More than any other sides, the two teams fighting for the premiership on Sunday have benefited from and adapted to changes in the modern game.
Most of the significant occasions in the history of a sport are not so much moments as subtle trends that sneak up on us when we have been looking elsewhere.
But it took their record breaking-humiliation of the third and fourth-placed teams in their two finals matches to appreciate their sheer dominance. The Storm were beaten a combined 64-4 by the two grand finalists, while the Warriors were defeated 74-18. Rugby league historians cannot recall similar pre-grand final blowouts.
A cynic may argue the rule changes were introduced to aid the Panthers and Broncos, rather than the reverse. After all, the NRL need a strong team in Sydney’s west to counter the GWS Giants, subsidised to the tune of $25 million a year by the AFL.
The Panthers don’t have settlers, the old-fashioned term for one-out runs to create space for a subsequent clever play. Penrith are clever on every play. Their use of the ball on early tackles always has options, often via lock Isaah Yeo who plays as a third halfback.
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