Monday's Expert - 2020 NRL Grand Final

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Monday's Expert is here - with the full wrap of the NRL Grand Final, along with Match Review charges, the final LeagueUnlimited.com Player of the Year leaderboard, injury news, crowd and TV ratings info.

All listed times are AEDT (NSW/QLD/VIC/ACT).


RELATED: See the full list of 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership Draw and Results.


Grand Final NRL Result & Match Review Charges

Penrith Panthers 20
Melbourne Storm 26

Venue: ANZ Stadium
Crowd: 37303
Date: Sunday 25 October 2020 at 7:30pm

PENRITH PANTHERS (20)
Tries: Brian To'o, Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton, Josh Mansour
Conversions: Nathan Cleary (2/4)

MELBOURNE STORM (26)
Tries: Justin Olam, Cameron Smith, Suliasi Vunivalu, Ryan Papenhuyzen
Conversions: Cameron Smith (3/4)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (2/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 points - Nelson Asofa-Solomona
1 points - Cameron Smith

Match review - Grand Final

James FISHER-HARRIS (Panthers)
Grade 1 Dangerous Contact (other)
26' on Brandon Smith
Base penalty 100pts
Guilty / no contest = 100pts (1 match)
Guilty - early plea = 75pts (no suspension)
PLEA: TBC

Injury news - Grand Final

A couple of HIA's throughout the contest but no major concerns for either side.

What now?

Melbourne have their fourth official NRL title and their sixth Grand Final victory. Penrith's 17-match winning streak remains a tied record with Canterbury (2002) and they are the minor premiers for 2020.

Both sides have had a host of stars named in each Origin squad.


RELATED: Click here to view the final NRL Telstra Premiership ladder.


LeagueUnlimited Player of the Year standings

At the conclusion of each match our reporters will choose their best three players from the match. You can views those points in each match in their respective match reports. Each week we'll update the leaderboard right here in Monday's Expert.

1ST: 33 points - Nathan Cleary (Panthers)

2ND: 30 points - Cameron Smith (Storm)

3RD: 23 points - Jack Wighton (Raiders), Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs)

