| 2021 (2021) NRL Grand Final | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Date | 3 October 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Suncorp Stadium,Brisbane[1] | ||||||||||||
| Location | Brisbane,Queensland,Australia | ||||||||||||
| Clive Churchill Medal | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | ||||||||||||
| National anthem | Kate Miller-Heidke | ||||||||||||
| Pre-Match Entertainment | Kate Miller-Heidke,Ian Moss,The Stafford Brothers,Timmy Trumpet,William Barton | ||||||||||||
| Referees | Gerard Sutton, Todd Smith (Touch Judge) David Munro (Touch Judge) | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 39,322 | ||||||||||||
| Broadcast partners | |||||||||||||
| Broadcasters |
| ||||||||||||
| Commentators | |||||||||||||
The2021 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the2021 National Rugby League season in Australia. It was contested between thePenrith Panthers and theSouth Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday 3 October atSuncorp Stadium inBrisbane.[1] Penrith won the match 14–12 to claim their third premiership title, and their first since2003. Penrith co-captain and halfbackNathan Cleary was awarded theClive Churchill Medal as the official man of the match.
The event was held in Brisbane for the first time in the competition's history due to an ongoingCOVID-19 lockdown in New South Wales which prompted the NRL to relocate it fromStadium Australia inSydney, where every NRL Grand Final since 1999 had been hosted.[2] Due toCOVID-19 restrictions, the match was attended by only 39,322 spectators because theQueensland Government limited Suncorp Stadium to seventy-five percent of its maximum capacity.[3]
The match was preceded by the2021 Queensland Cup preliminary finals and broadcast live throughout Australia by theNine Network, with pre-match and half-time entertainment headlined byKate Miller-Heidke,Ian Moss,The Stafford Brothers,Timmy Trumpet,William Barton and a forty-piece Queensland orchestra.[4]
This was the last game to be commentated by long-time announcerRay Warren.
This was the first ever NRL Grand Final between thePenrith Panthers and theSouth Sydney Rabbitohs, and the first time since2014 that the Grand Final featured two Sydney-based clubs. The Penrith side aimed for a third premiership, after defeatingCanberra Raiders in1991 andSydney Roosters in2003. It was alsoIvan Cleary's third Grand Final appearance as a coach, after losing with theNew Zealand Warriors againstManly Sea Eagles in2011, and losing with the Penrith side againstMelbourne Storm in2020.[5] Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs were aiming for their 22nd premiership victory; their most recent being againstCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in2014. It was alsoWayne Bennett's tenth Grand Final appearance as a coach after winning seven of the previous nine.[6]
After finishing as minor premiers and runners-up in 2020, the Panthers finished the 2021 regular season in second place after 21 wins and three losses.
South Sydney finished third after 30 wins and four losses.[7] During the regular season, the Rabbitohs scored 775 points, the fourth highest of all time in competition history.[1] Despite this, they conceded 50 points in a game twice during the home and away season, to the Panthers and the Melbourne Storm, dampening their premiership aspirations with no side ever winning the premiership after doing so.[8] In the Rabbitohs' 54–12 victory over the Roosters in round 24, fullbackLatrell Mitchell was suspended for six matches for reckless high contact onJoseph Manu. RookieBlake Taaffe replaced him the next week, playing just his fourth NRL match at the time.
During the regular season, the two teams faced each other twice. In round 11, the Panthers defeated the Rabbitohs 56–12 atApex Oval.[9] In round 23, the Panthers won 25–12 atSuncorp Stadium.[10] However, in a major upset in the first week of the finals Series, South Sydney defeated Penrith 16–10 atQueensland Country Bank Stadium in the Qualifying Final and advanced straight to the Preliminary Finals two weeks later, beatingManly Warringah Sea Eagles 36–16 at Suncorp Stadium to advance to the Grand Final.[11] After losing to Souths, Penrith defeatedParramatta Eels 8–6 in the Semi-Finals one week later atBB Print Stadium.[12][13] In what was a rematch of the previous year's grand final, Penrith defeated minor premiersMelbourne Storm 10–6 in the Preliminary Final atSuncorp Stadium to advance to the Grand Final.[14]
Prior to the match, Michael McGowan writing[15] for theGuardian Australia explained how South Sydney represents rugby league'sblue collar past, and how Penrith better embody it in 2021. Prior to the creation of theNRL in 1998, South Sydney had won 20 premierships, with their first coming in the inaugural 1908 season, and final coming in 1971. Souths had only won one premiership during the NRL-era in the2014 NRL Grand Final. While prior to this match, Penrith had won a total of two premierships, with their first coming in 1991, and second coming in 2003. This Grand Final marked the start of four consecutive Grand Final victories for Penrith after losing in2020. The Penrith junior system is also widely regarded[attribution needed] to produce the best talent in the modern game, and the team is widely regarded[attribution needed] to have the best homegrown talent in the modern game due to the population demographics of their geographical district. This trend of the best rugby league talent being considered to be from heavily blue collar areas reflects the widely held belief that rugby league hasworking class roots.
