Nathan Cleary says there is little more Penrith can do to prove it is the best team of the NRL era after his side claimed its fourth-straight premiership.

Panthers players celebrated their 14-6 grand final win over Melbourne long into Sunday night, festivities at Synday’s Accor Stadium continuing until well after midnight.

Their fourth consecutive title made the Panthers the first team to achieve the feat in almost 60 years, when the great St George side won the last of its 11 straight in 1966.

South Sydney also won five straight between 1925 and 1929, as the only other team in the game’s history to have claimed at least four titles on the trot.

Making Penrith’s feat more remarkable is that, since the salary cap was introduced in 1990, only Brisbane (1992-23) and the Sydney Roosters (2018-19) have won back-to-back titles.

Asked how the title of being the best team of the NRL era sat with him, Cleary suggested that was undisputed.

“In the NRL era, definitely. I don’t think there’s much more we can do,” the Penrith halfback said.

“That Dragons team back then was an amazing term and achieved an amazing feat. But in terms of the NRL era, yeah, it’s pretty crazy.

“We have lost great players along this journey, and we’re going to lose more next year, but we just keep finding a way, people just step up.

“Paul Alamoti he’s come in and losing Critta (Stephen Crichton) then Taylan May, and now he’s up on the big stage just absolutely carving up.

“It’s special to have that culture and just bring people in, and they just do their job and probably exceed it, to be honest.”

Penrith players pile on after the final whistle blows. Photo: Getty

Cleary’s comments came as Andrew Johns declared in Nine’s commentary that Penrith’s achievements would likely never be repeated.

While the Panthers won late against South Sydney in 2021, dominated Parramatta in 2022 and pulled off a miracle comeback against the Broncos in 2023, they were forced to grind out Sunday’s win.

They dominated possession and territory, but were often engaged in long periods of arm wrestles throughout the match.

The game was also full of drama, with Melbourne star Cameron Munster forced to deny an alleged bite on Alamoti and Storm players upset over a no-try call in the second half.

Replays had initially suggested Jack Howarth had scored to make it 10-10. The NRL was adamant after the game the bunker had been right to rule he was held up.

Still, a fifth title looms as Penrith’s greatest challenge, given the impending departures of two of its most crucial players in prop James Fisher-Harris and five-eighth Jarome Luai.

Asked what he would have thought had someone told him Penrith would win four on the bounce, Cleary smiled.

“I would’ve said you’re mad,” he said.

“There’s definitely a belief there, but it’s just exceeded all the dreams and expectations.

“But I think the beauty of it has just been staying present through the lot, just enjoying the journey that we’re on, ticking off one after the other.

“It’s just been an incredible ride, and one that we’re still on – and we still want to keep achieving more things.”

Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary raise the trophy. Photo: Getty

Lesson from pain: Bellamy

Craig Bellamy wants Melbourne to use the fuel of a grand final defeat to the all-conquering Panthers as a springboard to its first premiership of the post-Cameron Smith era.

The legendary Storm coach conceded after Sunday’s defeat that his side lacked the punch of Nelson Asofa-Solomona in matching the Panthers in the middle of the field.

Asofa-Solomona will return to the Storm side next season after serving the remaining four games of his NRL suspension. His intimidating presence will be complemented by the acquisition of prop Stefano Utoikamanu from Wests Tigers.

Penrith’s march to four-straight premierships was fuelled by the 2020 grand final loss to the Storm. Bellamy hoped that, with time, his troops can flip the script and ensure they are the ones lifting the title at the end of the season.

“Hopefully we’ll be wiser for tonight,” Bellamy said.

“We can learn a few things and I don’t think we’re going to lose too many of our squad.

“There’s a theory you have to lose one to win one, because at the end of the day we were outplayed.

“They stuck to what they know they’re good at and they were just that little bit better than us.”

Not a single Storm forward made north of 100 metres and without its spiritual forward leader in Asofa-Solomona, Melbourne struggled to contain the Penrith pack.

“We did miss him, without a doubt,” Bellamy said.

“I’d be lying if I said we didn’t miss him because we were struggling to make metres early and that’s one of his real strengths.”

Captain Harry Grant, meanwhile, said the Storm was shown how to handle the big moments by the Panthers.

“We’ve had an incredible season and I think we learned how hard it is to get here over the last few years,” Grant said.

“We thoroughly enjoyed this week, but we probably learned what this week’s all about and what it takes to take your game to the next level.

“Once you do get here, it’s even harder to win and it just goes to show Penrith for the ‘been here, done it’.

“You’ve got to give them a lot of credit and a lot of respect for what they’ve done over the past four or five years.

“For our guys, this was the biggest game of our careers, so that’s a real lesson.

“We’re keeping our squad together. We’re adding to our squad and we’ll be more experienced and better for the run next season.”