PANTHERS 28 EELS 12
FULLTIME
80min - EELS TRY ARTHUR
Moses tries the grubber kick for Papali'i to collect! He finds a support runner, before Penisini puts the kick through along the right sideline and Arthur wins the race to score another Eels try!
78min - EELS TRY GUTHERSON
Papali'i cuts back across field, beating a few tired defenders, before linking up with Gutherson, who puts the foot down and races up the middle to score his side's first try of the game!
76min - Cleary with another chance to grab a try himself but is penalised for grabbing an Eels player in his attempt to win the ball back. He would love a career 50th try, he's be immense.
74min - To'o makes some space for himself! He beats a couple of players, before Gutherson makes a great one-on-one tackle to stop the stampeding winger.
72min - Brown steps a couple of defenders but can't find a support runner. Sivo gets a massive cutout pass but it gets too big on him and he knocks on in his attempt to gather with the defence breathing on him.
70min - Penisini shows good strength to bump off a couple of players, but their kick can only find a diving Kikau, who cleans up the loose ball for another Panthers set.
68min - Tago is tackled just short of the tryline, before the Eels are pinged for an accidental offside from a Panthers kick on the last. Penrith attack the left edge from the scrum through Cleary, he stretches out but grounds the ball JUST short, before losing the ball.
66min - Blake tries to tap back a cross field kick towards a support player, but Edwards cleans up and runs it back 30 odd metres on the angle. Panthers just a class above all night.
64min - Gutherson looks to attack the high kick by Panthers but looks to have knocked it on. He's challenging it, claiming Martin knocked it back, but it's unsuccessful.
62min - Eels looking to throw the ball around a bit more now, but they will have to do without Simonsson, who has been ruled out for the rest of the game following that tackle from Edwards.
60min - PANTHERS TRY STAINS
Cleary shows the ball to a dummy runner, finds Edwards and he draws in Sivo to link up with Stains, who rides the tackle of Brown to reach out and score the try. Game over surely.
58min - Eels go for the spectacular with a grubber kick across the field, and Simonsson gets it! He looks to be away with only Edwards to beat down the left touchline but the Panthers fullback makes a great tackle to roll him into touch. His teammates loved that!
56min - Penisini does well to shrug off a couple of players before the Eels switch direction. They go left to Sivo, he steps inside two defenders but loses the ball with the tryline begging! Crichton made a great last-ditched tackle to disrupt his finish.
54min - Eels putting together perhaps their best attack of the entire match, as they go wide but Gutherson is tackled around the ankles and coughs up the ball near the sideline.
52min - Edwards is blasted in a tackle but does well to stay on his feet and make a second effort run. Panthers look to kick but Eels up to it right in front of their own tryline.
50min - Cleary is penalised for stripping Lane of the ball in the tackle, but the Panthers are challenging. They rule it was a one-on-one tackle and Penrith get the play of the ball.
48min - Leniu makes another strong charge right from the kick-off. Edwards steps a couple of defenders, before Cleary kicks long for Sivo to catch and take the incoming tackle.
46min - PANTHERS TRY TO'O
Yeo shrugs off one tackler, before a quick play of the ball. Panthers go quickly to the right, putting the ball between the hands and To'o is all alone on the wing and he dives in for his second try. The officials are going to check if Moses was obstructed by Kikau, and the bunker says he wasn't...not sure if he's got that right.
44min - To'o forced to catch the high kick behind him, but does well to gather it and run it back near halfway. Crichton beats one before Edwards attacks the line. Cleary kicks high and Gutherson comes up with it.
42min - We're back underway in the second half! And it's the Eels with the first set, before Moses kicks high for Edwards to return, but the Eels are penalised for a crusher tackle.
HALFTIME
40min - Eels looking to go quickly with halftime fast approaching. They go high with the kick, but Luai does well to get up and take an AFL-style catch, and comes down heavily.
38min - Luai grubbers through for Kikau and gets his boot to the ball before Gutherson to clean up, but Blake makes a try-saving tap back to deny Panthers another four pointer.
36min - Cleary tries another grubber through and Luai almost gets the bounce but the ball just eludes him with Gutherson spoiling the play. Penrith will have the scrum just 10m out however.
34min - Eels look to go wide as Simonsson does well to get the offload away, but this time concede the penalty with Lane guilty of obstruction up the middle.
32min - Eels unable to threaten much on attack, before Gutherson is called upon again to take a tough Cleary kick. Sivo has a rare chance to stretch his legs, before Pensini wins the penalty.
30min - Eels happy to kick up the middle and the Panthers are even happier to attack that channel. Cleary kicks high and the Eels will finally have a chance to attack themselves.
