Panthers climb highest mountain in heavyweight clash to seal place among NRL greats

This was less the last ride, and more the highest climb. The NRL grand final win over Melbourne was a stoic, heroic, true-to-Penrith performance. It was a fitting contest for the dynasty's ultimate test, the valiant Storm pushing the three-time reigning premiers to their limit. And make no mistake, these are limits rugby league has never seen before.

There may have been some doubt last season, after a fortunate last gasp grand final victory against Brisbane. But there are none in 2024: the Panthers are the best team ever, a group of players that has proven unbeatable over four years, despite adversity and player turnover.

This was their highest peak. Rather than an arm wrestle, this was a clash of two tectonic plates. Melbourne are clearly the NRL's second best team, the most competitive in the last five years, after – of course – the men from the foot of the mountains. With threats all over the field, Dally M winner Jahrome Hughes and the best spine in the game, the Storm were minor premiers for a reason. And of course, they are the only team that have beaten the Panthers in a grand final in the past five years.

Floating on a bed of magma, these two great masses of rock spent Sunday night driving each other skywards. This was the rugby league equivalent of the Himalayas, a duel forced into the skies, impossible not to see. There are religions born of less sublime a sight.

Penrith fans and players had used the phrase "the last ride" to describe this year, referencing the looming departures of Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris, key contributors in the club's extraordinary run of success.

The source of this grand final triumph was no galloping stallion however, nor some sleek Japanese motorcycle. This was the Panthers at the wheel of a tank. Nothing subtle about it, this performance was pure Penrith, their volcanic forwards going down the middle until there was no middle left, then going back for more. They bullied the lightweight Storm pack, their back three kicking them into gear and Moses Leota and Fisher-Harris putting their foot down.

And then finally, once the formwork was complete, the Panthers turned to their heavenly duo, their yin and yang. The last chapter of the Luai-Cleary double act delivered. Cleary was a threat when he wanted to be, and a conductor for the remainder. And the crucial two first half tries – after the Panthers found themselves trailing – involved both of the long-time teammates.

Luai's timing on the Sunia Turuva four-pointer that got Penrith back into the contest was momentous. He hung just deep enough off a turning Paul Alamoti – fed by Cleary – to draw in the Storm's Will Warbrick, before the five-eighth put his winger over.

But his masterful redirection for the second try, just before half-time, was even better. He first went left, then spotted a broken line back the other way, and launched a 20m spiral that landed on Cleary's chest. The halfback's deft footwork drew in Cam Munster, before the No 7 popped Liam Martin through a gaping hole. Thanks to Luai's vision and connection to Cleary, the Storm's momentum was lost. A half-time lead stolen, a dynasty's chink patched.

Once the Panthers gained the lead, their confidence, their resoluteness seemed to grow. Clive Churchill medallist Martin launched himself into the heavens above Xavier Coates and brought down a Cleary bomb, eventually leading to the Alamoti try. That pushed the lead to eight, and from there the Panthers ensured the scorers could have an early night.

For all Melbourne's attacking firepower, they simply could not crack the premiers. The Pink Panthers were suffocating, the Storm eventually running out of ideas. The defining moment came with 10 minutes to go. Melbourne were testing, tapping, prying at the Panthers line. For three straight sets, then four. This was the moment where an ordinary game would turn, but Penrith is no ordinary team.

Eventually Storm centre Jack Howarth got a cursed half-step on Izack Tago, his hope luring him into a dart towards the sidelines. Tago, Alamoti – playing wing with Brian To'o off the field injured – and Cleary forced the Melbourne player into touch. The pink jerseys briefly sprawled across the ground, but they shot up in unison, erupting with a mix of relief and understanding: the match was theirs.

On this historic occasion, the enduring image came after the final whistle. Dozens of Panthers players and staff buried Fisher-Harris in a pile of humanity. Luai, the player left with the ball when time expired, enjoyed a quiet moment just off to the side. That was until his long-time best friend To'o came over. The pair shared a long embrace, the cameras circled, the satisfaction obvious: the last ride over, the job done, a new summit.