NRL grand final LIVE: All the latest updates and scores as Penrith take on Melbourne at Accor Stadium

Have a look again over the past 15 grand finals and you will see that no opening act will get out of the stadium unscathed, and that is the case once more tonight. The Child’s efficiency of the INXS traditional By no means Tear Us Aside did not go down effectively…

It is secure to say nearly all of the response to his set is destructive – however there’s additionally sizeable assist for the younger Aussie.

Hiring him is an enormous departure from the NRL’s standard plan of wheeling out a legendary Aussie act that hasn’t had a prime 40 hit for a couple of decade, or bringing in a high-priced import from abroad.

That was a tough shot nevertheless it was on the popular aspect for a right-footer. Simply light away to the left of the posts.

Sunia Turuva simply beat Jahrome Hughes’ cowl sort out after the Panthers stretched the precise of the Storm defence to breaking level there. The sustained strain from three straight units proved an excessive amount of.

He had no concept with that Jarome Luai bomb, spilled it chilly.

Took some determined defence to cease Lindsay Smith from crossing, and now we’re again to sort out zero after the Storm touched the ball.

As you’d anticipate, a unbelievable begin to the match with each side evenly poised. Penrith appeared the extra prone to rating first for a interval there.

Grant noticed a gap created by a little bit of confusion between Fisher-Harris and Liam Martin, who he wrong-footed along with his left-foot step.

Nice lead-up work there to get the Storm to inside placing distance with a robust run from Shawn Blore.

Frantic from each side however Cleary’s caught with it by Munster on the final. Nice anticipation there. He smashed his injured shoulder into the bottom, too.

And now there is a problem after Papenhuyzen misplaced it in a three-man sort out. The choice that it was a strip stands, and the Storm discover contact and begin on Penrith’s 30m line.

They earned a drop on the market with Tago placing a well-weighted kick into the nook of the in-goal. Coates had no selection however to knock that useless.

Storm’s brief dropout goes out, and the Panthers are on the assault once more.

First Penrith stuffed up their kick on the final, then Ryan Papenhuyzen spills it in a really uncharacteristic mistake from the Storm fullback.

Riff on the assault within the opposition half and Cleary virtually will get via as he runs it down the left edge.

Nick Meaney caught them out on the final there and now the sector place battle swings again to the Storm, who’ve it 30m out from Penrith’s line.

A six-again name provides them a set on Penrith’s 20m line.

And Dylan Edwards takes a slips catch to get them out of jail there – that was a harmful kick by Will Warbrick.

The Panthers pivot cut up the Storm then, however they could not capitalise.

This sport may be even quicker than the third Origin conflict this 12 months, which was performed at gentle velocity.

Moses Leota simply pushed that offload a bit and it did not discover its goal. That was about 5 metres out and there was a particular likelihood on.

The Storm aren’t pleased with Nathan Cleary gathering Ryan Papenhuyzen excessive simply earlier than, however the ref thought nothing of it.

The winger took a powerful hit-up straight up the center then and bought his headgear ripped off for his bother. However as a substitute of placing it again on, he kicked it away and would not look to be eager to get it again.

Tui Kamikamica takes the primary hit-up and Melbourne make it to the midway line on their first set earlier than launching a bomb that does not bother Dylan Edwards.

Pretty work from Dami Im there, and now we’re simply moments away from kickoff…

Couldn’t hear a single boo on the 9 protection then, after a current Welcome within the AFL finals sequence turned a lightning rod for controversy.

Nathan Cleary cannot conceal his smile because the away group – as a result of Melbourne gained the minor premiership – hit the grass at Accor.

Harry Grant leads the Storm outand now the edges are linking arms for the welcome to nation and nationwide anthem.

Let’s begin the countdown to followers tearing this one aside. He was a controversial selection amongst older footy followers who do not know who he’s, regardless of the actual fact he is one of the vital profitable musicians the nation has produced in years.

Matt Eisenhuth joined the Panthers in 2021 and has been nice in his 64 video games for the membership – however he hasn’t performed in a single grand ultimate.

This 12 months he is making method for Scott Sorensen, who is available in on the final minute after beating a hamstring harm.

You must really feel for Eisenhuth right here. He’s now their 18th man.

The printed simply went fully useless for a couple of minute then, with simply the 9 brand seen on an in any other case totally black display, and no audio aside from a few disjointed snippets of sound.

God assist whoever is manning the switchboard at 9 headquarters tonight.

