Countless hours at training spent obsessing over their defensive structures led to Stephen Crichton's "wow" moment that proved the difference between an NRL premiership and a second year of heartbreak.
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Scores were locked at 8-8 with 14 minutes to play and Penrith, beaten favourites in last year's decider, were pressing but unable to land the killer blow against South Sydney.
Cody Walker had already produced one moment of individual brilliance, fending Nathan Cleary as he beat four Panthers to score the Rabbitohs' first-half try.
The five-eighth was looking for another highlight reel moment, flinging the ball long and wide about 40 metres out from his line.
Crichton held his nerve, timed his run and picked off the pass to score the go-ahead try that ultimately secured the club's third NRL title and first since 2003.
Souths found a reply soon after but Adam Reynolds missed the sideline conversion and then also left his last-ditch two-point field goal attempt short.
Crichton's good sense to swing around closer to the posts was ultimately the difference for the eventual premiers.
"It was a defensive read, I'd seen the ball there and we'd done video throughout the week and I just knew Walker has that short ball and that long ball so I just tried to sit in between it and it pulled off," Crichton said.
"Everything was going so fast, I thought (Souths hooker Damien Cook) Cooky was going to catch me.
"I was heading to the sideline but I knew I had to make the kick a bit easier for Clez (Nathan Cleary).
"Everything happened so fast. I was too tired to scream."
Crichton, still just 21, had been training at fullback while No.1 Dylan Edwards nursed his fractured foot through the finals series.
"That play, wow," Nathan Cleary said.
"That just sums him up to a tee. He is ready for the big moments.
"You forget he is 21 years old and to come up with a play like that.
"He won us the game and he has barely played in his natural position all year, at centre."
Coach Ivan Cleary knew his side's defence - they conceded less than 12 points per game during the regular season for the second-straight year - would be the difference.
"Our edge guys have practised that situation I don't know how many times, every single week," he said.
"We trained for it and when it comes off in the big moments ... it was a beautiful moment.
"It was a big moment, that was gold."
Australian Associated Press
