The Penrith Panthers are currently on top of the NRL ladder in a dominant position after winning the first 11 games of this season and it will be a shock if they don’t go 12 from 12 after playing the bottom-placed Bulldogs this weekend.
They have been dominant all across the park and are looking unbeatable at the moment. The Panthers have been electric on attack and are a brick wall on defence.
But are they on track for the greatest NRL season of all time? Let’s look at a few categories to decide.
Winning record
The Panthers are currently 11 from 11 in the 2021 season, having beaten a few lightweights but also a couple of heavyweights, including the Storm, in their first 11 games.
Only the Manly Sea Eagles of 1995 had a better start to the season, starting off 15-0. The Panthers have a fantastic chance of starting the season 14-0 with match-ups against the bottom-feeding Bulldogs, Wests Tigers and Sharks in the next three match-ups.
Looking past this, they have two match-ups with both the Roosters and the Eels to go and one more match against the Storm. These will be their toughest opponents over the second half of the season and will be the teams that may stop them from going 24-0.
The last time we had an undefeated season was St George in 1959, so it has been a long time between drinks.
How far can Ivan take Penrith in 2021? (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Attack
The 2001 Parramatta Eels scored the most points in a season ever with 943 points. That works out as an average of 32.5 points per game.
Currently, the Panthers have scored 364 points on the season, which averages out to 33 points per game. They are on track to smash the record held by Parramatta and with a game up next against the Bulldogs, could put themselves in a dominant point-scoring position.
They have no shortage of try-scoring options and both their halves are capable of scoring and setting up tries.
Defence
While the record for fewest points conceded in a season will never be matched (41 in 1909 by the South Sydney Rabbitohs), the Panthers this season have only conceded 84 points in their 11 games, good for an average of 7.7 points per game.
This is simply astonishing in the modern era and a fantastic defensive record. They have held three teams scoreless this season and the most points they have conceded in a game was 16 to the Manly Sea Eagles, less than half of the Panthers’ average points scored total per game.
Star players
You want stars? This team is full of them.
The first name on every team sheet in the NRL world right now would be Nathan Cleary. The man is simply having one of the greatest seasons ever.
Assuming he scores ten points or more against the Bulldogs in Round 12, he will be on track to finish the season with over 300 points, something only done by two other players in NRL history (Hazem El Masri with 342 in 2004 and Brett Hodgson with 308 in 2005).
This season, in 11 games, he has seven tries, 12 try assists, nine linebreak assists and 55 goals kicked at an average of 87.3 per cent.
Jarome Luai is next: he has 14 try assists and 15 linebreak assists on the season. James Fisher-Harris, in the running for best prop in the game, is averaging 176 metres per game and has 23 tackle breaks on the season.
Brain To’o is leading the NRL in post-contact metres, tackle breaks and run metres with an average of 241 run metres per game.
Charlie Staines and Matt Burton are both inside the top 20 for tries scored this season. Isaiah Yeo is a constant in the middle, making a boat load of tackles and running excellent assist lines.
It’s safe to say that their team is stacked.
While the season is only half-way completed, if the Panthers can keep up their current level of play, there is no reason why they cannot finish the season being compared to some of the great teams of all time.
They may go undefeated for a season, they might finish with the best scoring average ever, Nathan Cleary has a chance to score the most points ever in a season, Brain To’o might run for more metres than anyone has ever done before.
It’s all on the table, and I, for one, will be watching in awe.
The Roar is nothing without healthy debate, however. Let me know in the comments which teams I’ve missed, why I’m completely wrong and why your team is so much better than the Panthers.
Wild Panther
Roar Rookie
That could be said for several Panthers plays also
Wild Panther
Roar Rookie
Is that the year they were over the salary cap?
Wild Panther
Roar Rookie
A draw is always favorable when you are looking down from the top of the ladder
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
Good stuff Ashwin, it is a joy to watch at the moment. They are playing awesome footy!
