2016 NRL Grand Final
| 2016 NRL Grand Final | |||||||||||||
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| Date | 2 October 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | ANZ Stadium | ||||||||||||
| Location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Clive Churchill Medal |
 Luke Lewis
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| Australian National anthem | Dami Im | ||||||||||||
| Referees | Matt Cecchin, Ben Cummins | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 83,625 | ||||||||||||
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The 2016 NRL Grand Final was a rugby league match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to determine the premiers of the National Rugby League for the 2016 season. The match was held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Sunday 2 October. The Sharks won the match 14–12 in a tight contest before 83,625 spectators, earning the club its first premiership title in their 50-year history. They also became the last of nine Sydney-based teams to win a premiership. Cronulla forward Luke Lewis was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player on ground.
The match was preceded by the 2016 National Youth Competition Grand Final and the 2016 NRL State Championship. Pre-match entertainment was headlined by Keith Urban and former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora with Orianthi. The match was broadcast live throughout in Australia by the Nine Network.
The Melbourne Storm qualified for their sixth grand final in ten years after appearing in the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012 deciders, although their only recognised premiership was in 2012 after their 2007 and 2009 titles were withheld due to systemic salary cap breaches. Only coach Craig Bellamy and halfback Cooper Cronk have been involved on each occasion. The Cronulla Sutherland Sharks had never won a grand final in the club's preceding 49 seasons, with their last grand final appearance in a unified competition being in 1978 when they lost to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles through a grand final replay. The Sharks had also appeared in the 1997 Super League grand final, losing to the Brisbane Broncos. The last time Melbourne and Cronulla had faced each other in a finals series was in 2008 when the Storm denied the Sharks with a decisive 28-0 win to claim a spot against the Sea Eagles in the grand final.
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