The 82,415 screaming fans witnessed one of the toughest games of the season, with the Panthers taking home the coveted NRL grand final trophy after scoring five tries to two.
The Eels put on a gallant performance but the Panthers blistering display kept them scoreless until the last five minutes when captain Clint Gutherson and Jake Arthur crossed over to make it 28-12.
Proud Eels coach Brad Arthur offered no excuses, saying the Panthers put on a strong first half performance, “they played too fast”.
“They’re a very good team and they played very well. We’re disappointed,” he said.
“It’s a tough road to get here and maybe the tough road took its toll on us but it’s a big achievement.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got 80 minutes of a lifetime and we can’t be looking for excuses, we were just beaten by a better team.
“We had to scramble and fight to get to this position… I’m extremely proud,” he said.
Gutherson said the Eels had many doubters and “not many people gave us a chance to get here”.
“Super proud” of the team, he said “we stayed in it until the end”.
“Someone has to lose and unfortunately it was us.”
In the NRLW grand final, the Eels started strong and scored first but a determined Newcastle turned the tables to win their maiden premiership 32-12.
Title slips away
PARRAMATTA fans were left heartbroken after Penrith’s dominant 28-12 victory in Sunday’s Grand Final in front of a packed Accor Stadium.