It is the NRL’s time within the nationwide highlight after the AFL dominated the TV scores with their decider final Saturday – however a curious fan has found a surprising truth about rugby league’s greatest sport.

There will be a brief break after the top of regulation time, then a coin toss earlier than two five-minute halves are performed. The primary group to attain in that interval will win the premiership.

Nonetheless, if neither group can get on the board in these two durations, the Storm and Panthers will preserve enjoying till one among them scores… so there can’t be one other tied grand ultimate.

Roosters halfback Tarryn Aiken (pictured left with Isabelle Kelly) has gained the Karyn Murphy Medal – the ladies’s equal of the Clive Churchill Medal – in what should’ve been a detailed contest along with her teammate, two-try hero Olivia Kernick.

Michael Jennings is leaving the sport after enjoying 307 NRL video games for the Panthers, Roosters and Eels – however you will not see him on the conventional farewell for retiring stars tonight. This is why…

Melbourne stayed in a lodge in Sydney Olympic Park, only a stone’s throw from Accor Stadium (Shawn Blore is pictured under as a number of the group took a stroll across the precinct earlier at the moment) – however they’ve simply arrived on the floor in a chartered bus, with Ryan Papenhuyzen talking to Billy Slater on 9 as he disembarks.

Jarome Luai spoke to the broadcaster after getting off Penrith’s bus from their digs in Parramatta and admitted the aspect by no means will get used to enjoying in deciders, revealing ‘nerves are all over the place’ within the Panthers camp.

Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly simply delivered a ultimate message to her group as she addressed the group: ‘Let’s go and have some enjoyable, eh?’

They’ve effectively and really earned that.

Extremely, the Chooks missed extra tackles than the Sharks, 36 to 29. The run metres have been nearly an identical for the edges, the errors have been deadlocked at 10 apiece, the Sharks gained the offloads battle 7-4, and solely had one much less line break than the premiers. Only a beautiful comeback.

Sharks skipper Tiana Penitani has simply stated the ‘sport’s in the most effective place it is ever been’ and after that show, who may argue?

Very elegant from the centre, who hails the Roosters for being the benchmark group all 12 months and provoking younger footy gamers within the making.

‘We had no proper to come back again like that within the second half,’ she says.

For those who have been taking bets on a ultimate rating at halftime I doubt greater than a handful of very optimistic followers would have picked that second-stanza effort from the Sharks.

It was wanting embarrassing for them on the foremost break however full credit score to them for that wild comeback.

And full credit score to the Chooks, after all. That first half from them was a factor of magnificence.

Tiana Penitani scores a easy attempt – simply straight, exhausting operating there because the Chooks seem to have clocked off after their final meat pie.

There’s only one minute left…

No surprise she bought the Dally M medal. That was a storming run from the second rower, who crops it near the black dot with simply two minutes left on the clock.

Jocelyn Kelleher slams the conversion residence and the Tricolours have some respiratory house after it appeared like they’d fully dropped their bundle within the second half.

Ellie Johnnston fumbled that a bit of however caught the ball between her knees simply earlier than the tryline and slammed her method over.

That ball appeared prefer it would possibly’ve been meant for lock Brooke Anderson however all’s effectively that ends effectively, with Ruan Sims describing Johnston as an ‘absolute beast’ for that close-range effort.

Brydie Parker simply performed the ball again to the touchline, wanting like a concussed and confused participant – regardless that she wasn’t damage.

That kicks off wild shouts from the Sharks, who now get a set within the opposition half – and Annessa Biddle virtually will get via the road.

That makes it a two-score sport… except the unthinkable occurs and Cronulla tie it up with an eight-point attempt.

What a attempt to the Sharkies! They broke the Chooks open from about 40m out, then Georgia Hannaway unleashed a cracker of a run from shut vary to attain simply.

Tayla Preston lands the conversion because the Roosters have a really critical dialog of their in-goal.

Quincy Dodd begins the motion and backs up on the within there to cross within the centre of the sector on the again of a pleasant cross. Tayla Preston nails the conversion and the spice is again on this contest.

Cronulla’s skipper crosses on the top of some slick ball motion, with a cutout cross from pivot Georgia Hannaway making that set play work.

A really vocal Penitani is into her teammates within the huddle as Tayla Pretson’s conversion richochets in off the crossbar.

The Roosters make good metres with their first set of the second stanza, then the Sharks put subsequent to no strain on their kicker on the final sort out.

