‘Get their acts together’: Glaring problem with rest of NRL can allow a Panthers five-peat

The Panthers won their fourth-straight premiership on Sunday and one league legend believes Ivan Cleary’s juggernaut aren’t slowing down.

NRL 2024 GF Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers - Nathan Cleary Isaah Yeo, celeb. Picture: NRL Photos

The Panthers won their fourth-straight premiership on Sunday and one league legend believes Ivan Cleary’s juggernaut aren’t slowing down, with a fifth title on the horizon.

Penrith beat the Storm 14-6 at Accor Stadium, going into the grand final as outsiders against Craig Bellamy’s red-hot Melbourne outfit.

It was the first time in six decades a team was able to win four premierships in-a-row and the first in the NRL era, with the last being the legendary St George outfit who won 11 straight between 1956-66.

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But could the Panthers take home a fifth in 2025? Gorden Tallis believes so.

“When sides went back-to-back, that was rare air and we would put those teams up on a pedestal, and when they won three we said ‘they can’t win four’,” Tallis said.

“Well I think they can get five, I really do. The way they lose their players and are able to reinvent themselves just enough.

“They bring different players in and it just brings a little extra... they still have got enough there.”

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield echoed Tallis’ opinion, pointing to the lack of quality outside the top eight.

Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo take the trophy. Picture: NRL Photos

The veteran reporter was of the belief there was only a handful of teams who could possibly beat the Panthers, let alone best them when it matters most in a grand final.

However, Penrith could face a tough ask replacing outgoing duo Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris who leave gaping holes at the crucial five-eighth and prop positions.

“I love Fisher-Harris and I don’t like seeing dynasties, and Jarome Luai is a great, great five-eighth,” Rothfield said.

“Having said that, why Penrith can continue is I don’t see a lot of rise in the other 16 clubs which I think is a little bit disappointing.

“The Roosters I can’t see them rising next year, I wouldn’t be surprised by the Storm again. The Bulldogs, can they go better than the freakish year they had?

“We are critical, and some people have said it was boring because it’s Melbourne and Penrith.... considering the opposition, they can still win five.

“I think there’s a lot of poorly managed organisations in this competition and they need to get their acts together and they need to stride to become (better).”

While Luai and Fisher-Harris are big losses, the Panthers have proven in the past they can replace outgoing stars.

The likes of Api Koroisau, Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau have all also departed at different stages of the club’s four years of dominance.

And The Australian’s Brent Read believes the club’s 2025 recruits will be ready to fill the latest voids left by departures.

“I would say you lose Luai, you have bought Blaize Talagi who is one of the best young kids in the game,” Read said.

“They lose Fisher-Harris, they have bought Isaiah Papali’i but we’ve seen Lindsay Smith get named in the Kangaroos side today, so he’s an emerging star.

“They just bring blokes through to replace the guys who are leaving.”

Originally published as ‘Get their acts together’: Glaring problem with rest of NRL can allow a Panthers five-peat