The Panthers are 5-0 in preliminary finals since 2020 and bookmakers have them clear favourites to make it six on the trot when they chase even more NRL history against the Brisbane Broncos.
The last time Penrith bowed out on the penultimate weekend of the season was back in 2014, when the Canterbury Bulldogs prevailed 18-12.
That result was a repeat from the same stage of the 2004 title race when Canterbury won 30-14 and the Bulldogs remain the only NRL team to taste preliminary finals success against the Panthers this century.
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During their current five-season preliminary finals run, the Panthers have laid on 126 points while conceding just 44, with the highest opposition total being just 16 points (Rabbitohs, 2020).
Of course, NRL finals are won on the field, not on stats sheets, and Michael Maguire and the Broncos will rightly fancy their chances of causing an upset in front of a parochial home crowd at Suncorp Stadium—the first time in four years the Panthers have played their preliminary final away from Accor Stadium.
Then again, the Sharks probably felt the same way in 2024, as did the Storm in 2023.
Regardless, the history books say it will be formidable task for Brisbane to stop the four-time reigning premiers as Ivan Cleary’s men surge towards yet another grand final appearance.
Penrith’s Preliminary Final Dominance
2024 | Penrith 26 def Cronulla 6 |
2023 | Penrith 38 def Melbourne Storm 4 |
2022 | Penrith 32 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 |
2021 | Penrith 10 def Melbourne Storm 6 |
2020 | Penrith 20 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 16 |
2014 | Bulldogs 18 def Penrith 12 |
2004 | Bulldogs 30 def Penrith 14 |
2003 | Penrith 28 def Warriors 20 |