That is precisely the form of fundamental play their coach would have been drilling them about through the break. You do not want nice ways or athleticism to place a group on the rack that method, you simply want desperation.

The present greatest profitable margin in an NRLW grand ultimate got here within the Broncos’ 30-6 victory over the Dragons in 2019.

On the fee they are going, the Roosters are very able to doubling that mark.

That was method, method too straightforward. Kelleher to Aiken to Sergis, who makes a clear break earlier than dummying to an inside runner to offer herself a transparent run to the black dot.

Ruan Sims was involved in regards to the Chooks discovering loads of house within the ruck and he or she was proper – the Sharks defence was in all types then, simply actually disappointing play.

Kelleher makes no mistake with this conversion.

First it was a crusher sort out on fullback Samantha Bremner, then a silly penalty for interfering within the play the ball, nice discipline place for Easts – and Brydie Parker will get a double with one other easy, unmarked run to the nook.

5-eighth Jocelyn Kelleher is not getting many straightforward conversion makes an attempt and this one sails large.

Extra worrying indicators for Cronulla as Fressard finds room on the flank and scoots over the midway to offer them an attacking kick on the finish of the set – and Cronulla spill the bomb.

From there it is only a matter of shifting it rapidly to the precise so winger Brydie Parker can cross close to the touchline, just about unmarked, thanks to a different candy ball from Aiken.

No luck with the conversion, although.

Cronulla can be filthy on themselves over that one. Nice arms from skiper Isabelle Kelly to bat that out to her winger beneath intense strain, however the defence simply did not mark up.

Powerful conversion try is not profitable.

This hasn’t been the cleanest sport of footy when it comes to dealing with and that bobbled kick provides the Roosters one other set on the Cronulla line.

The Dally M Medal winner powered via the Sharks there after a sustained interval of strain on the objective line. Johnathan Thurston hails halfback Tarryn Aiken’s imaginative and prescient there however Kernick nonetheless had loads of work to do as she smashed her method via two defenders. Conversion profitable…

Georgia Ravics made a clear break down the win there and solely a courageous effort from Roosters fullback Samantha Bremner saved her on the market.

Robust first set from the Roosters to kick off the NRLW grand ultimate, making it over the midway with good, robust operating – nothing fancy there.

The Sharks completed the 12 months fourth and held minor premiers Brisbane scoreless to get into the grandy, however they’re paying virtually $4 whereas the Roosters are simply $1.25.

That does not trouble ladies’s footy nice Ruan Sims, who’s tipping Cronulla to stand up in opposition to their way more fancied opponents.

Cronulla premiership-winning nice Paul Gallen has aired a hearsay that Melbourne hooker and skipper Harry Grant is hiding an harm that might be very damaging to the Storm’s probabilities.

The 2 sides are fairly evenly matched throughout the park however one place the place the Storm do seem to have a transparent edge is at No.9, the place Grant is a notch above Penrith’s Mitch Kenny.

‘My query there’s the hearsay about Harry Grant’s calf … it isn’t nice,’ Gallen informed Channel 9.

‘Now, is he going to have the ability to run all day like he is enjoying? Everyone knows presently of 12 months, everybody’s combating one thing, however how dangerous his calf is, it stays to be seen.’

Grant – pictured under with the harm strapped throughout a coaching run yesterday – picked up the calf grievance within the preliminary ultimate win over the Roosters.

This is the Devils star scoring the second of his two meat pies.

State championship video games was joked about by some footy followers who thought they have been a contest to see which grand ultimate winner partied barely lower than the opposite.

There isn’t any method both Norths or Newtown took to the sector for this one with something lower than 100% dedication, judging by the usual of play.

Poor goalkicking was about the one drawback with what the groups turned out at the moment. If the Jets hadn’t missed three conversions, we get a totally completely different end result.

It has been 9 years since a group of banana benders gained the State title and that is a totally deserved win to Norths.

Nice customary of footy all through this conflict, with two of the most effective try-saving tackles you will see from the Jets – nevertheless it simply wasn’t sufficient as they ran out of petrol within the dying levels and made a vital error proper close to the demise.

Nice line from Keeley there. ‘He simply tears them aside,’ is the decision from Phil Gould. The second-rower took that with heavy visitors looming in entrance of him however he was operating an awesome angle to chop again inside off a pleasant ball from pivot Jack Wright.

Lipp has a bit of work to do on the conversion however he pushes it large to the precise.

The Jets have a bit of beneath 4 minutes to hit again.

