Rome Has Fallen: Penrith’s historic run that saw them win four straight premierships is over.
After a trying season that started in Las Vegas, saw them without a home ground for the entire season, sit last at Round 13 before making a strong run to the finals and finding themselves as premiership favourites.
Not to mention leading the Preliminary Final 14-0, before capitulating to end an era in a manner that must have been eerily similar to that day at the SCG 58 years back when Canterbury stunned St George to end their run of 11 straight titles.
Penrith looked destined to play in a sixth straight decider.
Per the incomparable Aaron Wallace at Fox Sports, in the 99 games Penrith had led by 12 or more since 2020, this was their first loss.
Cracks had certainly appeared throughout the year as Dylan Edwards started to look vulnerable, Isaiah Yeo’s numbers declined just a touch and the loss of James Fisher-Harris from a forward leadership perspective took a toll.
It was clear Brad Schneider was a downgrade on prior exponents of that backup half role Sean O’Sullivan and Jack Cogger.
There was also a certain tiredness to Penrith this year that comes as no surprise given what they have achieved, the lengths of their seasons, the turnover of player personnel and spending the season on the road.
Hats do need to be tipped to Penrith though, while their historical run may have ended, they have been set up for future success.
They unquestionably went on the greatest four-year run of any team since that famous Saints team of the 1950s and ‘60s.
While there have been a few questionable tactics around trainers and injuries, Penrith have generally upheld the standards of the game and played some outstanding Rugby League.
They fell short this year but boy did they make a big run at five straight, finishing closer than most thought.
Rugby Defectors Should Cop Life: It is a complete and utter embarrassment to the NRL that this season’s top tryscorer Mark Nawaqanitawase is set to defect back to rugby union, showing such disregard for rugby league that it was leaked throughout the finals series.
It is questionable practice that rugby league allows rugby union types to play in the NRL after the century-plus long campaign from union against league that involved life bans at both professional and amateur levels, collaborating with the Nazis to seize Rugby League assets in France and ensure for the next 65 years league would not be able to use the term ‘rugby’, working to stop Rugby League being recognised as an official sport by international bodies a plenty.
Rugby league should certainly not let anybody who defects to return, particularly those who have embarrassed the game like Nawaqanitawase is doing either intentionally or unintentionally.
The precedent should have been set with Sonny Bill Williams but the clowns in charge of the game in 2012 allowed him back, Peter V’Landys is a much tougher, far more astute leader.
It is a complete humiliation to the game what the Roosters have been allowed to get away with in terms of rugby union, they signed Sonny Bill Williams, have hinted they will welcome back Joey Manu and Joseph Sualii, whose absences this year were noticed by nobody.
They signed a union bloke and then seem happy to allow him to return after his two-bit World Cup bid, essentially signing off on him playing for a competitor, no matter how insignificant and minor that competitor is.
The Roosters have essentially signalled that they are happy to be a feeder club for the Wallabies.
Only Nick Politis would be allowed to pull that stunt, Kevin Walters has mentioned taking him on the Ashes at the end of the season – if he does he should be kicked out of the game for life.
There are some who would prefer rugby league be better, to take the high moral road, to forget the past and set forth on a peaceful and morally upright position, believing that rugby league was built on money and the free market.
I am not one of those people.
That may well be the Origin myth rugby league has developed but those who know will tell you that rugby league was built on hate, spite, self-interest and vengeance.
It would be rugby league at its blazing authentic best to ban anyone who defects to rugby union be it for money, power or the laughable ‘love of the game’ concept.
Dig your heels in Pete, finish that clown sport in Australia once and for all.
Never forget: they spent over a century trying to do it to us.
Dally M Medal Nomination Breakdown: The Dally M Medal nominations are out and again become a laughingstock in some positions – perhaps it is for the best that we can’t bet on it based on some of the names put forward.
NRL
Fullback: James Tedesco should and will win. No major concerns with nominations.
Wing: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Xavier Coates should win though no issues if Jacob Kiraz gets the nod. Zac Lomax being nominated is a joke after leading the league in errors. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Josh Addo-Carr and Daniel Tupou all had panels on him.
Centre: Imagine not nominating Tolutau Koula later the season he had. Should clearly have taken home one of the two positions. Herbir Farnworth should be a moral with Kotoni Stagg edging Casey McLean
Five-Eighth: Ethan Strange in a one-horse race.
Halfback: Jahrome Hughes missed a lot of time but it was still surprising to see him miss a nomination. Everyone seems to be in love with Isaiya Katoa and he has the same number of assists as Jamal Fogarty so would bet the Dolphins half if such behaviour was available.
