Penrith were back to their dominant best in their qualifying final win over the Roosters on Friday night.
They put the Tricolours to the sword in a relentless first half, as they led 24-0 at half-time, and whilst the Roosters put up a bit of a fightback in the second half, the three-peat premiers still ran away with a 30-10 victory.
It means they have made the preliminary final for a fifth year in a row, putting them in a fantastic position to make a fifth Grand Final in a row.
It was also a historic night, not only did it mark the Panthers' final home game at Penrith Park before it is knocked down and redeveloped over the next year, but it also saw Penrith equal a rugby league record.
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Penrith equal St George 62 year finals record
With their impressive win last night, the Panthers won their 10th finals game in a row, equalling a record the all-conquering St George side set back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
To put it into perspective, the St George team that created the record were in the midst of a simply staggering run of 11 premiership wins in a row, beginning in 1956 and ending 10 years later in 1966, still an all-time record for Australian rugby league.
The last time Penrith tasted defeat in a finals match came in the 2021 qualifying final, where they were ambushed by a strong performance from Wayne Bennett's Rabbitohs and lost 16-10 in Townsville.
They got their revenge in that year's Grand Final, as Stephen Crichton's intercept of a Cody Walker pass gave Penrith their first premiership in 18 years and started a dynasty.
They had to do it the hard way in 2021, with all of their wins coming by four points or less, but they were dominant the next year, winning all three games in the finals by 16 points or more, including blowing away rivals Parramatta 28-12 (though they led 28-0 at one stage).
They also romped to victory in the first two finals matches last year, though their amazing run almost came to an end in the Grand Final.
After leading 8-6 at half time, the Broncos blitzed them in 12 second half minutes to hold a 24-8 lead in one hand and seemingly the premiership in the other.
Up stepped Nathan Cleary to set up the biggest Grand Final comeback, assisting two tries and scoring the winner to cap off an incredible three-peat.
After their record equalling win over the Roosters, they will look to break the record in their preliminary final match.
Penrith Panthers finals winning streak
| Date | Stage | Match | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2021 | Semi-final | Penrith Panthers 8-6 Parramatta Eels | BB Print Stadium |
| September 25, 2021 | Preliminary final | Melbourne Storm 6-10 Penrith Panthers | Suncorp Stadium |
| October 3, 2021 | Grand Final | Penrith Panthers 14-12 South Sydney Rabbitohs | Suncorp Stadium |
| September 9, 2022 | Qualifying final | Penrith Panthers 27-8 Parramatta Eels | BlueBet Stadium |
| September 24, 2022 | Preliminary final | Penrith Panthers 32-12 South Sydney Rabbitohs | Accor Stadium |
| October 2, 2022 | Grand Final | Penrith Panthers 28-12 Parramatta Eels | Accor Stadium |
| September 9, 2023 | Qualifying final | Penrith Panthers 32-6 New Zealand Warriors | BlueBet Stadium |
| September 22, 2023 | Preliminary final | Penrith Panthers 38-4 Melbourne Storm | Accor Stadium |
| October 1, 2023 | Grand Final | Penrith Panthers 26-24 Brisbane Broncos | Accor Stadium |
| September 13, 2024 | Qualifying final | Penrith Panthers 30-10 Sydney Roosters | BlueBet Stadium |
