From Las Vegas to Parramatta, Bathurst, Mudgee and Brisbane, the Penrith Panthers will certainly clock up the kilometres as they traverse the country – and the world – in their quest for a fifth straight Premiership this year.
Ivan Cleary’s men are the team without a home this season – waiting for their plush new stadium to be built in Penrith in time for the 2027 NRL season – and it will present a unique and new challenge for a side that has overcome plenty during this incredible Premiership run.
There are many unanswered questions about this new campaign.
The lack of home ground is just one of them.
For the first time in a number of seasons, there is a little bit of uncertainty around Penrith’s spine – with Jarome Luai’s departure opening the door for rising star Jack Cole, or new recruit Blaize Talagi, to wear the number six jumper alongside Nathan Cleary.
There is general acceptance Talagi will ultimately be the man, but you don’t just walk into this Penrith side – which is why some believe Cole will be given first shot when Ivan Cleary names his side for the opening round clash against Cronulla in Las Vegas.
The Panthers also have to fill the void left by James Fisher-Harris’ departure to the Warriors.
Moses Leota will of course step up and lead the way, with Lindsay Smith set to be promoted into the number 10 jumper as a starting prop. Smith had a sensational year last year, ultimately earning national representation for Australia, and at 25-years-old he may just be ready to peak. Just how good a season Smith has could be crucial to Penrith’s chances.
The Panthers have been fortunate in recent years that despite injuries and suspensions, the loss of playmaker Nathan Cleary for long stretches during the regular season has not had a significant impact on the end result.
In fact, it could be argued that the unexpected breaks handed to Cleary kept him refreshed and focused – both mentally and physically.
But this year, I’m not sure Penrith will be so fortunate should Cleary go down. I don’t think there’s been a more important year for Cleary to stay healthy and out of trouble, particularly with Luai no longer there to pick up the slack in his absence.
Crucial too will be Cleary’s co-captain Isaah Yeo. He had the best individual year of his career in 2024, a season where almost everything went right and his status in the game entered another stratosphere.
But can he keep it going? Yeo will be 31 this year and while he’s showed no signs of slowing down, you have to wonder if the long, grueling seasons will take their toll.
Of course the reward for those long campaigns is multiple Premiership rings, and that brings us to the question asked about this Penrith team every year: How will they stay motivated?
The question, while still around, has faded in prominence somewhat this year because the Panthers have consistently answered that query over the past few years. They simply get better, and if not better, more confident in their systems and structure.
You don’t win four Premierships by chance. You don’t perform at such an elite level for such a long period of time thanks to pure luck. This systematic success, unprecedented in the NRL era, comes from hard work and dedication – and not a single Panther has been afraid to put that in during the Premiership run.
Ivan Cleary will be hoping the likes of Nathan Cleary, Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Moses Leota and Mitch Kenny can keep that culture alive. Hoping that Liam Martin’s ability to find that extra bit of energy in last year’s Grand Final when it was needed most will rub off on some youngsters.
Because the reality is that if the standards slip, so do Penrith’s chances.
One significant x-factor this year could be the arrival of Isaiah Papali’i, who offers Penrith a mobile second-row option they probably haven’t had since Viliame Kikau was tearing up opposition players. That’s if he can find his Parramatta form from a few years ago.
A fifth Premiership? Unthinkable, some may say, but those same people would have made that claim about 2023, and even going back-to-back in 2022. You write off Penrith at your peril, it’s that simple. And if you haven’t learned that yet, look in the mirror and I’ll show you a fool.
This will be a difficult road, particularly given the travel challenges, but if any team could meet those challenges head-on, it’s Penrith.
So let’s get to Sin City, let’s keep enjoying the ride, and let’s absolutely lap up the challenge of defending the title yet again – in the midst of an era none of us will ever forget.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.