After four rounds of rugby league, this is the cumulative scorecard: Panthers 140 have defeated the Broncos, Sharks, Roosters and Eels 30.
This from a team that, during its storied run, generally eases into its work. Their approach tends to mirror that of Gout Gout; conservative out of the blocks, accelerate at the mid-point of the race and then explode through the finish line.
But this season has been like no other. Penrith has started their campaign hotter than a rock from the sun, and Parramatta was the latest team scorched. The western derby effectively ended as a contest not long after it started.
The game was only half over and already the records were tumbling. The 30 points to their credit was the most Penrith have ever scored against their great rivals, and by full-time it marked the first time they have ever opened a campaign with four victories of 20-plus points. Overall, it is the third-best start – on the score of for-and-against – for any team to a season ever.
Whether it was Moses Leota tormenting the Eels like he did in the 2022 grand final, Nathan Cleary kicking them while they’re down or Tom Jenkins finishing it all off, this was a veritable rugby league clinic. The winger couldn’t force his way into the top 17 two years ago. Now he has 10 tries in four games.
It wasn’t only the scoreboard that was ugly. For the second time within six days, a star Eel was incapacitated by a hip-drop tackle. Fullback Isaiah Iongi played no further part after Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny got his challenge awfully wrong early in the second half, with the Eels suspecting Iongi had suffered a suspected syndismosis injury. Referee Todd Smith deemed the tackle “dangerous”, placed it on report and sent Kenny to the sin bin.
The dummy half will almost certainly spend time on the sidelines, but it will be cold comfort after J’maine Hopgood’s season was also ended by a hip-drop. Parramatta’s depth in the outside backs was already tested due to the departure of Zac Lomax and the unavailability of Will Penisini and Jordan Samrani. Just when it seemed it couldn’t get any worse, Matt Doorey suffered a suspected ACL too.
The story of the night, however, was Penrith’s hot form. Up against the worst defensive team in the game, they punched holes at will. Penrith won the majority of the play-the-balls, their short-side raids were perfectly executed and on the rare occasions their line was broken, the cover always covered.
The best exemplar was Brian To’o knocking the ball out of Josh Addo-Carr’s hands, just as “The Foxx” appeared destined to gather a grubber and score.
“It’s definitely a good start,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.
“We have been quite deliberate about a few things we believe in. There’s been a slight change to our play as well, there’s been a bit of natural evolution, the chemistry we’ve put in the team.
“We’re also fortunate that we’re putting a relatively similar team on the field each week.
“The boys are going out there enjoying themselves, they’re relaxed. Things are going our way at the moment.”
It begs the question, one posed earlier than usual: who is going to stop the Panthers?
While Parramatta offered little resistance, Penrith’s three other scalps to date were considered genuine contenders. The NRL season is the most gruelling in world sport, where complacency, form slumps and injuries play their part. It also used to be the most unpredictable, but already there is a feeling of inevitability about what is to come.
Perhaps resistance will finally come on Thursday night in the form of the Melbourne Storm. But presently, the only team that appears capable of beating the Panthers is themselves.