Their long-serving president Barry Vining threw footy into mourning when he handed away attributable to a ‘coronary heart assault from pleasure’ when the Bluebags gained the NSW Cup final Sunday.

They’re on the cusp of constructing him proud as soon as once more – however they’re removed from positive issues with only a two-point buffer in opposition to potent opposition.

Niwhai Puru held Jacob Gagan up there with an unbelievable show of energy, willpower and approach – and simply when it appeared just like the Devils centre was going to twist out of it and plant the Steeden, Jets hooker Jayden Berrell is available in excessive and stops that, too. That is his second excellent try-saver of the match.

The Jets simply had just a few units near the Devils’ line, one coming courtesy of an obstruction name Phil Gould deemed ‘harsh’, however they power an error by knocking the ball free as Newtown as soon as once more put strain on them near their in-goal.

Nice work there, however on a sizzling day like at the moment, doing that a lot tackling can take its toll. There’s about 10 minutes left…

Thought Keeley bombed that for a second – he had two blokes calling for it about 5 out from the road as he bought caught in heavy visitors, however the second rower beat three tackles to flee from the quilt defence and put it down proper beneath the black dot.

Lipp lands the best of conversions.

Worrying indicators for the Queenslanders there. Winger Blake Paskins rushed in to close down that shift to the left of their defence and did not get there in time, leaving Sam Stonestreet with a simple stroll to attain.

Niwhai Puru misses one other tough conversion try from the sideline.

Battle for discipline place occurring to start out the second half. Fairly evenly balanced first 40 makes it very exhausting to foretell the result right here.

This simply in from 9’s protection: How a lot food and drinks the group at Accor is predicted to get via at the moment…

Oryn Keeley, take a bow. The second-rower was falling in a powerful sort out when he was in a position to angle his physique round and get the ball to Jordan Lipp simply earlier than he crashed to the bottom.

Interval of sustained strain from the Devils there, beginning with a ahead cross from Jets hooker Jayden Berrell.

Lipp misses a really makeable conversion and that is halftime.

Right here we see Harry Grant (second from proper) and Jahrome Hughes (proper) with Shawn Blore (second from left) and Grant Anderson (left) going for a stroll at Olympic Park, wanting like they do not have a care on this planet as they rock tees with ‘Yobbos’ written on the entrance.

Puru threw a beautiful cut-out ball to make the house for winger Stonestreet, who had an untroubled run to the in-goal.

A really well-worked set play there that labored identical to it was designed to.

Powerful sideline conversion for Puru and he sends it large throughout the face of objective.

Devils fullback Jordan Lipp burned away from three would-be tacklers there and seemed to be off down the touchline earlier than Jets hooker Jayden Berrell wrapped him up and took him into contact.

If he hadn’t carried out that, Lipp appeared residence and hosed along with his tempo. Excellent stuff from the Newtown rake.

Braden Hamlin-Uele throws an immense flick cross for half Niwhai Puru to go over on the top of a crisp transfer from a scrum.

Hamlin-Uele was crashing to the bottom there after dropping his legs in a sort out when he bought that one away. Bloke has loads of NRL expertise and it confirmed there.

Puru misses what ought to have been a simple conversion, nonetheless.

Bluebags fullback Liam Ison crashes over however is dominated held up by the ref – and the video verify backs that up. Excellent defence from the Queenslanders there and that was so, so shut.

Newtown knocked on from that kickoff, tried the brief dropout, and it failed. They arrive beneath intense strain however Braden Hamlin-Uele does an awesome job of fielding the ball in his in-goal to get them out of bother.

Sam Stonestreet breaks the road about 20m out from his in-goal, provides it to Liam Ison, who storms down the precise wing and offers it to Chris Vea-ila earlier than Stonestreet backs up and crops it over the stripe.

That was a surprising effort that coated 80m with an insane mix of velocity and talent. Not an enormous crowd in in the mean time however they’d’ve been on their toes for that one.

They’re undoubtedly on prime to date, with quarter-hour gone. A pleasant little grubber from pivot Jack Wright put the Jets beneath all types of strain, however they cope with it and work their method upfield.

The Jets then make a break down the Devils’ proper wing and Simbiken pulls off a last-ditch sort out to maintain them out.

Now there is a captain’s problem; the Jets are saying their man did not knock it on, nevertheless it’s unsuccessful.

Footy fan and Souths tragic Anthony Albanese reckons it is Panthers by 4 within the decider. He is additionally tipping Nathan Cleary to take the Clive Churchill Medal, and Penrith winger Brian To’o to attain the primary attempt.

