Cameron Munster’s season ends with allegations he bit a Panther, while the Bunker supported a no-try decision, but Melbourne believed footage showed the ball on the ground. Here are the quick hits from the 2024 NRL grand final.
1. Biting allegation rocks the NRL grand final
Sadly for the game, one of the biggest talking points from Penrith’s historic success was the allegation of a bite by Melbourne superstar Cameron Munster.
The Melbourne five-eighth was tackled by Penrith’s Paul Alamoti in the 72nd minute of the grand final, when the alleged incident took place.
Cameron Munster allegedly bit Paul Alamoti in the 2024 NRL grand final. (Nine Network)
Alamoti had his left arm around the chin of Munster, who was fighting to get to his feet as he tried to stage a late comeback. That is when Alamoti quickly flung his arm away from Munster and marched to referee Ashley Klein.
Munster looked perplexed when the allegation of a bite was made, and was incensed when he was put on report by Klein.
Replays clearly showed the incident, and there was a moment when Alamoti’s arm appeared to be in the mouth of Munster.
It will now be up to the NRL judiciary to assess where Munster did intentionally bite down on the arm of Alamoti.
A very sour moment in what was a grand final of the highest class.
2. Cleary and Luai give Penrith’s fans one last moment of magic
The brilliance of Penrith’s dynasty has been sustained success, despite the consistent departure of excellent players.
Sunday’s grand final was the farewell of multiple terrific Penrith servants — including James Fischer-Harris and Sunia Turuva.
But there is no bigger name leaving Penrith than five-eighth Jarome Luai.
Partnering with his great mate Nathan Cleary for the final time in Panther pink — surely they will play together again in NSW blue — the duo made sure to show why they are statistically one of the sport’s greatest halves.
Melbourne was defending a 6-4 lead as the seconds ticked away in the first half, but the defence was fragile.
It needed a special play to break the Storm defence, and it was the Luia-Cleary combination that did the trick.
Luai took the ball from the left of the ruck on fifth tackle, but swung the ball back to the right once he had committed the Storm defensive line.
The ball now with Cleary and a fractured defence in front of him, the Penrith number seven threw the perfect flat-pass to a charging Liam Martin, who burst through a gap and slammed the ball over the stripe.
It was a play that should be shown to every junior rugby league player across the country.
3. Liam Martin leaps to a Clive Churchill medal
Penrith second-row forward Liam Martin was seemingly in the frame of every minute during the grand final.
Strong hit-ups and bone-rattling tackles have been a hallmark of his season.
His try on half-time was a pivotal moment in the grand final, but it paled in comparison to his hand in the match-sealing try.
Melbourne winger Xavier Coates was odds-on to catch a towering kick from Nathan Cleary — but Martin had other ideas.
He timed his chase to perfection, leapt just high enough to beat Coates in the air and took the ball cleanly.
He then found Paul Alamoti on the right wing — just minutes after he had moved from left centre to cover for the injured Brian To’o, who limped off midway through the second half.
Grand finals are often decided by big moments.
Martin found himself at the centre of the two biggest moments in the match and produced perfection.
4. Bunker sides with on-field call as Melbourne is denied by millimetres … or robbed
The Panthers were the best team in the grand final — there is little doubt about that.
But they could have found themselves trailing in the second half had luck being on Melbourne’s side.
Jack Howarth came within millimetres of scoring what would have been the Storm’s second try but was denied by desperate Penrith defence.
Jack Howarth was denied a try by the Bunker. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
There were five Panthers swarming Howarth, including Nathan Cleary, who were able to keep the ball above the ground and prevent the try.
But did Howarth get the ball on the ground?
Melbourne certainly thought so when one television angle seen by the Bunker — reviewing Ashley Klein’s on-field decision of no try — appeared to show the point of the ball grazing the turf in the in-goal.
The Storm players leapt with joy, while Howarth raised his arm believing he had scored in a grand final.
However, another angle seen from the Bunker appeared to show the ball landing on the limb of a Panthers player.
Did Howarth get the ball down? There was no way the Bunker could definitively say if the ball hit the ground or not.
It is a moment Storm fans may dwell over this summer as Penrith bask in the glory of another premiership triumph.
5. Harry Grant tackles himself into the ground
History may be written by the winners, but it would be wrong to forget the performance of Melbourne captain Harry Grant.
In the losing side, Grant walked off the ground surely knowing there was nothing more he could have done to try and stop the Penrith dynasty.
He scored the opening try of the contest, after 22 minutes of tense and pulsating rugby league.
It needed a moment of magic to break the early deadlock, and Grant had the answer.
The Storm captain darted from dummy-half, with Penrith markers scattered on the goal line, to barge over and give Melbourne a well-earned lead.
It would be Melbourne’s only try. Any other Storm raid at the Penrith defence was led by Grant, who always looked like a threat from dummy-half.
What made his attacking raids the more impressive was his work in defence.
No one completed more tackles in the grand final than Grant.
He was involved in 59 tackles. That was 13.5 per cent of all tackles made by the Storm in the match.
Penrith’s forwards charged up the middle for much of the second half. Time and time again, Harry Grant was there to chop them down.
Ultimately, Grant’s heroics at Stadium Australia were in vain. But it was the performance of a champion who had to settle for second best.
