SNAPSHOT OF PENRITH'S NRL GRAND FINAL WIN OVER BRISBANE
*RESULT: Penrith (26) beat Brisbane (24) in front of 81,947 fans at Accor Stadium.
*THE STORY: Penrith have become the first team in 40 years to win three premierships in a row, breaking the record for the biggest grand final comeback in a 26-24 defeat of Brisbane.Â
*KEY MOMENT: His side down 24-8, Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary dummied to fool Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam and cut down the right edge. He broke through a tackle from ex-Panther Kurt Capewell and found Moses Leota on his inside. Leota crossed and the Panthers began one of the most memorable fightbacks in premiership history.
*KEY STAT: Scoring three unanswered tries in the final 18 minutes, the Panthers eclipsed the 14-point fightback Melbourne pulled off in the 1999 grand final.
*STAR PLAYER: After being caught out in defence twice for Broncos tries, Cleary took it upon himself to turn the tide for the Panthers. He set Leota up for the first try of Penrith's comeback before coming up with a 40/20 kick in the following set. He threw the final pass for Stephen Crichton's try that put the Panthers within four points and scored the winning four-pointer by punching through a gap at close range in the final four minutes.
*INJURIES: Jarome Luai (shoulder)