'They hung in there': Billy Slater's big grand final call after 'brave' Storm loss
Billy Slater has declared Sunday night's decider would've been a bloodbath had the Panthers come up against anyone but the Storm.
Having trailed in the first half, Penrith grinded out a 14-6 win to claim a fourth-straight premiership.
The Storm legend was full of praise for skipper Harry Grant and the rest of his old club, and said anyone else would've been pumped by 40.
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"Harry was great, 59 tackles in the middle and he was carrying a niggling calf injury into the game as well. It was a real captain's knock," he said on Nine's Today on Monday morning.
Harry Grant cut a dejected figure after full time. Getty
"I thought the Melbourne Storm were brave. Any other team would have been beaten by 30 or 40, but they hung in there.
"They just weren't quite good enough to beat the Panthers."
James Fisher-Harris, Sunia Turuva and Jarome Luai have all now joined the list of champion Panthers to leave the club for NRL rivals.
But Slater believes a fifth-straight premiership "absolutely" isn't out of the question.
"While Nathan and Ivan (Cleary) are still there leading this team, they've just had this ability to rejuvenate positions after losing star players," he said.
"Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, all these players have left over the last four years and they've been able to fill those spots with youth and developed players.
"Five is not out of the question."
Despite losing more players in the off season, Billy Slater believes the Panthers can go five-straight. Getty
Like they did against the Broncos last year, the Panthers were forced to come from behind against the Storm.
After a gripping opening period, it was the Storm who broke the deadlock through Harry Grant in the 22nd minute.
Turuva hit back for the Panthers less than five minutes later, before the Panthers hit the lead through Liam Martin to lead 10-6 at half time.
Slater said once in front, the Panthers showed why they're a "champion team".
"They've got this one champion player in Nathan Cleary, but they are a champion team across the board," he said.
"They all just lift and they apply pressure to their opposition like no one else. Once they got in front they were happy just to apply the pressure."
A former trackwork jockey, Slater owns and runs his own thoroughbred stud. He will now join Nine's coverage of the Lexus Melbourne Cup carnival.
