NRL grand final 2024: Penrith Panthers beat Melbourne Storm 14-6 at Accor Stadium with Liam Martin starring

Penrith have cemented themselves as the most dominant team of the modern era after they won their fourth NRL title in a row with a 14-6 win over Melbourne.

But the Bunker will also dominate the headlines after it made a call that will have Storm coach Craig Bellamy seething when Melbourne were denied a try that could have given them the lead.

And there was more controversy in the dying minutes with Cameron Munster put on report for allegedly biting the arm of Panther Paul Alamoti as Alamoti was tackling him.

Liam Martin, who scored one try and set up another, won the Clive Churchill Medal.

“To our boys, I love you so much. Just shows the character we have to dig deep, and I was gone then but to have you boys drag me along, I adore you guys, the fans. Just love you guys,” he said on stage.

“Thank you so much. We do it for you. We do it for Penrith. Love youse.”

The Panthers-Storm grand final rematch - four years after they last met in a NRL decider - did not fail to live up to expectations with a blistering opening stanza followed by an old-fashioned arm wrestle where Penrith proved themselves the masters of the ruck.

The win makes them only the third team in history to win four straight premierships, and the first since the great St George side won 11 in a row from 1956 and 1966.

The Panthers pulled away with 20 minutes to go after Martin won a high ball against Xavier Coates to offload to prop Moses Leota, who then smartly passed to centre Alamoti, who in turn made a short race for the corner post before diving forward with the ball in his right hand to score centrimetres inside the touch line.

Nathan Cleary, who was poor with the boot kicking only one goal from three attempts during the game, failed to convert as the Panthers led 14-6.

Cameron Munster then dropped the ball for the Storm to hand the Panthers more prime field position in a sign it was not going to be Melbourne’s night.

After Alamoti’s try the Panthers then repelled five straight sets from the Storm on their own line, in what proved to be decisive plays on their way to another grand final win.

When the Storm opted not to take a penalty goal infront of the posts with 10 minutes to go they bundled a Storm attacker over the sideline.

“That is premiership[p defence at its best,” Storm great Billy Slater said.

The Storm were cruelly denied a chance to take the lead 10 minutes into the second half when Jack Howarth was ruled by the Bunker not to have grounded the ball in the left corner.

Referee Ashley Klein initially ruled that Dylan Edwards and Izack Tago had held Howarth up, while passing the call up to the Bunker.

Replays appeared to show the ball touch the ground, but Bunker official Grant Atkins opted to stick with Klein’s on-field call of try.

“I’m sure the ball gets down, look, there, the ball gets down,” NRL Immortal Andrew Johns said on on the commentary.

Second-rower Martin played close to his best ever game for Penrith, Cleary was superb again despite appearing to struggle with his shoulder injury late.

And Jarome Luai also had a fitting final ride in the Penrith No.6 jersey, playing a hand in the lead up to two tries in his last game before departing for Wests Tigers.

Penrith took control late in the first half after it appeared Melbourne might secure the ascendancy.

Martin scored for the Panthers minutes out from the half-time break, after a deft move from Cleary set him up for a clear run at the line, to give Penrith a 10-6 lead after both teams crossed in the opening 30 minutes.

Melbourne drew first blood after Harry Grant scored shortly after the Storm were awarded a controversial penalty at the Panthers end of the field after 20 minutes of end-to-end football.

Jarome Luai was penalised for stripping the ball from Ryan Papenhuyzen, but replays showed the Panthers may have been hard done by with no clear evidence Luai had used his hand to lodge the ball free.

Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes then put Melbourne in great attacking postion with a monster kick which Panthers fullback Edwards nearly managed to bat back infield.

The Storm moved the ball left and Grant pushed through several tacklers to open the scoring. Nick Meaney converted to make it 6-0.

Minutes later Cleary made his presence felt as he started a set play that led to Sunia Turuva scoring in the corner for Penrith.

Cleary failed to kick the sideline conversion to see Penrith trail 6-4 just before the 30 minute-mark.

Papenhuyzen then handed Penrith a gift by booting the kick-off out on the full.

The Panthers almost took full advantage when Turuva nearly scored off the next set if he had not dropped the ball as he charged towards the line.

With the Storm looking like they would hold the lead at the break, Cleary motioned to his right and held up the ball long enough for Martin to charge into a hole and score.

Martin had earlier been involved in some hard tackles with Munster after the Storm star said the pair were not mates despite playing for Australia together.

Stoic Panthers coach Ivan Cleary showed a rare glimpse of emotion when he shed a tear as he embraced son Nathan after fulltime.