Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen has won the Clive Churchill Medal for the best player on the field during the 2020 Grand Final.
The 22-year-old Storm fullback finished the game with over 200 metres from his 19 carries, including a long-range try.
"This is unbelievable, Iโm pretty speechless and emotional," Papenhuyzen said during his acceptance speech for the prestigious award.
"Thanks to the boys, we didnโt know where we were going all year.
"Itโs been a great year playing with these boys and thanks to Penrith, 17 wins in a row is a great achievement.
"Itโs a tough time in Victoria at the moment and we wear the V with pride."
Lil Papi!
Monster game @ryanpapenhuyzen ๐๐ผ#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/JkY1m6wqc7
— NRL (@NRL) October 25, 2020
The refs did their best to get the Riff the win but they just weren’t good enough.
Beaten once all season and that was by Parra. The Riff didn’t lose another game all year until the GF…………GOLD!
If your not first your last.
See you next year Riff!!!!!! ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
mreel, the refs actually helped the Storm, and we did better than what your pathetic team did.
Refs dished that one up for storm in the first 30. Now that weโve hooked 6 melbournians for another few years hope we can have some more fair dinkum comps. Well done to melbournes WWF champions. Last night they were pure perfection in slowing the ruck.
Hard to stomach what Craig Bellamy has turned the game into. But I guess the NRL loves it when they win.
All talk after the event mreel.
Even with all of your eels buys on top of buys. Many of them Panthers. Your eels havenโt been good enough to make a GF in how long?
They wonโt be making one next season either.
Even if Penrith donโt ? At least it didnโt take them try after try , buy after buy to attempt to make a GF. So I think that already puts them in front of your Panther bought Eels.
To many mistakes from the Panthers & not a lot of luck in the first half . So well done to the experienced team in finals, Melbourne .
By the way mreel.
Minor Premiers may not be much. Still 17 Wins in a row & Minor Premiers. Also something that your Panther Eels wonโt be achieving any time soon,