Hooker: Blayke Brailey by the length of the Flemington straight with Harry Grant unavailable.
Prop: Joseph Tapine is unavailable due to suspension. Terrell May and Payne Haas are the next two most qualified. Josh King was a little unlucky not to get the nomination ahead of Stefano Utoikamanu, whose early season stupidity seems to have been forgotten about.
Back Row: Eli Katoa is a certainty for this award as he should be but the failure of the clowns in charge to pick Jacob Preston is laughable. Liam Martin, Angus Crichton and to a lesser degree Hudson Young were all picked on reputation alone. Beau Fermor and Jai Arrow both should have been nominated ahead of Martin and Crichton.
Lock: Great to see unfashionable types Eric Clark and Naufahu Whyte nominated. Either would be worthy winners though the nod goes to Clark.
Rookie:Leka Halasima should win this though the justification for Mark Nawaqanitawase being excluded – he played another sport at an elite level – does not wash as union is not elite and has questionable credentials as a sport.
Captain: Joseph Tapine is ineligible sadly. Nathan Cleary is perhaps most deserving considering his role in turning Penrith’s season around.
Coach: Cameron Ciraldo’s nomination is a joke considering his fingerprints in the club’s suicide. The Raiders were wooden spoon favourites and won the minor premiership so hard to go past Ricky Stuart.
Klein Remarkably Works Himself Out Of A Grand Final: Given the political sway and the protective shield that makes him almost impervious to criticism, it took a significant effort for Ashley Klein to work himself out of a fourth Grand Final with a third straight inept finals showing seemingly the breaking point for NRL officials.
After his disgraceful handling of the Reece Walsh affair and then his non sin binning of Dylan Edwards, Klein finally had his cards marked when he ruined the first Preliminary Final with 18 penalties and five ruck infringements.
Unfortunately despite yet another horrible weekend from Bunker official Chris Butler, he will be gifted Grand Final duties in perhaps the greatest injustice since Mandela’s imprisonment and/or the cancellation of Terriers.
Bad Beat For The Ages: Melbourne jumped 8.5-point favourites.
They dominated Cronulla, leading by 12 with 25 seconds remaining, the game well out of hand for the Sharks, their season done and dusted.
Yet for reasons that will never become clear but will remain etched in the dark and broken hearts of minus punters, the Sharks rushed to tap, threw it around like the game was on the line, scored against a half-hearted defence and then declined to kick to lose by eight.
We live as we dream – alone.
While the dream disappears, the life continues, painfully, Joseph Conrad knew what a bad beat was.
2025 Field Goal Update – 17: Dylan Edwards tried a last ditch two-pointer against the Broncos but was unsuccessful in what could be the last field goal attempt of the NRL season.
Fun Fact #1: Penrith have seven players left in their squad from the last time they did not make a Grand Final before this season – six of the seven have played Origin or international football.
Fun Fact #2: Eight players from Penrith’s 2019 team played finals for other teams this year: Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton and Viliame Kikau for the Bulldogs, Wayde Egan, James Fisher-Harris ans Dally Watene-Zeleziak for the Warriors, Billy Burns for Cronulla and Spencer Leniu for the Roosters.
Fun Fact #3: Penrith’s 2019 team finished 10th.
Rumour Mill: Matt Burton has been linked with a move to the Cowboys.
Despite denials, Warriors backup hooker Sam Healey has been heavily linked with a move to Canterbury as the young rake seeks opportunities to start and the Bulldogs realise they have no hooker.
Jonah Pezet is expected to sign a loan deal with Gold Coast.
The Mole was caught out last week by a rabblerouser pushing Jackson Hastings to the Titans nonsense.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Craig Fitzgibbon made some major blunders in the Sharks loss including playing plodders Billy Burns and Jesse Colquhoun over Briton Nikora but the failure of the team to have a clear and relentless plan to target the clearly injured Jahrome Hughes was astonishing and ultimately costly.
The Coaching Crosshairs: There is speculation this time every year about the future of Craig Bellamy with the Storm icon in the job as long as he wants it but indicating he will retire soon.
Bellamy is the first coach to lead a team to 11 Grand Finals and has remarkably done so in a 20-year period.
Melbourne have scrapped numerous plans in the past to replace Bellamy, expect Billy Slater to be next man up.
Watch It: There has arguably been no more highly anticipated Grand Final than the 1965 decider 60 years ago when fans crammed every vantage point at, on or near the SCG to watch St George and Souths, a battle between the proven champions and the next great team.
Watch the highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2x7UYLcQlY