Panthers V Broncos GF Preview

By Stephen Gallagher

It’s fitting, that after 30 weeks of National Rugby League football – the two teams who finished first and second, and who have been head and shoulders above the other 15 teams are the two teams playing in the Grand Final.

Accor Stadium will host the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos on Sunday.

This will be their fourth straight grand final appearance for the Penrith Panthers. A feat that is a true step towards a genuine dynasty if they can get the result to go their way.

While finishing dead last in 2020, the Brisbane Broncos will get their first opportunity to get to a Grand Final since the 2015 heartbreak against the Cowboys in that ‘Ben Hunt drop’ game that we all know.

The first ‘NSW V QLD’ grand final since the epic Benji Marshall flick pass in 2005 between the Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys, this is a carry-on to the rivalry between these two states.

What we’ve been able to witness over the last four seasons for the Panthers has been nothing short of phenomenal. 9 players remain from the side who lost to Melbourne in that 2020 Grand Final. Every year, they lose players who are taking offers elsewhere. The next player stands up, delivers, and gets the job done emphatically.

On that note, Stephen Crichton, one of those 9 players is playing his last game in Panthers colours, which also happens to be his 100th match. At the age of 23, he is absolutely the best ‘big game player’ in the NRL. He always seems to take the right option, make the big play, and deliver.

The Brisbane Broncos don’t necessarily have that big game experience with their fairly young squad, but they do have premiership winners amongst their ranks, who will play a pivotal role in keeping this enthusiastic side in check.

Adam Reynolds, losing a grand final to this mob only two seasons ago for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, will be out for redemption and out to secure his second premiership ring.

Kurt Capewell is one of those Panthers players who moved on to greener pastures and got the chocs against Reynolds in that ‘21 GF.

Plus although it was a generation ago, the success Kevin Walters had as a player was remarkable for the side in which he is now the head coach. So he too knows what it takes to win on the biggest day of the season.

There are plenty of headlines around the build-up of this week. One of my favourites is the ‘Father V Son’ for the second year in a row. Ivan and Nathan Cleary were too good for Brad and Jake Arthur last year, and now it’s up to Kevin and Billy Walters to do their bit to compete and hold the trophy up together.

Another is the potential legacy that Adam Reynolds leaves on two clubs if he manages to secure this Grand Final win for the Broncos. A much loved Souths junior who steered his side to glory in 2014, it is almost more impressive if he does this on Sunday in just his second year at the club at the age of 33.

Between these two sides, they took away six position awards in the Dally M awards earlier this week. Panthers’ Crichton and Martin took away Centre and Second-Row, while the four Broncos consisting of Farnworth (Centre), Mam (Five-Eighth), Haas (Prop) and Carrigan (Lock) were also deserved recipients.

The Penrith Panthers are almost too good. What we’ve seen over the ‘23 season has been really compelling viewing. After a few hiccups very early on including losing the World Club Challenge, and being pipped by a point in round one to the Broncos, they were incredibly consistent throughout the year, despite numerous representative call-ups and injuries to key players.

At different times throughout the year, we’ve seen them barely get out of second gear and blow terrible teams away, and we’ve seen them flex against the competition’s best and still get a considerable result in their favour.

I’d say we’ve only seen the Panthers genuinely play poorly once. That was round 26 against the Eels with a few players out. That loss was seemingly the loss they needed to spark a near-perfect run into this one.

Brisbane learnt many a lesson last year, with an abysmal fall from the top four to ninth as their season ended with capitulation after capitulation.

The way they play is very risky and confident. They aren’t afraid to make mistakes, make them again, and play with flair and reckless abandon which gives them the naysayers’ title of ‘cocky’ which they seem to revel in.

Nothing sums up the way they play quite as much as their win against the Warriors last week. 

Fullback Reece Walsh went for a big play down the left with a ‘harbour bridge’ pass to Jesse Arthurs which Dallin Watene-Zelezniak took to the house.

