MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Absence of Nelson Asofa-Solomona really hurt Storm in 14-6 grand final loss to Penrith

We have just witnessed something that will never be done again.

The Panthers taking out a fourth straight premiership.

As I type that into the keyboard, I’m shaking my head in disbelief.

Four in a row.

Down 6-0 against the Storm, they never flinched. They stuck to their systems and suffocated Melbourne for the rest of the grand final to win 14-6.

Honestly, where do you start with this Penrith team?

Liam Martin was sensational and thoroughly deserved the Clive Churchill Medal. He didn’t have a great game last week against the Sharks, but he never plays two bad ones in a row.

Nathan Cleary was staggering.

He had 29 runs for 212 running metres and 31 tackles – all with a so-called dodgy shoulder!

Like most grand finals there was plenty of controversy at Accor Stadium.

Were the Storm dudded by the Bunker early in the second half when Jack Howarth claimed a try?

On some of the replays it looked like the ball gets down just briefly.

But what people need to understand is the Bunker has about 20 camera angles we don’t even know about.

They released some vision after the game that shows Howarth’s elbow on the ground, but not the ball. It was sort of wedged between his body and forearm and never made it to ground.

I’m OK with the call from the Bunker.

That play shows how hungry this Penrith team is – there were defenders literally diving to get a hand under the ball and stop Howarth from scoring.

It was a tough night for the young Storm centre in his first grand final. He made a few mistakes, and the Panthers were right into him

Did Cameron Munster bite Paul Alamoti?

The Panthers centre put a wrestling move on Munster with his arm across his face, designed to lock him down so he couldn’t play the ball quickly.

I didn’t see any biting action from Munster.

How can you bite someone when you’re wearing a mouthguard?

I think the complaint was a bit petty and there was nothing in it. Play on.

The NRL match review committee obviously thought the same because they didn’t even charge him.

The biggest setback for the Storm was the suspension of their giant prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

This had a huge impact on the game.

Melbourne couldn’t make any headway up the middle, like they normally do.

Big NAS usually sucks in three or four defenders then gets a quick play the ball. That’s when you see Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Munster click into gear.

They missed his energy, his X-factor and his intimidation.

I reckon if Asofa-Solomona plays then the whole game is different. It probably would have gone to golden point.

Just a few days after winning the Dally M, Hughes was hardly sighted. He was completely outplayed by Cleary and it’s because he was always on the back foot.

Papenhuyzen won a Clive Churchill in the 2020 Grand Final against Penrith, but he was constantly forced to play from the back field.

I wouldn’t say the Storm stars went missing – like the Swans did during their giant choke in the AFL grand final.

Melbourne worked hard and never gave up, but you need more than guts to beat the Panthers.

This mob is so hungry they’d elbow their own mother out of the way for a feed.

Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards… these guys just never have a day off.

The Panthers are a machine – there’s no other way to put it.

It doesn’t matter who pulls on the jersey, they all buy into the system.

Look at some of the stars they have lost over the years – guys like Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau.

But they just keep winning!

For that reason, we can’t forget the architect, Ivan Cleary.

This was a masterclass of coaching. Penrith kept turning the ball back inside, with Luai bouncing around like a human pinball.

On a balmy Sydney evening, the tactics wore out Melbourne through the middle. They used up all their gas and you could see at the back end there weren’t too many Storm forwards making metres.

They were exhausted.

Cleary now has the most premierships of any coach in the NRL era, dating back to 1998. More than Bennett, more than Bellamy, more than Robinson.

The question now is – can the Panthers win five premierships in a row?

They’re losing Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva (both Tigers) and James Fisher-Harris (Warriors) – and all three were fantastic against the Storm.

Penrith’s biggest weapon is the fact they love winning so bloody much! Have a look at the joy on the players’ faces at fulltime.

They never get sick of winning.

But – you can’t stay on top forever, especially when you keep shedding so many quality players.

So, I’m going to say this will be the end of Penrith’s golden run.

But I also said the same thing last year!

Whatever happens in 2025, this Penrith dynasty is something we can tell our grandkids about.

I think privately they were also driven to go past the Parramatta Eels – for a long time considered their big brother out west – and their record of three straight premierships in the 1980s.

In the salary cap era, there’s no way another team will win four straight premierships.

I’ll be in a box long before it happens again.

This is history in the making and I feel so lucky to be able to watch it unfold.

DON’T GET ME STARTED

Apparently not everyone enjoys seeing the same team win year after year.

Some even call it boring and predictable.

I completely disagree.

I mean, look at the crowds across the competition this year – record-breaking levels.

People are hardly tuning out.

This Penrith team is leaving a legacy that will improve the NRL in the long run.

They are a powerhouse and it’s up to other clubs to catch up.

They need to get fitter. They need to get hungrier. They need to do better development.

Even now we still talk about the great St George teams that won 11 straight competitions in the 1950s and ‘60s.

And also, the Eels from the 1980s.

There is nothing boring about a dynasty.