The Roaring Twenties: Savvy roster moves put Panthers in with a sniff of rivalling greatest teams in premiership history

They’re not quite there yet but Penrith’s dominance is on the verge of putting them in the conversation for the greatest teams of all time 

At the very least they’re rivalling the 1990s Broncos, “big three” Storm and Roosters of 2018-19 as the greatest teams of the modern era since the premiership expanded beyond NSW borders 35 years ago. 

Plenty has been made of the high-calibre players who have been squeezed out in recent years as the salary cap has put a bite on the Panthers – Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau, Kurt Capewell, Matt Burton, Spencer Leniu and Stephen Crichton next year.

But what has not been emphasised nearly enough is the fact that Ivan Cleary has assembled the nucleus of a squad which is all but locked in long term. 

Apart from five-eighth Jarome Luai, who is off contract at the end of next year, the players most essential to Penrith’s ongoing success have re-signed for at least two more years, some as many as five.

And none of these players will be overpaid well into their 30s, which is a trap that many clubs fall for when re-signing stars long term.

Dylan Edwards will be 32 when his deal ends in 2028, likewise Isaah Yeo and Moses Leota in 2027 when they’re next a free agent. 

(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Superstar halfback Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Brian To’o are also under lock and key for four more years after this one while James Fisher-Harris and Scott Sorensen are contracted until 2026 along with a couple of young guns in Jesse McLean and Jack Cole.

Those two local juniors are the latest Panther cubs ready to roll off the production line and will be in contention to replace the latest rep star who is leaving town in Crichton, who is on his way to Canterbury next season. 

Front-rower Lindsay Smith, who has enjoyed a breakout season to cement a spot on the interchange bench, became the latest Panther to commit long term on Wednesday when he inked a new deal until the end of 2026.

Here’s how well the Panthers are placed 1-17 for the next few years. 

Ivan Cleary has stated he’s confident they’ll be able to convince Luai to stay even though he is likely to command higher offer elsewhere when he can field them from November 1.

The likes of hooker Mitch Kenny, Sunia Turuva and fellow young winger Taylan May, due back next year from serious injury, would also be reluctant to leave but are no guarantee to stay if rivals cough up big bucks. 

But the power of the Panthers machine in recent years has not been confined to the main cogs – they have exacted the best out of role players like Zac Hosking, Luke Garner and Jack Cogger while revitalising stagnant careers like Tyrone Peachey’s after his ill-fated stint at the Wests Tigers.

Daine Laurie is heading back to Penrith next year after exiting TigerTown and you can be certain he will carve out a niche in whatever role is thrown his way. 

And if the Panthers can’t find bargain basement recruits then their own backyard is brimming with talent after they became the first club to win the SG Ball Cup, Jersey Flegg Cup and NSW Cup in the same year as lifting the NRL trophy.

Most of the attention last week when the NRL announced changes to the signings system surrounded the return of the June 30 mid-season deadline and the introduction of a 10-day period for clubs to re-sign players who have agreed to deals elsewhere.

But there was another significant tweak to the rules which will greatly benefit the Panthers and other teams with large junior nurseries. 

Rival clubs are now unable to approach a player with less than six matches of experience in the NRL at state level until after Round 6 in the final year of their contract. 

Such a move would mean cashed-up rival teams will be hampered in their attempts to plunder the best young talent at Penrith, like the Dolphins did last year when they waved a hefty contract and a shot at an NRL halves spot at teen prodigy Isaiya Katoa when he was still in the SG Ball Cup. 

Talk of a dynasty, indeed anything to do with the future beyond this Friday night’s preliminary final showdown with Melbourne at Accor Stadium will be off limits at Penrith this week but they are on the verge of history if they can register a third straight premiership.

St George’s record run of 11 straight titles from 1956-66 is unlikely to ever be seriously challenged but only six other teams have racked up three titles on the trot – Easts (1911-’13 and 35-37), Souths (a five-year dynasty from ’25-29 and a Clive Churchill-inspired three-peat from ’53-55), Balmain (1915-17) and most-recent example of Parramatta from 1981-83.

Penrith celebrate after winning the minor premiership. (Photo by Izhar Khan/Getty Images)

The Storm would like nothing more than to be the team which prevents Penrith from joining this select group – even when they were rorting the cap, Melbourne were never able to mount a successful title defence let alone rack up a hat-trick.

And even if the Panthers get past them on Friday, they will still have the Broncos or Warriors primed to bring them down on Grand Final night. 

But they are red-hot favourites and will be again next Sunday irrespective of the identity of their opposition and judging by the way they have managed to set themselves up for the next few years, they are well placed to become a rare rugby league dynasty.