In The Sporting News' pre-season preview of Penrith, the question was asked about how the Panthers could possibly improve upon perfection after claiming back-to-back premierships.
Well, they found a way to do this after wrapping up the minor premiership before becoming the first team in the NRL era to win three consecutive titles. Each time you think this side has reached their end point, they continue to confound expectations as the winning machine at the foot of the mountains shows no sign of slowing down.
The Sporting News takes a deep dive into Penrith Panthers’ season below.
Did the Panthers over-deliver or under-deliver in 2023?
Penrith’s pursuit of perfection proved to be their most difficult challenge during their golden reign as they travelled through the season with a massive target affixed to their backs.
MORE: Brisbane Broncos season review - Reece Walsh shines as Walters' men just fall short
A disappointing start to the year, which saw them slip to a shock defeat to St Helens in the World Club Challenge while losing two of their opening four matches in the NRL, had many believing the Panthers were coming back to the pack.
Their sustained period of success had finally started to take a toll, so the narrative went, with the salary cap pressures trimming their squad after the departures of Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau.
However, the Panthers put any doubt about their chances of a three-peat to bed in a strong surge of form that resulted in an eight-match winning streak towards the end of the regular season.
Penrith were irrepressible during the finals series with imposing wins over the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm, until their dynasty almost crumbled before their very eyes during an epic grand final tussle against Brisbane.
The Panthers were down and out with 20 minutes remaining in the decider – their hopes of becoming the first side in four decades to claim three straight premierships all but extinguished.
Then, Nathan Cleary stepped up to write himself into rugby league folklore and deliver arguably their most impressive title of the lot.
MORE: Nathan Cleary guides Penrith into the history books with grand final masterclass
Despite being saddled with the heaviest weight of expectation in the league the Panthers once again found a way to over-deliver.
When did it fall apart for the Panthers in 2023?
Ahead of the season opener against Brisbane, the Panthers went down to Saints in the WCC in golden point. They lost Taylan May to a season-ending injury during that game and then got rolled by the Broncos 13-12 on home soil in the NRL curtain raiser.
The Panthers snapped a two-match losing streak with a hard-fought win over the Bunnies only to slip to another loss when they were edged 17-16 by Parramatta, who enjoyed some sort of retribution for their grand final loss in 2022.
Three defeats in four games to start the year with them all being by one point was difficult to stomach and provided Penrith with their first real test to their credentials for years. It's fair to say, they rose to the challenge.
The best period to be a Panthers fan in 2023
The Panthers have made such a habit of winning during their four-year spell at the pinnacle of the competition that they may even have caused some of their fans a type of winner’s fatigue.
The long winning streak to end the season as minor premiers and the charge into their fourth straight decider through two imposing displays in the finals would have been candidates for the best period.
But, in truth, nothing could come close to the final 20 minutes of their grand final win against Brisbane.
Take a bow, Nathan Cleary! 👏#NRLGF pic.twitter.com/ygRtT8G0aT
— NRL (@NRL) October 1, 2023
From looking like it was all over to completing the biggest comeback in NRL grand final history to seal a remarkable fourth straight premiership.
It may not ever get any better than that for a fan base for the sheer hit of adrenaline and unbridled joy.
Shining light: Nathan Cleary
You could pick virtually the whole side after they all made integral contributions to Penrith’s ride to the title.
Dylan Edwards was as dependable at the back as ever, Stephen Crichton was electric, Brian To’o strung together a run of 16 tries in his final 12 matches, Sunia Turuva bagged the Rookie of the Year award, while Jarome Luai was his usual zippy self.
Liam Martin’s form saw him named in the Dally M Team of the Year, Scott Sorensen became a starting backrower, Mitch Kenny revelled in his newfound responsibility at hooker, Isaah Yeo was the side’s compass, and Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris once again formed the most fearsome duo in the engine room.
But there can be no denying that their halfback will go down as the hero after his breathtaking performance in the closing stages of the grand final to snatch the victory for his side.
He played 19 games of the regular season as Origin commitments and a hamstring injury curtailed his Penrith campaign at times.
Yet he still polled 42 votes and could have conceivably won the most prestigious individual award if he had managed to get on the park just a few more times.
Nathan Cleary NRL stats 2023
| Games | 22 |
| Tries | 8 |
| Try Assists | 20 |
| Linebreak Assists | 18 |
| Forced Drop Outs | 22 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 125m |
| Tackle Efficiency | 87% |
Will the Penrith Panthers improve in 2024?
The Panthers just keep on finding ways to win, so there is no reason to believable they can’t continue to write their names into history with a fourth straight premiership.
"We will give four in a row a real crack," Leota told AAP immediately after their triumph over the Broncos.
"After this big party we are about to have, we will go back to the drawing board, train hard and go from there.
"It (four in a row) hasn't been done in a long time and not in the NRL era. The sky is the limit for this team."
It's not a case of whether the Panthers will improve next year, as it's more to do with can any side improve enough to stop them?
Penrith Panthers player movements 2024
Gains: Brad Schneider, Daine Laurie, Paul Alamoti
Losses: Stephen Crichton, Spencer Leniu, Jaeman Salmon, Jack Cogger
Unsigned: Chris Smith, Eddie Blacker, Tom Jenkins
