Manly put Melbourne to the sword - and stab them repeatedly .

The centenary domestic season came to an end on Sunday as Manly thrashed Melbourne 40-0 to become premiers for the first time since 1996. Brent Kite received the Clive Churchill medal after a domineering performance that saw Melbourne being pegged back time and time again. In my opinion, hat-trick hero Micheal Robertson should have collected it for himself. How often do you score a hat trick on Grand Final night? But there is no point in lingering over it, especially as any of the Manly seventeen could have easily done the same.

Although the scoreline didn't really reflect the story of the game, Manly were without a doubt the better side. At half time, the scoreline of 8-0 in Manly's favour and richly deserved. They battled on as a team and produced a well worked try that sent in Robertson for his first of the game. But as Phil Gould said on the Channel Nine telecast, the intensity in that first forty was little short of Origin standard. And it was brutal, but fair.

Specail mention is Irael Folou who was the Storm's only player who stood out. He was able to burst past Steve Matai twice in the game which Melbourne, on any other day, would have capitalised and scored. Not on Sunday. Not when Manly were as good as they were.

Matt Orford was worthy of a test jersey. As was Brett Stewart, David Williams, Glenn Stewart and Matt Ballin.

I feel for the person or people who will have to hand either Billy Slater or Brett Stewart that number one shirt. I believe it should go to Stewart, although thats not to say Slater didn't try. Slater himself had a pretty consistent game, but Stewart really did step up a gear. Twice he threw obscure passes that went straight to hand to give Robertson his first from between the legs of stewart, and a back-door pass to send Williams in with roughly ten minutes remaining.

So another season over for the NRL. And as ever, it hasn't lacked drama, works of genius and a little bit of magic.