Penrith defeated Craig Bellamy's side 14-6 in Sunday's grand final, claiming their fourth-straight premiership at Accor Stadium and solidifying their status as the most dominant team of the NRL era.
Along their way to a quartet of titles, the Panthers had seen off South Sydney, Parramatta and Brisbane in grand finals.
But Melbourne appeared to represent their biggest threat.
The Storm finished the regular season top of the ladder and had won their previous two finals games 37-10 and 48-18.
Melbourne's new awesome foursome - hooker Harry Grant, halfback Jahrome Hughes, five-eighth Cameron Munster and fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen - had finally regained full fitness and had begun to show signs they could deliver the club's first premiership of the post-Cameron Smith era.
Ryan Papenhuyzen was another not allowed to flourish by the Panthers' defence. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
The Storm had been so good at the back end of the year that, even accounting for the absence of suspended man mountain Nelson Asofa-Solomona, they began as favourites with bookmakers.
But if Penrith have proven anything over the past four years it is that they know how to find a weakness and exploit it.
Melbourne matched the Panthers' physicality for the opening quarter of the match before Grant crossed to score the first try of the night.
After Grant's 23rd minute opener, however, the Panthers were relentless, doing what they have done to all comers, grinding their rivals into submission.
Not a single Storm forward posted more than 100m and without Asofa-Solomona they missed a big body to match Penrith's relentless middle.
That prevented Melbourne's star spine from ever really exerting themselves on the game.
Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes was kept in check by a desperate Penrith side. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)
Hughes, named Dally M medallist earlier in the week, could only contribute with clearing last-tackle kicks which were taken with ease and returned with vigour by Penrith's back three.
Most of Munster's work came by cleaning up after his teammates while Papenhuyzen rarely got the chance to hit open space because Penrith's kick-chase went after him time and again.
While Munster and Grant had a few promising darts downfield as the Storm tried to play catch-up, the rest of their teammates were out on their feet.
Late in the game, and with back-rower Luke Garner defending in the centres, Melbourne had the chance to go to the Panthers' right edge but inexplicably attacked the left.
It was a sure sign that they had been suffocated by the Penrith boa constrictor.
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