- Cameron Smith is in awe of the all-conquering Panthers
- He also praised coach Ivan Cleary’s astute tactics.
- Penrith game plan nullified Melbourne attack threats
Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith has pointed to Ivan Cleary’s ‘masterstroke’ that he believes earned Penrith their fourth consecutive NRL premiership.
Panthers halves Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary constantly shifted the ball inside during the first half, and it paid off when Clive Churchill Medal winner Liam Martin crossed the line unscathed minutes before half-time to give him his team a 10-6 lead. .
The clever tactic exposed Melbourne’s fatigued defenders in the middle, who spent many moments of the first half at Accor Stadium struggling without the ball.
‘(Ivan) Cleary’s game plan was a masterstroke, continuing to bring the ball back inside. “They controlled the game,” Smith said on Channel Nine after the game.
Smith’s revelation comes as coach Cleary hailed Penrith’s fourth premiership as his best and told his players he stood out above all others in their remarkable dynasty.
Cleary praised the resilience of his playing group after their 14-6 win over Melbourne.
The Panthers’ lead came despite running back Nathan Cleary playing in just 10 regular-season games, while Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin and Scott Sorensen also battled injuries.
“It’s probably a little bit of everything,” Cleary said.
Melbourne Storm legend Cameron Smith has pointed to Ivan Cleary’s ‘masterstroke’ that he believes earned Penrith their fourth consecutive NRL premiership.
Ivan Cleary has created a dynasty that is the envy of the NRL (pictured with son Nathan)
Penrith have been to the last five NRL grand finals and, incredibly, won four finals in a row.
“The style of play, the way we played in the final after we didn’t get to the final playing so well.
‘Playing against Melbourne…they had a great year. All their best players are in good shape.
“All that together, and the way the game went… it’s unbelievable.”
Penrith players called Sunday night’s victory physically the toughest of their four consecutive grand final victories.
Their 2021 win over South Sydney had a thrilling finish, 2022 against Parramatta was a domination and 2023 featured the biggest comeback in the grand final against Brisbane.
But Sunday’s victory was the bravest, as the Panthers suffocated Melbourne out of the game and rarely offered good ball to the Storm’s attacking weapons.
This year’s title also came after Cleary publicly challenged his team’s hunger in the run-up, following the club’s drop in form after Origin and his son Nathan’s shoulder injury.
“There were definitely moments where I could see little signs of complacency,” he said.
“Whether it was during games or before certain games, they just weren’t as consistent or ruthless as we would like to be.
‘Even at the end of the year, we were nowhere near where we needed to be.
‘That’s why I made the comment I made. I wasn’t trying to put them on the spot, it was just honesty. ‘It’s probably human nature.
“But when we got to the final, we got going. Our defense was back. “It was easily the best he’s been this year until the final.”