‘Veni, Vidi, Vici,’ said Julius Caesar when his army conquered Britain. Unfortunately my Caesar, Craig Bellamy, and his army failed to follow suit against the might of Penrith on Sunday night.
Our team went into the Grand Final slight favourites in what was expected to be of the all-time great Grand Finals in the NRL.
Let’s get it straight: it was not an ‘all-time great GF”’ It was a battle between two sides that would not retreat under any circumstances during the game. Two gladiatorial teams that would have made Russell Crowe delirious even though he is from another team altogether.
The tactics of both teams was so even that creating tries was nearly impossible. Like State of Origin, the pace at the start was a cracker, hard hitting and absorbing, but no classic.
It took 22 minutes before skipper Harry Grant opened the scoring in the match. It was going to turn out that this would be the only joy for the team and the wonderful band of supporters who travelled to Sydney for the game.
I think we lost the game the previous week when our man mountain Nelson Asofa-Solomona was suspended. Without him, the lightweight Storm pack were bullied all over the field which did not allow our gun playmakers the opportunity to show their class and firepower.
Certainly the Dall M medallist Jahrome Hughes played nothing like his inspirational games during the season. Harry G certainly did have a good game and stayed on the field throughout the match to try and lift his side.
The try 30 seconds before half-time was probably the death knell for Storm as they had been valiant up to this point without looking like being the winning side.
To their credit, whatever Craig Bellamy said to them at the break put life into their game but the back half of the Panthers was resolute.
We had out chance to get one back late in the game with five sets in a row under the sticks but could not break through the defence. A score then might have put more ginger into the team but it was not to be.
Using my AFL background, the best players for us were Harry Grant, who played a superb captain’s game and gave his all for the whole 80 minutes, William Warwick, who never gave up trying, and second rowers Elisea Katao and Shawn Blore, who tried to get yardage for their team but the opposition was just too strong.
Gun players Papenhuyzen and Munster had some good passages but found the opposition had all the answers.
The inexperience of the team told in the finish against the gnarled veterans of Penrith. However, if there was a good sign from the game, it was that the young players will learn a lot from the game and the all-conquering Penrith Panthers.
The team did us proud but let us not take away from the superb effort of the winners, and to make it four in a row is a rare treat.
2025 will be a new start and I am sure Bellyache will already be planning and plotting for a great year by the purple haze.
Citrus Bob Utber once worked for Melbourne Storm but has a long background in AFL writing so forgive him for his occasional lapses into AFL speak.
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About Bob Utber
At 86 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
A fair, balanced and respectful review, CB. Penrith ‘did a Melbourne’ on the Storm. NAS greatly missed in the battle for supremacy through the middle. But Storm have a lot to build on and they’ll be there again in September 2025.
A well-written summary Bob. The incapacity for The Storm to penetrate deeply in their sets was significant ( yes, the NAS effect). As a result, Jahrome’s kicking seemed largely ineffective and failed to put any pressure upon the Penrith backs through conested airball in a dangerous area. In contrast, Cleary’s kicking was superb in both distance and hang-time, providing opportunity for the Penrith forwards to meaningfully contest in the air deep within the Storm defensive zone.
With the majority of the list staying, the talent and experience balance ( especially relative to the probable 2025 version of Penrith) indicates that the purple haze may be theresbouts next year. The greatest coach in Australia will surely not rest until the mountain is climbed?
IH – humble in defeat. far better side on the night but still we had the chances. NAS certainly will rue the preliminary final disaster for a long time.
TEHC – Under another guise eh? two defeats in the space of a week must be too much for you? Your comment ‘The greatest coach in Australia will surely not rest until the mountain is climbed” is correct> watch 2025 with renewed interest.