Penrith Panthers beat Brisbane Broncos to win 3rd consecutive NRL grand final with record comeback

SYDNEY (AP) — The Penrith Panthers produced the biggest comeback in National Rugby League grand final history as it rallied from 16 points down late in the second half to beat the Brisbane Broncos 26-24 for its third consecutive title on Sunday.

The twice-defending champions Penrith led 8-6 at halftime, but the Broncos ran riot at the start of the second half with Ezra Mam scoring a hat-trick of tries inside ten minutes to help the Broncos build what appeared to be a match-winning 24-8 lead and on their way to a first title since 2006.

But with less than 20 minutes remaining star halfback Nathan Clearly, who received the Clive Churchill medal as man-of-the-match, dramatically turned the game on its head by creating three Panthers tries to snatch victory in the final moments. The 16-point comeback surpasses the Melbourne Storm's 14-point rally in 1999.

Penrith are the first team to win three consecutive grand finals since the Parramatta Eels in 1981-83 and only the sixth team to complete the feat in the 115-year history of the competition.

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