Fullback Jordan Lipp reduce via Newtown’s line with ease there and gave the ball – however his teammate could not deal with the marginally wayward cross with an open tryline beckoning.

Jeremiah Simbiken smashed his method via the protection from a scrum after the Devils have been denied a attempt simply moments earlier when the video ref dominated they’d been held up.

No Queensland aspect has gained the state championship since 2015 – and if the Devils preserve this up, that can change this afternoon.

Jets legend Barry Vining, the longtime membership president who performed an enormous function in maintaining the membership alive, died whereas watching the Jets win the NSW Cup grand ultimate.

A minute’s silence has simply been noticed for the footy nice, whose household stated he died of a ‘coronary heart assault of pleasure’ moments after Newtown’s triumph.

The Newtown Jets are taking over Brisbane’s Norths Devils for the State Championship, with kickoff set for 1.20pm.

Newtown – billed because the oldest rugby league membership in Australia – are showing courtesy of their NSW Cup grand ultimate win over North Sydney.

The Devils made it in by profitable the Q Cup decider over the Redcliffe Dolphins.

Whereas there are stay websites for followers in Penrith, that is not the case in Melbourne.

The ABC contacted the group, Federation Sq. – usually the location of jam-packed stay websites for occasions just like the soccer World Cup – the Storm’s residence floor, AAMI Park, and Melbourne Metropolis Council, and found followers who cannot make the journey to see the sport in particular person have been left within the lurch.

Penrith’s Scott Sorensen (pictured) has been handed match to play within the decider in what quantities to nice information for the aspect.

The versatile ahead had been sidelined for the final month with a hamstring harm however is now proper to take to the sector.

“He’ll be enjoying. It is superior. Sorro’s been an enormous a part of our group the final three years,” Cleary stated on Saturday.

“He is an actual soldier in our group.

“Everybody was fairly bummed when he bought injured just a few weeks in the past (in opposition to Parramatta) and it appeared like that was the top for him this 12 months.”

Whereas Cleary would not affirm which star will make method for Sorensen, it is prone to be Matt Eisenhuth. He hasn’t featured in any of the Panthers’ grand ultimate wins regardless of becoming a member of the membership from Wests in 2021, the 12 months they beat Souths to start out their unbelievable run.

Penrith confronted the identical drawback once they selected to remain in a lodge simply metres from Accor Stadium in 2021. A few of their stars informed group employees and because of this, they stayed in Parramatta to keep away from a repeat – however the Storm may not have been conscious of what they have been going to come across on Saturday night time.

OK, promoting guru John Singleton will not be on battle road if Melbourne get the goodies tonight – however even he’s nervous about how a lot he is punted on the result.

Channel 9’s protection of the decider kicked off at the moment with league legend Brad Fittler revealing he has discovered the lacking ball Johnathan Thurston (pictured under) used to kick the profitable discipline objective within the 2015 decider.

The Steeden disappeared quickly after JT slotted it via the publish to offer followers one of the vital dramatic finishes to a grand ultimate ever.

‘There was a bloke from the NRL, Nathan McGuirk, who thought, “You understand what, I would higher discover that ball as a result of that is going to be essential sooner or later”,’ Fittler stated.

‘So he went over behind the goalpost and the stage was nonetheless there from the leisure that 12 months.

‘He went ferretting beneath it and there is the ball simply sitting there.’

This is a helpful information so you may time your rest room breaks/barbecuing duties/bottle store runs and be sure you do not miss one of many day’s massive occasions…

1pm: Gates open to the general public at Accor Stadium.1:20pm: The NRL State Championship Grand Ultimate begins: Newtown Jets vs Norths Devils.3:55pm: The NRLW Telstra Ladies’s Premiership Grand Ultimate: Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks.6:30pm: The pre-game leisure present, headlined by worldwide star The Child LAROI.7:30pm: The primary occasion commences: Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers

9:30pm: Submit-match celebrations, together with trophy shows and particular person awards.

Thanks for becoming a member of us for Day by day Mail Australia’s protection of the 2024 NRL grand ultimate as Penrith attempt to develop into the primary group because the legendary St George aspect of the ’50s and ’60s to win 4 premierships in a row.

With two high-quality curtain-raisers and top-notch pre-game leisure, it guarantees to be a large day of footy highlighted by the 2 greatest groups on this planet going through off in a conflict that is so shut on paper, even

the bookies are having issue predicting a winner.