Barely ten minutes later, the same play was looking to eventuate, and Walsh went short and set up a Broncos dagger.

This is the exact game plan that the Broncos have to take into this game. They need to double down and score points. They will not defend better than the Panthers, they just have to out-score them. Which is something they’ve done very well all year.

Penrith’s ability to stick to a game plan is marvellous. They have the belief within their ranks that it will work, and proving patience is a virtue. The Panthers can beat you in the first ten minutes, but they will also definitely beat you in the last twenty.

Averaging 10 offloads a game, we saw Brisbane up that to 24 last week in order to tire out and keep the ball away from the Warriors. Is this something that they might want to do against the Panthers to make them tackle more, defend more, and try starve them of possession?

If the Panthers are to win, it will be simple. They are a juggernaut. They have a deadly back five, even if one of them is a rookie. They are full of players who all buy into the teams’ success, and all play their roles perfectly week in, and week out. 

You know To’o is going to run for over 200 metres, with at least 60 of those post-contact.

You know Edwards is going to support and run all game long.

Tago and Crichton will cause havoc in the centres

And rookie of the year Turuva will do what he’s done all year. Finish in the corner and look like a veteran while doing so.

Then it’s Cleary and Luai pulling the strings. Having the privilege of seeing Cleary play live a few times over the last two years there is no one quite like him on this earth right now. He’s head and shoulders above any other NRL player at the same age in the history of this game.

Kenny, who no one talks about – is the hooker this side needs and will once again get the job done without the accolades.

Then of course Leota and Fisher-Harris will run damn hard. They will damage and bruise their way with every step in every run.

Yeo will pull strings, and Sorensen and Martin will have guaranteed worth ethic.

If the Broncos are to win, it’s going to be a 10/10 performance. Penrith won’t play any lower than an 8/10. I said this last year when talking about Parramatta in the Grand Final.

They’re also going to have to somehow keep the Panthers to less than two tries in order to have a chance. That’s just a fact.

So you’ll see Walsh, who will relish this opportunity in his first Broncos season where he’s been at some incredible heights.

Cobbo and Arthurs – one has height, both have speed. They’ll have to work hard on the kick return and capitalise on opportunities close to the lines.

Staggs and Farnworth both in career-best form will need to tackle and break tackles like they have all season.

Reynolds and Mam’s special relationship in the halves will have to be at its peak. Reynolds can kick the Panthers to death, while Mam will run and jink and look dangerous with the ball in hand.

Flegler and Haas – a great one-two punch. Haas is so close to greatness at such a young age. Incredible.

Walters, well, he’s certainly one of the best hookers we’ve seen all season. His form has been remarkable and is a threat close to the line.

Carrigan hasn’t played a bad game since he started his career, and the ceiling is so high for this fella.

Capewell and Riki complement their edges so well. Great line runners.

There’s a lot of energy around this match. So much excitement. The Panthers, could they be the first team to win three in a row since the Parramatta Eels of exactly 40 years ago? 81, 82, and 83 belonged to Parra, much like it could for their Western Sydney rivals Penrith.

Brisbane look to secure their first Grand Final since 2006. A new era, with plenty of potential and a young squad that could see them in and around this match for the next few years, is a brilliant prospect for a side who have turned their fortunes around in a ridiculous fashion in the last four years.

I find it hard to believe that the Panthers have got to this stage for a fourth straight year and won’t win it. A third premiership in a row is being shown on my crystal ball for Sunday. Not to say the Broncos won’t give them a run for their money, and not that the Panthers are an automatic win – I just think that experience goes a long way in a GF and the way they’ve kept it together so consistently since 2020 is playing a massive part in this for my prediction.

I’m putting it on record that the Penrith Panthers will win their third premiership in a row, and they’ll get the better of the Brisbane Broncos 28-18. Jarome Luai first try scorer, and Stephen Crichton with the Clive Churchill medal.

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