The Penrith Panthers find themselves in a very unique position as three time Premiers of the National Rugby League. They know they have a squad that can win the Grand Final, and their team is still fairly young compared to most NRL clubs.
They have a side that will have to navigate having a number of State Of Origin players called up mid season, they will rely on their tremendous depth and junior development system to get through certain game, but unlike most teams in the NRL, their goal is to just be set for September. Nothing else really matters.
That means that when a keystone player in their side like Nathan Cleary has a hamstring issue, they will look to give him longer than he probably needs to have it completely healed up and ready to go. Players won’t be rushed back into the team ahead of time when not fully recovered from injury. The risks of longer term injuries are just not worth it. There’s no need to chase wins in April, its all about September.
Despite their less than ideal start to the 2024 NRL season the Panthers look the goods once again. Its just a matter of getting to the finals and being in one piece when the whips start cracking.
Unlike most clubs, the Panthers look like they will cruise to a top four place on the NRL ladder by seasons end. Even a terribly disappointing regular season for them would see them maybe finish as low as being in the top 6 clubs in the league by the time the finals start.
The Panthers won’t be too focused on the minor premiership, and even home field advantage in the NRL finals series will be a bonus that would just add to their finals run.
This is a club that knows, at least 3 wins in the NRL finals is all they need. Maybe 4 at most. They have the squad to make that happen, and very few other teams in the NRL can really, honestly say that.
