The match was preceded by the 2024 NRL State Championship and the NRL Women's Premiership Grand Final. The match was broadcast live throughout Australia by the Nine Network. Pre-match entertainment was performed by Australian rapper The Kid Laroi.[2]
The 2024 NRL season is the 117th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 27th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight teams on the competition ladder.
The 2024 Melbourne Storm season was the 27th season in the club's history. Coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Harry Grant, the club played their home games at AAMI Park in Melbourne. The Storm finished in first place on the ladder with 44 points and a 19–5 win-loss record, taking out the J. J. Giltinan Shield for winning the competition's minor premiership, while setting a new club record for crowds with an average attendance of 21,067 at each home game.[3]
The 2024 Penrith Panthers season was the 58th season in the club's history. Coached by Ivan Cleary and co-captained by Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, the club played their home games at BlueBet Stadium in Penrith. The Panthers finished the regular season in second place on the ladder with 40 points and a 17–7 win–loss record.
It would be the second time the Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers had faced each other in a grand final match, after featuring in the 2020 premiership decider, and the first time since 2014 in which the grand finalists had previously played each other in a decider. The 2020 grand final was the Storm's last grand final appearance as well as their most recent premiership victory. The 2020 match would also be the Penrith Panthers' first of now five-straight grand final appearances, which accomplishes a new record in the NRL competition era, and was last achieved by the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1971.
The two clubs played each other twice in the 2024 season; in round 1 with the Storm beating the Panthers 8–0 at AAMI Park, and round 24 where the Storm won again 24–22 at BlueBet Stadium. Their last finals meeting was a 38–4 win for Penrith at the 2023 preliminary finals.
Penrith second-row forward Scott Sorensen was a late addition into the side, having missed both previous finals games with a hamstring injury. His inclusion resulted in Luke Garner moving to the interchange bench and Matt Eisenhuth being dropped to reserve.
Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona was handed a five-match suspension by the NRL Judiciary following the preliminary final,[4][5] meaning the Storm brought in Lazarus Vaalepu for just his seventh NRL appearance. Vaalepu was the least experienced player to play in a grand final since 1994.[6]
Melbourne made no changes from their team as first named. Four Storm players had previous grand final experience, with Cameron Munster appearing in his fifth decider.
Game-day entertainment was headlined by Australian rapper The Kid Laroi.[7]
Officiating
Ashley Klein was appointed to his third NRL grand final, with touch judges Chris Sutton and David Munro. Grant Atkins was appointed as the bunker official.[8]
Liam Martin(pictured representing Australia) setting up a try, making 46 tackles, ran for 92 meters and scored a try in the 39th minute of the match. He was ultimately awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his performance.
Post-match
By extending their premiership-streak to four consecutive titles, the Panthers became the first club since the St. George Dragons of 1959 to accomplish this record. Their sixth premiership win lifts Penrith to equal-seventh on the all-time Premiership tally, alongside the Brisbane Broncos. The Panthers' fifth title in the NRL era moves them ahead of both the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm to become the most successful club of the NRL competition era which began in 1998.