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
Oh definitely. Absolute machine! I do think every team needs a bit of luck to be great, even if they are the hardest workers in the room!
Ashwin
Guest
The Panthers look like an ominous team. Any one in the team can score a try. I haven’t seen anything like it. They’re called arrogant for a reason because you can’t find any other words to describe them. I don’t know if you can compare them to St. George in the 50s and 60s but I can compare them to Souths in the 60s. After losing the 65 grand final, they came back and won in 67, 68, lost in 69 and won in 70 and 71. And what happened afterwards was the team was gouged for years to come with former Souths players playing roles in the Manly teams and Easts teams until they got the wooden spoon in 1975. Matt Burton, who is just dynamite and should play Origin, will be a Bulldog next year, first of many players maybe to go looking for greater rewards elsewhere. I see Penrith winning at least four premierships in the next few years and we should just sit back and enjoy there awesomeness, this coming from a long term Roosters supporter.
Jason
Roar Rookie
There are a lot of really weak teams this year, a favourable draw helps the cause immensely.
JGK
Roar Guru
Let's talk after Origin.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Jordan not being injured is part luck and part down to the fact he trained his ass off. Luc Longley talks about finishing his first Bull's training session and getting dressed to go home after a shower. He hears a noise coming from the gym and pops in to to see what's going on and there is Jordan doing extras and working out. The Storm keep their players on the field pretty well and to me every year they look like being fitter than everybody else.
Joe
Roar Rookie
In short - Yes. I don't see them getting beat anytime soon either. It might go down as the greatest season of all time....not just NRL.
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
Fair point. There definitely is more bottom feeders than you usually see. Probably a top 5 this year. I still think if they do the undefeated they have to be considered great, if not the greatest minor premiership team for the roster and dominance they have shown.
Harry
Guest
I think you also need to take the quality of the opposition into account. There's no question Penrith are the standout team this year but since 2019 there have been a remarkable number of mediocre teams in the competition. Last season nobody outside the top 6 could realistically have been considered a chance to make it deep into the finals, let alone win the premiership, and this season the number of contenders looks even smaller.
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
Great point David. And all of the great teams have been lucky, otherwise they wouldn't be great! Old example but if Michael Jordan gets injured, the Chicago Bulls aren't winning anything, they were great because he stayed injury free. Lucky for sure but everyone needs a bit of luck. They are dominating at the moment and seem to have adapted to tackle height changes better than most.
Adam
Roar Guru
"This is just pure evidence of the fruition of Gould’s work at Penrith." - wash your mouth out :laughing: (I do humbly have to concede it does seem to be the case though)
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Who you rate greatest Mon?
david
Guest
Although they have been lucky, its a credit to their Head of Performance. Their fitness levels are better than anyone else, they have had some crazy pre season training the past two seasons. Their defence has skyrocketed from the worst tackling side in 2019 to the best tackling and defensive side this season. If you think their players coming up from the reserve grade are going to be a problem, look no further than the NSW Cup ladder. Penrith are also undefeated. In fact, in total for both comps Penrith have conceded less points total, than 12 other NRL teams alone. Players coming up from the lower grades will not be an issue. Bear in mind this is one of youngest averaged sides to play, and one of the most inexperienced sides. This is just pure evidence of the fruition of Gould's work at Penrith.
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
Agreed it’s should be clear cut by the end of the year. Those two look streets ahead
Randy
Roar Rookie
Could be another 1995.... The top two teams that year during the season were way ahead of everyone else Manly 20W 2L +439 Canberra 20W 2L +379 A 6th placed Bulldogs had an unbelievable finals run beating Dragons, Broncos, Raiders and Manly in consecutive weeks.
Ben Simpson
Roar Pro
That game could be the only one that stops them from going 24-0. Even 23-1 would put them amongst the greats but I agree, they are the 2 top teams this year by a long way.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
It's Penrith v Melbourne, then we'll talk. Only Olam's failure to pass to Addo Carr in the 80th minute of round 3, stops the two teams being level on the table.