After 50 long years the Cronulla Sharks finally earned the right to call themselves premiers following a thrilling two-point win over the Storm. A set scrum play saw skipper Paul Gallen put Ben Barba over for the game's only first half try in the 15th minute. Melbourne looked home and hosed after Jesse Bromwich and Will Chambers scored second half tries. That was until Andrew Fifita took the game by the scruff of the neck. Fifita's charging four-pointer was almost matched late through Will Chambers but the Sharks held on. That included a frantic final 90 seconds where the Storm threw everything at the Sharks to no avail. Luke Lewis was named Clive Churchill Medallist, 13 years after he won his first grand final at the Panthers.
Grand Final Result:
Sharks 14 defeated Storm 12 to claim the 2016 NRL Telstra Premiership
Top five stories:
1. Cronk and Taumalolo win Dally M Medal by Staff Writers
2. Sharks win first-ever NRL premiership by Chris Kennedy
3. NRL Rookie reject takes centre stage by Tony Webeck
4. Storm v Sharks: Schick Grand Final Preview by Chris Kennedy
5. 2016 Grand Final: Sharks player ratings by Jack Brady
Top three videos:
1. Storm v Sharks grand final highlights
3. Sharks grand final press conference