NRL grand final LIVE: The latest updates and scores as Penrith take on Melbourne at Accor Stadium

They are absolutely at the top so far, with less than 15 minutes to play. A nice little grubber from pivot Jack Wright put all kinds of pressure on the Jets, but they deal with it and work their way up the field.

The Jets then break down the Devils’ right wing and Simbiken makes a last-ditch tackle to keep them out.

Now there is a captain’s challenge; the Jets say their guy didn’t do it to him, but it’s not successful.

Footy fan and Souths tragic Anthony Albanese thinks it’s Panthers with four points in the decider. He also tips Nathan Cleary to win the Clive Churchill Medal, and Penrith winger Brian To’o to score the first try.

Fullback Jordan Lipp cut through Newtown’s line with ease and delivered the ball, but his teammate could not handle the somewhat wayward pass as an open tryline beckoned.

Jeremiah Simbiken pushed his way through the defense following a scrum after the Devils had been denied a try moments earlier when the video referee ruled they had been held up.

No Queensland side has won the state championship since 2015 – and if the Devils keep this up, that will change this afternoon.

Jets legend Barry Vining, the long-time club chairman who was instrumental in keeping the club alive, died while watching the Jets win the NSW Cup grand final.

A minute’s silence has just been observed for the football great, whose family said he died of a ‘heart attack of joy’ shortly after Newtown’s win.

The Newtown Jets will take on Brisbane’s Norths Devils for the State Championship, with kick-off at 1.20pm.

Newtown – billed as the oldest rugby league club in Australia – are making an appearance thanks to their NSW Cup grand final victory over North Sydney.

The Devils made it by winning the Q Cup decider against the Redcliffe Dolphins.

Accor Stadium posted this photo of the playing surface for tonight’s decider at 12pm.

A few things stand out…

Unlike the AFL grand final, the team logos are not painted on the field.

And the goals aren’t painted either.

While there are live sites for fans in Penrith, that is not the case in Melbourne.

The ABC contacted the team, Federation Square – often the site of crowded live sites for events such as the Football World Cup – home to the Storm, AAMI Park and Melbourne City Council, and found fans who didn’t make the trip to to see the game in person have been let down.

Penrith’s Scott Sorensen (pictured) has been cleared to play in the decider in great news for the squad.

The versatile attacker has been sidelined for the past month due to a hamstring injury, but can now take to the field.

“He’ll play. It’s great. Sorro has been a big part of our team the last three years,” Cleary said Saturday.

“He is a real soldier in our team.

“Everyone was quite disappointed when he got injured a few weeks ago (against Parramatta) and it looked like that was the end for him this year.”

While Cleary wouldn’t confirm which star will make way for Sorensen, it’s likely Matt Eisenhuth. He did not feature in any of the Panthers’ grand final wins despite joining the club from Wests in 2021, the year they defeated Souths to start their incredible run.

Penrith faced the same problem when they chose to stay in a hotel just meters from Accor Stadium in 2021. Some of their stars told team staff and as a result they stayed in Parramatta to avoid a repeat – but the Storm may not have been aware of that ahead of what they would face on Saturday night.

OK, advertising guru John Singleton won’t be on Battle Street when Melbourne gets the chocolates tonight – but even he’s nervous about how much he has scored on the outcome.

Channel Nine’s coverage of the decider kicked off today with league legend Brad Fittler revealing he has found the missing Johnathan Thurston ball (pictured below) used to kick the winning field goal in the 2015 decider.

De Steeden disappeared shortly after JT put him through the post to give fans one of the most dramatic finishes to a grand final ever.

“There was a guy from the NRL, Nathan McGuirk, who thought, ‘You know what, I better find that ball because that’s going to be important in the future,’” Fittler said.

“So he went behind the goal post and the stage was still there from the entertainment that year.

“He’s been fidgeting underneath and the ball is just sitting there.”

Here’s a handy guide to help you plan your bathroom breaks/barbecue duties/bottle shop and make sure you don’t miss any of the big events of the day…

• 1:00 PM: The gates of the Accor Stadium are open to the public.
• 1:20 PM: The NRL State Championship Grand Final begins: Newtown Jets vs Norths Devils.
• 3:55 PM: The NRLW Telstra Women’s Premiership Grand Final: Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks.
• 6:30 PM: The pre-game entertainment show, headlined by international star The Kid LAROI.
• 7:30 PM: The main event begins: Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers

• 9:30 PM: Post-match celebrations, including trophy presentations and individual awards.

Thanks for joining us for Daily Mail Australia’s coverage of the 2024 NRL Grand Final as Penrith attempt to become the first team since the legendary St. George side of the 1950s and 1960s to have four wins consecutive premierships.

With two high-quality curtain raisers and top-notch pre-game entertainment, it promises to be a huge day of football, culminating with the two best teams in the world facing off in a duel that seems so close on paper, even

the bookmakers have difficulty predicting a winner.