Whatever happens from here, the team will never be the same. But Penrith fans know how lucky we’ve been

I remember how it began. High in the nosebleeds, cold concrete on my back, head in my hands, the players marching off for half-time, the 2020 NRL grand final already over, the dream dead.

You don’t become a fan by celebrating success. Every true fandom is forged in the fire of heartbreak. We had seen our fair share. We had lived through the fallow years. We had come close before. At that moment, it felt as if we were watching the end. Another near miss. The one thing we knew then was that opportunities like these do not come easily. You never know when you will be back here.