Once bitten, never shy. Penrith have prevailed in one of the great gruelling grand finals, with Stephen Crichton's athletic intercept proving the difference as South Sydney threatened to pinch the ultimate rear-guard premiership. The Panthers' 2020 grand final night misery at the hands of Melbourne morphed into a shoot-out, but their 14-12 triumph before 39,000 screaming Suncorp Stadium fans on Sunday night typified defence at its finest in a year where points have flown thick and fast. Redfern favourite Adam Reynolds twice had the toughest of chances – off the tee and with a 40-metre-plus, two-point field goal attempt – to pen his own farewell fairytale. Nathan Cleary's own masterclass off the boot forced all five dropouts a thrilling contest saw, kicking the Rabbitohs to the kerb and earning him the Clive Churchill Medal. But fittingly, Crichton's all or nothing play without the ball proved pivotal. Especially when Penrith were so wounded – Cleary, Dylan Edwards, James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and Brian To'o were just the injuries we know about – Ivan Cleary woke in a cold, 2am sweat on game day. "Three or four of them could be gone by 10 minutes," the coach's unhelpful midnight monologue went. At 8-all and having been that way for most all of the second half, Rabbitohs talisman Cody Walker swung left with a long ball in the 66th minute. Had it hit its mark, Alex Johnston would've been on his way. Instead it was Crichton streaking in the opposite direction, pinching the Steeden on damn near the same blade of grass that Matty Bowen burned Brett Kimmorley in the 2005 State of Origin opener. "I got hammered from the defensive coach (Cameron Ciraldo) all week," Crichton said on Nine. "Having Walker there he is one of the best in the league and eyes for the footy and space to put their players in. We did video on that during the week and I was there at the right time." "We trained for it," Cleary added. Via nrl.com