The Penrith Panthers have credited a relentless attention to detail as the foundation for their historic finals winning streak and declared nothing will change heading into Sunday's grand final.
The Panthers claimed an 11th-straight finals victory in last week's preliminary final, eclipsing the great St George side of the 1950s and 1960s.
So impressive is their finals record that seven members of the team slated to line up at Accor Stadium against the Melbourne Storm on Sunday night are yet to lose a post-season game.
Liam Henry is in that group, having claimed two wins in his first finals series after progressing through the club's pathways throughout the past few years.
While stepping into such a successful side can be a daunting task, the forward has been motivated by a desire to extend the streak.
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"I've been fans of the [star players] for a long time so it's very special to be out there running alongside them," Henry told NRL.com. "There's role models wherever you look and there's no one better to learn off.
"It's incredible to be in this position but we've still got one more to go. We can't get too caught up in the record, we've got a lot of work to do to put ourselves in the best stead for Sunday."
Penrith's finals winning streak dates back to the second week of the 2021 playoffs when they rebounded from a shock loss to South Sydney in a qualifying final to claim a tense 8-6 victory over Parramatta.
Since then they have blown opponents off the park, grinded their way to tight victories and pulled off stunning comebacks, last year's come-from-behind grand final win over the Broncos the most memorable of all.
Overall, the current squad has a 168-35 finals winning record at a remarkable 82.8% according to stats provided by rugby league historian David Middleton. Melbourne's winning record in finals is 75-50 for a 60% strike rate.
Penrith also boast much more experience in grand finals, with 13 players winning a combined 31 from 39. Just four Storm players have featured in a decider, for a combined five victories.
Izack Tago leads the list of unbeaten Panthers in finals with seven victories, ahead of Sunia Turuva, Luke Garner and Lindsay Smith all on five.
Veteran prop Moses Leota, who has won 12 of the 15 playoff games he's played, said the formula for finals success is simple.
Match: Storm v Panthers
Grand Final -
home Team
Storm
1st Position
away Team
Panthers
2nd Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
"We just focus on doing everything right during the year," Leota told NRL.com. "We stick to the process and do whatever the team needs. If you do that throughout the whole season it becomes second nature.
"Nothing changes for us, we just do our job for the team. Come finals we've just got to do that extra bit more."
Sunday's clash with Melbourne provides arguably the stiffest test yet for the Panthers.
The Storm claimed the minor premiership four points clear of Penrith on the ladder and prevailed in their two regular season matches this year.
They also boast the most dangerous spine in the competition and the heavy favourite for the Dally M Medal, halfback Jahrome Hughes.
Panthers v Storm – Round 24, 2024
The Panthers will start as underdogs for the first time in their title reign, albeit only marginally, and they have had to overcome several hurdles throughout the year to make it to the decider.
Nathan Cleary's dodgy shoulder has been among the biggest, but the halfback has declared himself right to go and is embracing the challenge of toppling the minor premiers.
"When you get into a grand final it's always going to be a tough game," Cleary said.
"This year it's the two best teams that have made it. They have been the best team all year, they've been super consistent and showed it again on the weekend against a good Roosters team.
"It's right up there in terms of [our grand final] opponents. It's a great challenge but also a great opportunity for us."
