Matt White's biggest takeaways from the 2024 NRL Grand Final

So that’s what a dynasty looks like.

A week ago, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said: “I get what a dynasty is, but I don’t know the definition”.

It was an opposition coach, not a clickbait-chaser, that started the debate.

After being beaten by the Panthers in the preliminary final, defeated Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said Penrith were in the “middle of a dynasty”.

In reply, Cleary basically said: .. “Yeah, I get it, but dynasty? That’s for somebody else to define. Somebody else to decide”.

Well, the definition, in modern rugby league terms – the NRL era – is Penrith.

From 2020 to 2024, inclusive.

Five straight Grand Finals .. four straight premierships.

That, folks, is just part of the dynasty.

A team, a club, that just keeps winning – not just games in a row, finals in a row, but titles. Year after year after year after year.

A team that can see players like Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, Spencer Leniu all move on .. yet keep winning premierships.

A club that can see highly valued coaches like Andrew Webster and Cameron Ciraldo move on .. and keep winning premierships.

All in the NRL era .. the salary cap era.

Now that has all the ingredients of the modern-day rugby league dynasty.

Was it the greatest Grand Final? No.

Was it one of the most intense? Yes.

How about the breathtaking ferocity and break-neck pace of the game?

At one stage the ball had been “in play” for a total of 33 minutes, and it was only the 36th minute of the match.

Melbourne, especially, were out on their feet .. yet they were still in the contest.

There were two defining moments of controversy, of course – this is Rugby league after all.

1. Was it a no-try to Jack Howarth in the 49th minute?

It looked like the ball touched the turf.

With a successful kick, that would have put The Storm ahead by 2 points. Ahead – despite being on the backfoot.

After the game, NRL Head of Football Graeme Annesley briefed media to show them vision that backed up the bunker’s call .. that Howarth’s arm was under the ball.

It’s a pity WE don’t get to see what shot the bunker makes their final call on.

Whatever the bunker is seeing, we should be seeing in real time too.

The technology is there, the NRL and the broadcasters need top make it happen.

__2. Did Cameron Munster bite Paul Alamoti? __

The allegation was there .. the replay was not pretty .. but Munster is adamant he didn’t bite. In the end, Alamoti dropped his claim, and the match review committee said no charge.

It’s a big call to make against anyone, let alone on the biggest stage of a Grand Final.

And an almost-forgotten third question:

3. How much did The Storm miss Nelson Asofa Solomona?

The answer: greatly.

His presence in the middle would have, might have, made a massive difference.

But could one man have stopped that never-ending Penrith onslaught?

The Panthers just simply ask too many questions of their opponents.

So, how do you stop a team that is relentless, that is fearless, that is endless?

Well, that’s something the other sixteen teams face again in 2025.

And it’s perhaps the one remaining question about this current Penrith team.

How do you put an end to a dynasty?