Congrats Storm fans, that was a quality win and you definitely have a team to be proud of.
I thought they won it off the back of their adventurous style of play. A lot of fans expected it would be an arm wrestle and both teams would tuck the ball under their arm, but Melbourne from the outset backed their skill-set and it paid off for them. That early try was always going to be crucial and while it took some skill for Addo-Carr to keep it alive, that's the luxury of having a player of his class on the wing for you.
Then the defence to keep Penrith at bay. There were two possibly three times where Penrith would have scored against most teams, but the scramble and defence on the line was impeccable. They did a fantastic job on Kikau and that really blunted the Panthers attack. It led into their frustration which saw Cleary rifle that pass out and the moment Suli set sail for the line, the Storm had one hand on the trophy and never let go.
Tough loss for the Panthers fans, but from what I've seen you've carried yourself with plenty of grace and I've enjoyed reading your insights over on the Panthers board. Nothing went your way in that opening half and I don't think any team past or present would have won it with so many things going against them. Obviously a few calls went your way late and your team made the most of them, but your disappointment in that opening half is well and truly understandable.
Despite falling short, the 2020 Panthers were a quality team and proof positive that a development club can enjoy success in this competition.
It's been a joy to watch all these young players from both clubs the Ryan Papenhuyzens, Jarome Luais, Tino Fa'asuamaleauis, James Fisher-Harris' and Brandon Smiths come of age and forge a new legacy in the game.
It's been a very tough year and it's a credit to the players and the officials we got to this point. Hopefully the game can recover and the competition only gets more exciting in the years ahead.