The match was broadcast live on theNine Network and delayed onFox League in Australia andSky Sport in New Zealand. Radio broadcasters includedABC,Triple M,2GB,SEN andKoori Radio.
Gerard Sutton was appointed to his seventh NRL Grand Final.[16]
Due toCOVID-19 restrictions, the match was attended by only 39,322 spectators because theQueensland Government limited Suncorp Stadium to seventy-five percent of its maximum capacity.[17]
| Penrith Panthers | Position | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan Edwards | Fullback | Blake Taaffe |
| Stephen Crichton | Wing | Alex Johnston |
| Paul Momirovski | Centre | Dane Gagai |
| Matt Burton | Centre | Campbell Graham |
| Brian To'o | Wing | Jaxson Paulo |
| Jarome Luai | Five-eighth | Cody Walker |
| Nathan Cleary (c) | Halfback | Adam Reynolds (c) |
| Moses Leota | Prop | Mark Nicholls |
| Apisai Koroisau | Hooker | Damien Cook |
| James Fisher-Harris | Prop | Tevita Tatola |
| Liam Martin | 2nd Row | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| Kurt Capewell | 2nd Row | Jaydn Su'A |
| Isaah Yeo (c) | Lock | Cameron Murray |
| Viliame Kikau | Interchange | Benji Marshall |
| Tyrone May | Interchange | Jacob Host |
| Scott Sorensen | Interchange | Tom Burgess |
| Spencer Leniu | Interchange | Jai Arrow |
| Ivan Cleary | Coach | Wayne Bennett |
Matt Burton,Spencer Leniu,Paul Momirovski andScott Sorensen were new additions to the Penrith squad that played in the 2020 grand final. For the South Sydney side,Tom Burgess,Alex Johnston andAdam Reynolds were the only remaining players from Souths' last premiership victory in2014. Panthers hookerApisai Koroisau was also part of the 2014 Souths premiership-winning squad.Blake Taaffe, who replaced suspended fullbackLatrell Mitchell, became the least experienced player in a grand final, playing only his eighth game in the NRL. A few days later at club level, Taaffe won the John Sattler Medal for rookie of the year.[18] After the match, South Sydney interchangeBenji Marshall retired from his NRL career with a total of 346 matches played.
| Position | Stand-By | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referees: | Gerard Sutton(7) | Ashley Klein | ||
| Touch Judges: | David Munro(1) | Todd Smith(2) | Phil Henderson | |
| Bunker: | Grant Atkins(1) | Source:[16] | ||
Penrith Panthers | 14 – 12 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs |
|---|---|---|
| Tries:2 Burton  17'Crichton 67'Goals:3 Cleary  19',pen 33',69'(3/3) | 1st: 8–6 2nd: 6–6 | Tries:2 Walker 21'Johnston 75'Goals:2 Reynolds 23',pen 45'(2/3) |
Suncorp Stadium,Brisbane Attendance: 39,322 Referee: Gerard Sutton Touch judges: Dave Munro, Todd Smith Clive Churchill Medal:Nathan Cleary (Penrith) |
Reynolds missed the conversion which could have locked up the game at 14–14, and send it to extra time.
The NRL announced that the opening games would be theIntrust Super CupPreliminary Finals.[19]
Sunday, 3 October 12:15pm (AEST) 1.15pm (AEDT) |
Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 40 – 18 |  Tweed Seagulls |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Delouise Hoeter (31', 38', 65')3 Jayden Berrell (28', 78')2 Francis Kalisolaite-Tualau (35')1 Kalolo Saitaua (44')1 Goals: Jack Campagnolo6/7 (29', 32', 36', 46', 66', 79') | 1st: 22 – 6 2nd: 18 – 12 | Tries: 1 (18')Juwan Compain 1 (42')Liam Hampson 1 (74')Daniel Ross Goals: 3/3Toby Sexton (19', 44', 75') |
Sunday, 3 October 2:45pm (AEST) 3.45pm (AEDT) |
Norths Devils | 34 – 16 |  Burleigh Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Michael Sio (30')1 Danny Levi (32')1 Leivaha Pulu (38')1 Ben Nakubuwai (62')1 Matthew Milson (76')1 Goals: Tyrone Roberts7/7 (8' pen, 31', 34', 40', 64', 69' pen, 78') | 1st: 20 – 0 2nd: 14 – 16 | Tries: 1 (45')Shallin Fuller 1 (72')Sami Sauiluma 1 (80')Kurtis Rowe Goals: 2/2Josh Rogers (47', 73') 0/1Luke Page |