'Surreal' Clive Churchill Medal win caps off standout 2024 for Liam Martin

Liam Martin capped what was without doubt his best NRL season to date by winning the Clive Churchill Medal in the Panthers' fourth-successive grand final victory.

One of the best nigglers in the game, Martin's reaction to the announcement was more excited schoolboy than football villain. And it was brilliant.

He was mobbed by his teammates who pulled and ruffled his hair, and roughed him up with some hugs.

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By the time Martin made it up onto the stage, he looked almost overawed, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Oh, wow. So surreal," he stammered to the legions of Panthers fans who had hung around Accor Stadium to watch the presentation.

"I just want to congratulate Storm on a fantastic year. I've got the utmost respect for you guys. You're just there every year.

"To our boys, I love you so much. Just shows the character we have to dig deep.

"I was gone then, but to have you boys drag me along, I adore you guys.

"The fans, just love you guys. Thank you so much. We do it for you. We do it for Penrith. Love youse."

Put into a hole by Nathan Cleary, Martin scored a crucial try in the shadows of half time to give the Panthers a momentum boost into the break.

As his teammates flocked to celebrate, Martin took a moment to give Storm young gun Jack Howarth a massive spray.

He also made a stunning grab that led to what would be the game-winning try for Paul Alamoti on the hour mark.

It caps off a stunning year for the 27-year-old, who played a key role in the Blues' Origin series win – including that try in game three at Suncorp Stadium.

"I can't believe it. It is dream come true with this bunch. I'm still pinching myself. Can't believe it," he'd earlier told Paul Gallen on Nine's coverage.

"That was tough. That was so hard but we kept turning up for one another – that is the character of the boys we have here. So special to be part of a group like this."

Storm legend Billy Slater said Martin was "thoroughly deserving" of the medal.

"He was exceptional ... he's all effort. He's just one of those players that you'd love to play alongside," he said on Nine's Today on Monday morning.

"He will never let you down. There was even one time during the game that one of the trainers was trying to get him off to have a rest, and he refused to come off the field.

"He's just one of those players that's always in the picture, and he put himself in enough pictures last night to get himself a try, and also set up another.

"He thoroughly deserved the Clive Churchill Medal and I'm sure he's still celebrating."