But for mine, Melbourne Storm will be doing a lap of honour on Sunday as the 2020 NRL champions.

I give Penrith a chance, definitely.

They've won 17 games in a row and suffered only one defeat (and a draw against the Knights) all year, which is awesome when you think about it.

The Panthers are young and full of confidence and have more than enough strikepower to beat any team.

But after watching both preliminary finals last weekend, I can't go pass Melbourne for my grand final tip.

The Panthers had a real battle before eliminating the Rabbitohs 20-16 in a game that went down to the wire.

There are probably two ways of looking at that result.

Firstly, Penrith scored a good, tough win and that will stand them in good stead this weekend.

Alternatively, it was such a rugged match that it will undoubtedly have sapped a lot of energy out of them. I'm leaning towards the latter, especially compared to Melbourne's build-up.

The Storm knocked Canberra out 30-10, but after scoring three tries in the first 10 minutes, they spent the rest of the game in cruise control.

Unlike the Panthers, who needed to dig deep to keep the Rabbitohs at bay, I reckon Melbourne had plenty still up their sleeve.

Given that they have played in so many grand finals over the years, I can't help thinking the Storm hold a definite advantage in experience.

Most of their players have been involved in big occasions like this and they will be accustomed to the pressure and know how to handle the pre-game nerves.

Penrith, on the other hand, have a heap of young guys who have been killing it all year and seem completely fearless. But how will they cope if they concede an early try and suddenly find themselves on the back foot, trying to regain the momentum from a ruthless Melbourne outfit?

Of course, the Cameron Smith factor will also be massive.

He's a champion player - arguably the greatest of all time. While he is yet to announce a decision, there is plenty of talk that, at 37, he is poised to hang up the boots.

Smithy has won premierships, World Cups a heap of Origin series. Very few players enjoy the luxury of winning a grand final in their last-ever game.

Smithy has the opportunity to join that exclusive club.

After all he's done in the game, I can only imagine his teammates are primed to send him off in style.

On that note, I'd like to thank all the fans who have read my column in the Herald this year.

I've really enjoyed it and look forward to catching up with you next season.