, and the second-best of the competition’s 115-season history.. The final tally of 38-4 hardly did the Panthers justice. They gave the Storm absolutely nothing, just heaping pressure upon pressure through disciplined use of the ball, relentless line speed in defence and a near-perfect kicking game.
In Penrith’s last eight finals matches, they have conceded just 10 tries. Theirs is a dynasty based on defence, a belief that no matter how much their attack stumbles, they can choke the air from a team like Rowdy Roddy Piper laying on the sleeper hold. They are now 80 minutes away from not only another premiership, but history and the continuation of a truly spectacular streak.
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