22 points - Shaun Johnson (Sharks)
21 points - Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
20 points - Cody Walker (Rabbitohs), James Tedesco (Roosters)
19 points - Clinton Gutherson (Eels)
18 points - Jarome Luai (Panthers)
17 points - Jahrome Hughes (Storm), Luke Keary (Roosters), Cameron Munster (Storm)
15 points - Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm)
14 points - Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), George Williams (Raiders), Brett Morris (Roosters)
13 points - Matthew Dufty (Dragons), Jamal Fogarty (Titans), Kodi Nikorima (Warriors), Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
12 points - Ashley Taylor (Titans)
11 points - Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys), Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Damien Cook (Rabbitohs), David Klemmer (Knights), Josh Papali'i (Raiders)
10 points - Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys), Sione Katoa (Bulldogs), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)
9 points - Mitchell Moses (Eels), Stephen Crichton (Panthers), Mitchell Pearce (Knights), Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
8 points - Blake Green (Warriors), Alexander Brimson (Titans), Junior Paulo (Eels), Dylan Edwards (Panthers), Dylan Brown (Eels), Kurt Mann (Knights)
7 points - Liam Martin (Panthers), Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs), Peta Hiku (Warriors), James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Harry Grant (Storm), Wade Graham (Sharks), David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers), Jarrod Croker (Raiders)
6 points - Apisai Koroisau (Panthers), Zac Lomax (Dragons), Matt Burton (Panthers), Siosiua Taukeiaho (Roosters), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm), Reed Mahoney (Eels), Blayke Brailey (Sharks), Ben Hunt (Dragons), Curtis Sironen (Sea Eagles), Joseph Manu (Roosters), Eliesa Katoa (Warriors)
5 points - Maika Sivo (Eels), Corey Norman (Dragons), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Raiders), Josh Addo-Carr (Storm), Young Tonumaipea (Titans), Cameron McInnes (Dragons), Daniel Saifiti (Knights), Will Hopoate (Bulldogs), Cade Cust (Sea Eagles), Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers), Michael Morgan (Cowboys), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Eels), Adam Doueihi (Wests Tigers), Nathan Brown (Eels)
4 points - Hudson Young (Raiders), Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Storm), Tom Starling (Raiders), Toby Rudolf (Sharks), Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans), Justin Olam (Storm), Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs), Josh Morris (Sharks), Sitili Tupouniua (Roosters), Kyle Flanagan (Roosters), Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Tevita Pangai Junior (Broncos), Viliame Kikau (Panthers), Shaun Lane (Eels), Kotoni Staggs (Broncos), Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs), Anthony Milford (Broncos), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Bulldogs)
3 points - Semi Valemi (Raiders), Valentine Holmes (Cowboys), Bradman Best (Knights), Chanel Harris-Tavita (Warriors), Martin Taupau (Sea Eagles), John Bateman (Raiders), Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs), Jack Murchie (Raiders), Jamayne Isaako (Broncos), Charlie Staines (Panthers), Nick Meaney (Bulldogs), Tyson Frizell (Dragons), Joseph Leilua (Wests Tigers), Jesse Ramien (Sharks), Will Kennedy (Sharks), Kevin Proctor (Titans), Brian Kelly (Titans), Addin Fonua-Blake (Sea Eagles), Mitchell Barnett (Knights), Waqa Blake (Eels), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters), Adam Clune (Dragons), Christian Welch (Storm), Corey Allan (Rabbitohs), Jake Clifford (Cowboys)
2 points - Emre Guler (Raiders), Ryan Sutton (Raiders), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (Knights), David Fifita (Broncos), Morgan Harper (Bulldogs), Braydon Trindall (Sharks), Kieran Foran (Bulldogs), Joseph Tapine (Raiders), Campbell Graham (Rabbitohs), Jake Averillo (Bulldogs), Beau Fermor (Titans), Thomas Burgess (Rabbitohs), Nick Cotric (Raiders), Dale Finucane (Storm), Corey Thompson (Wests Tigers), Kyle Feldt (Cowboys), Lindsay Collins (Roosters), Chad Townsend (Sharks), Jorge Taufua (Sea Eagles), Kenneath Bromwich (Storm), Payne Haas (Broncos), Sam Williams (Raiders), Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks), Tohu Harris (Warriors), Braden Hamlin-Uele (Sharks), Ryan Matterson (Eels), Mikaele Ravalawa (Dragons), Josh Jackson (Bulldogs), Siosifa Talakai (Sharks), Daniel Tupou (Roosters), Dane Gagai (Rabbitohs), Matt Ikuvalu (Roosters), Wayde Egan (Warriors), Michael Jennings (Eels), Isaac Liu (Roosters)
1 point - Luke Thompson (Bulldogs), Jayden Okunbor (Bulldogs), Kurt Capewell (Panthers), Adam Pompey (Warriors), Dunamis Lui (Raiders), Jarrod Wallace (Titans), Josh Mcguire (Cowboys), Phillip Sami (Titans), Darius Boyd (Broncos), Tui Kamikamica (Storm), Connor Watson (Knights), Andrew McCullough (Broncos), Billy Walters (Wests Tigers), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Cowboys), Elliott Whitehead (Raiders), Sam Lisone (Titans), Adam Elliott (Bulldogs), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), Jaydn Su'A (Rabbitohs), Tom Opacic (Cowboys), Brendan Elliot (Sea Eagles), Thomas Flegler (Broncos), Taniela Paseka (Sea Eagles), Jordan Pereira (Dragons), Luke Garner (Wests Tigers), James Tamou (Panthers), Patrick Carrigan (Broncos), Ethan Lowe (Rabbitohs), Liam Knight (Rabbitohs), Tyrell Fuimaono (Dragons), Coen Hess (Cowboys), Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), Caleb Aekins (Panthers), Tevita Tatola (Rabbitohs)


Metrics Metrics Metrics

Each week we'll also do our best to keep you across the crowd figures and TV ratings which are often the most talked-about parts of the game. 

Crowds - Grand Final

37,303 packed into ANZ Stadium for the decider, with the capacity capped at 40,000 due to COVID-19 protocols.

Ratings - Grand Final

The match was broadcast exclusively on Channel 9.

Metro - 2,103,000
Regional - 863,000
Total - 2,966,000

The presentation racked up 1,290,000 metro viewers.

The Fox League replay of the NRL game at 9:30pm attracted 59,000 viewers.

The NRLW Grand Final was broadcast on both Channel 9 and Fox League.

Nine (metro only) - 285,000 (game), 355,000 (presentation)
Fox League - 138,000