Penrith Panthers second-rower Liam Martin has claimed the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2024 NRL Grand Final.
In what was a physical contest from start to finish, the forward was in everything for the Panthers who ultimately claimed the game 14 points to 6.
Despite late controversy, Martin set up what ultimately proved to be the match-winning try with an effort play before shuffling the ball wide where winger Sunia Turuva crossed in the corner.
He also scored a try during the first half for the men from the foot of the mountains, running the ball 14 times, adding 3 offloads and also came up with 46 tackles - the second most of any Penrith player on the field.
The New South Wales Blues State of Origin representative, who has been part of all four premierships for the Panthers in their incredible run, played what may have been his best game of the season in the performance and summed it up by saying the premiership was 'surreal'.
"It's so surreal, I love you boys. Just shows the character we have to dig deep," Martin said on stage after being handed the award.
"I was gone there but to have you boys there to drag me along... and to all the fans, we do it for you, we do it for Penrith."
Martin is the first forward to win the award since Luke Lewis in 2016.
What fking joke 2m on a bunker that gets it wrong every fking game, Im done with this game. And the funny thing is didn’t care who won , but care about what fans have copped all year and every year since this bunker has been in the game. It all comes down to who the ref is in the bunker is going for, and that team wins off BS calls. Pretty sure I and every nrl fan heard Andrew johns say that was a storm try, i seen it panthers fans seen it and anybody that watched the game seen it. That BALL WAS DOWN ON THE GRASS, WHAT BS AND I HATE WHAT THE GAME IS NOW BS.