Mark ‘Spudd ‘Carroll: Nathan Cleary’s shoulder injury not a NRL grand final concern as Penrith take on Storm

We could be about to witness one of the truly great NRL grand finals.

I know last year will take some topping, but the Panthers and Storm have been absolute standouts all season and deserve to be playing on Sunday night.

In one corner, you’ve got Penrith looking to extend their dynasty to four straight premierships — no one’s done that since the 1960s.

Standing opposite is Melbourne, another powerhouse of the modern era who beat the Panthers in the 2020 decider.

Leading the way for both teams will be two perfectly functioning spines that are so good they would put a chiropractor out of business.

I’m talking about the chief playmakers — fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker.

The spine.

For the Panthers, that’s Dylan Edwards, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary and Mitch Kenny.

The Storm has Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant.

Quite a few of those guys I mentioned have been sidelined through the season with injury, but they’ve all come back and are hitting form at precisely the right time.

Grant is the perfect example.

The Storm number 9 was strong for Queensland in State of Origin, but then dropped off when he came back to the NRL.

Now he’s rediscovered his best form and the Storm are purring.

What about Munster? At one stage he thought his season was over after tearing his groin, but the larrikin number 6 is back and the way he put the Roosters to the sword would have the Panthers wary.

Hughes is a shoo-in for the Dally M on Wednesday night, and Papenhuyzen has speed to burn.

Regular readers of this column will know what a huge fan I am of Edwards. He’s so hard to get hold of and always punches out around 200 running metres. And what about his save of a Braydon Trindall 40/20 attempt during their win over the Sharks? Incredible athleticism and skill.

Luai has really stepped up for the Panthers this year as a game-manager, while Kenny is very under-rated at hooker.

And what can you say about Cleary?

The bloke is a freak. He just has a knack of coming up with the big play when his team needs it.

Any time the Sharks were threatening an upset, Cleary would kick them in the you-know-whats.

Some people are making a fuss about his dodgy shoulder.

Let me tell you something.

This time of year, footy players become pin cushions. They’ll needle Cleary up and send him out to play no problems at all.

Cooper Cronk once played a grand final with a fractured collarbone, so I reckon Cleary will be sweet.

So, there you have it — the battle of the spines will be spine-tingling (sorry about that) and they probably cancel each other out.

That’s why the loss of Nelson Asofa-Solomona to suspension could be so huge for Melbourne.

The big fella was enormous against the Roosters — they just couldn’t handle him. He’d suck in three or four defenders with every run and still offload the footy.

Unfortunately, he sent poor Lindsay Collins on a one-way trip to Disneyland with a shoulder to his melon in the first tackle of the match.

Barring a miracle at the judiciary tonight, Nelson’s season is over.

There’s another factor that I think tips the scales ever so slightly towards the Panthers.

The farewell of two of their favourites.

Luai, who’s off to the Tigers; and James Fisher-Harris who joins the Warriors.

This pair have played in all four grand finals, winning three premierships together.

Penrith will want to send them out on a fitting note.

There could also be some recognition from the Panthers that this is their last genuine year at the top of the tree.

I know we say it every year, but I reckon next season they come back to the pack.

You can’t keep losing top quality players every 12 months and still win the comp.

It’s phenomenal they’re even in another grand final when you consider who the Panthers have lost along the way.

Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, Kurt Capewell and Spencer Leniu to name a few.

It chips away at their depth, and they haven’t dominated in the lower grades this year like normal.

But grand finals are what they do best, and I reckon we’re going to see a piece of history.

The Panthers could become the first team to win four straight premierships since the mighty St George team of the 1950s and 1960s.

My tip: Penrith by 10

Clive Churchill medal: Isaah Yeo