Predicted Finish: 2nd
Actual Finish: 2nd
Every season I predict that the Storm are going to fall. This year I learned my lesson and was, for once, spot on. Cameron Smith is ageless, Cam Munster is elite while their young fullback emerged as a genuine superstar in 2020. This was perhaps their best win yet.
3. Star Player
Ryan Papenhuyzen
The next genuine megastar emerged in 2020 in the form of Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen. The Clive Churchill Medalist had a season to remember and came within a whisker of making his Origin debut.
Across his 20 games in 2020 he scored 11 tries, including a super important one in the Grand Final, made 15 line breaks, laid on 15 try assists, made 70 tackle breaks and ran for just under 195 metres per game.
This kid is a genuine freak and shown by his try from the scrum in the decider, can tear anyone apart from anywhere on the field.
I'd be shocked if he's not in the Dally M discussion next year. What a season!
As much as Penrith may have been given in the second of the grand final. The Storm were given every decision their way in the first half. To make sure that they won. Sure, there were some glaring mistakes that Penrith made themselves in the first half.
Why did the Storm have to get all the first half decisions their way to make sure they won? Who knows ? Ask the NRL that one .