Penrith Panthers

Australia

Founded

1966

Arena

CommBank Stadium · 22,500 cap

The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. The team is based 55 km west of the centre of Sydney and at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The Panthers were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition in 1967. Penrith struggled for almost twenty years before finally reaching their first finals series. The club achieved its first Grand Final appearance in 1990 but were beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18–14. The following year the Panthers met the Raiders again in the 1991 Grand Final, this time winning the game 19–12. Penrith's most recent premiership achievement was over the Sydney Roosters in the 2003 Grand Final where Penrith were considered underdogs but came out on top with an 18–6 victory. Ivan Cleary has been the head coach of the team since 2012. For the 2014 NRL season, Peter Wallace and Kevin Kingston are co-captains. Sports media personality Phil Gould is the club's manager of football operations. OAK Milk has been their major sponsor since 2012.

Melbourne Storm

Australia

Founded

1997

Arena

AAMI Park · 30,050 cap

Melbourne Storm is an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Melbourne, Victoria that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, they entered the competition in 1998. Melbourne Storm was originally a Super League initiative and created in 1997 during the Super League war. The club plays its home games at AAMI Park. The Storm has won two premierships since its inception, in 1999 and 2012, and has contested several more grand finals. A salary cap breach discovered in 2010 saw the club stripped of two titles by the NRL. Melbourne Storm also competes in the NRL's Under-20s competition and has done since its first season in 2008.