28min - PANTHERS TRY SORENSEN
Moses does well to cut Kikau down before he can reach the tryline. Cleary gets the ball, pops a little grubber through with nobody home, and Sorensen has the easiest of pick ups to grab another Panthers try.
26min - Eels SOMEHOW keep the Panthers out, with a number of Penrith players tackled just short of the tryline. To'o tries a grubber through and the Eels are forced to take it dead for the restart. This time, Gutherson keeps the kick in play for the Panthers to return.
24min - Panthers make it up to the 30m of the Eels with ease, before Cleary's kick is well taken by Gutherson under pressure. Moses kicks high and long for To'o to return near halfway.
22min - PANTHERS PENALTY GOAL
Gutherson opts for the short restart but kicks it out on the full. Cleary points to the goal posts and will take the easy two points, which he nails. Can the Eels stop the assault?
20min - Kikau bumps off Moses with ease, before Edwards put Cleary through a hole! Gutherson does well to cut him down, before Sivo is forced to take a Panthers grubber dead.
18min - PANTHERS TRY TO'O
Panthers playing at a furious pace! Kikau runs a good dummy line, before the Panthers put it threw the hands out to the left and To'o rides the tackle of Gutherson to go in for the try.
16min - Martin puts the HUGE fend of and is stopped just a metre out from the tryline. Luai skips and skips before finding Kikau, who is tackled well by Moses. Cleary tries to find Leota but the pass is behind him and he turns it over.
14min - Leota takes the first hit up from the kick-off but the Eels defence are well up for it and contain him well. Martin almost slips through a hole again, before Cleary kicks and Moses does well to get under it with all sorts of pressure on him.
12min - PANTHERS TRY CRICHTON
The Panthers switch direction to the right, Cleary finds Edwards, who links up with Crichton, as he cuts back inside and he races in from 20 odd metres to score the game's first try!
10min - Brown puts the kick ahead for a sprinting Moses but the Panthers do well to get back and clean up the bouncing ball. Definitely a set move from the training pitch.
8min - Leota with a big charge, he's really imposing himself on the Eels with and without the ball. Panthers look to pass quickly but Martin can only find Sivo.
6min - Leota putting in a number of crunching hits one after another! Eels kick long for To'o to return again, before Martin almost finds a hole in the Eels' defence.
4min - Gutherson does well to field Luai's kick before Sivo bumps off Brown. Eels the first of the sides to work their way into the opposition half, as Moses kicks long for To'o to return.
2min - Gutherson gets us underway and it's Fisher-Harris with the first hit up. Crowd really getting into it. Panthers make it up to near halfway before Cleary kicks long.
9:32pm - Now for the welcome. The Panthers are favourites to go back-to-back tonight, but the Eels have beaten them already this year. Just moments away from kick-off.
9:30pm - It seems a relatively evenly split of fans at Accor Stadium, maybe a tad more Eeels supporters. Panthers getting a big reception as they run on.
9:28pm - Welcome! And thank you for joining us for this NRL Grand Final. The Eels are making their way onto the field to a mighty roar from their fans in attendance. Panthers next.
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Ki ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL Grand Final between the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels at Sydney's Accor Stadium.
In what will be a battle of western Sydney, both sides are chasing history in the first-ever Premiership final between the two.
Penrith are looking to clinch back-to-back titles, and their fourth overall, while Parramatta are looking to overcome their drought, dating back to 1986.
The Panthers dominated the regular season and easily defeated tonight's opponents 27-8 in week one of the playoffs just three weeks ago.
But the Eels will be buoyed by the fact they were the only team to beat the Panthers twice this season, and are riding the wave of victories over the Canberra Raiders and North Queensland Cowboys on their way to the final.
TAB odds: Panthers $1.35 Eels $3.10
Panthers: 1-Dylan Edwards, 2-Charlie Stains, 3-Izack Tago, 4-Stephen Crichton, 5-Brian To'o, 6-Jarome Luai, 7-Nathan Cleary, 8-Moses Leota, 9-Apisai Koroisau, 10-James Fisher-Harris, 11-Villiame Kikau, 12-Liam Martin, 13-Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 14-Mitch Kenny, 15-Scott Sorensen, 16-Spencer Leniu, 17-Jaeman Salmon, 18-Sean O'Sullivan, 19-Matthew Eisenhurth
Eels: 1-Clint Gutherson, 2-Maika Sivo, 3-Will Penisini, 4-Bailey Simonsson, 5-Waqa Blake, 6-Dylan Brown, 7-Mitchell Moses, 8-Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 9-Reed Mahoney, 10-Junior Paulo, 11-Shaun Lane, 12-Isaiah Papali'i, 13-Ryan Matterson
Interchange: 14-Nathan Brown, 15-Jake Arthur, 16-Oregon Kaufusi, 17-Marata Niukore, 18-Bryce Cartwright, 19-Makahesi Makatoa
