NRL 2023: Penrith Panthers’ historic three-peat bid is on after Melbourne Storm bloodbath
Storm coach Craig Bellamy says the Broncos or Warriors will need to take Penrith to “a place where they don’t go too often” if they’re any hope of stopping a historic three-peat.
The three-peat is on.
And whoever wins Saturday night’s preliminary final between Brisbane and New Zealand needs to be prepared to take Penrith to “a place where they don’t go too often” if there is any hope of preventing the Panthers storming to a third straight NRL premiership.
That’s the opinion of Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, who could only watch on as the Panthers performed a 38-4 demolition job on the Storm before a crowd of 35,578 at Accor Stadium on Friday night.
Bellamy thought the Storm had the game plan in place to challenge Penrith, and did so by creating several first-half chances. But execution let them down as they bombed all but one of them.
Chasing a fourth consecutive grand final appearance, the Panthers did it in a canter to set up a grand final showdown with the winner of Saturday night’s preliminary final between Brisbane and the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium.
It was all too easy for the premiers. So comprehensive and hassle free was the victory, Penrith were able to pull five-eighth Jarome Luai off the field midway through the second half to protect his ailing shoulder.
STOPPING THE JUGGERNAUT
Bellamy conceded a “relentless” Panthers outfit left the Storm fatigued. But not before they gave themselves the opportunity to cause a boilover, potentially providing the blueprint for either the Broncos or Warriors to test their grand final rivals.
“I was really happy with our first half with the amount of opportunities we created. They’re a really good defensive side,” Bellamy said.
“I haven’t seen many teams create that many opportunities but we blew the lot, except for one.
“If either the Warriors or Broncos can create those chances and finish them, then you’re putting them into a place where they don’t go too often.
“The theory sounds easy, and it is, but the doing it is the hard part because they are so good at what they do.”
Parramatta managed the feat in round 26, winning 32-18 as they adopted an expansive style of play that took it to Penrith.
But the margin for error is slim, and has been narrowing over the years.
“They’re quite relentless in what they do. They’re very confident in what they do,” Bellamy said.
“Their big players, I thought, played strongly. But it wasn’t their best games.
“But the other 13 or 14 in that squad, they played to 95 per cent, and that’s what they do every week.
They’re so good at knowing what works for them. Everyone knows what their job is, but they are that consistent in doing their own job.
“They’ve always played their footy that way.
“They’re probably getting better at it if they’re getting more consistent at it.”
CHASING HISTORY
No doubt, the Panthers will fancy their chances against the Broncos or the Warriors. With good reason too. Penrith have won five of their past six games against Brisbane and their past eight against the Warriors.
Then again, the opponent wouldn’t necessarily matter given the way Penrith are playing at the moment as they moved within 80 minutes of becoming the first side since the NRL’s inception in 1998 to claim a third consecutive premiership.
They were already in the debate over the greatest team of the NRL era. A third title in as many years would end the discussion once and for all. Penrith would claim the crown.
“It is so hard to make any grand final,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.
“For this group and this year and just the season we have had, to go out and deliver that performance … I am very, very proud of everyone at the club and looking forward to next week.”
His son, superstar halfback Nathan Cleary, added: “It has been a fun ride and it is continuing to go.”
Only a fool would bet against them.
SURGICAL PRECISION
They came into Friday night’s game with a question mark over the shoulder of Luai and carrying the heavy weight of favouritism.
Neither affected them as they put the Storm to the sword.
The lead-up to the game had largely been dominated by talk over the fitness of Luai, who dislocated his shoulder in the penultimate round of the regular season.
There was talk he was putting his health at risk by playing against the Storm but he wasted no time easing those concerns as he scythed down a hard charging Marion Seve in the opening minutes.
The Storm tried targeting Luai, forcing him to make 14 tackles, of which he only missed one.
“He’s very courageous. Not just physically, but mentally, the way he’s approached this injury,” Ivan Cleary said.
Luai got an early mark in the 58th minute, and now has some crucial game time under his belt, the confidence of knowing his shoulder passed its first major test, and nine days to recover for the grand final.
Penrith have one of the key parts of their premiership machine back at the right time, when it will take a monumental effort to prevent them holding up the Provan-Summons Trophy for a third straight time.
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