Suncorp’s Shadow: Penrith’s Quest for Redemption Against Brisbane
The NRL season opener against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium carried a certain weight for the Penrith Panthers. Ivan Cleary, the Panthers’ coach, described the scheduling as “quite romantic” – a nod to the venue where their 2023 premiership defence dramatically ended. This wasn’t about outright revenge, however. As Cleary himself wryly noted earlier in the week, “you can’t take the [premiership] rings off them; they earned them.” The focus was on rectifying lessons learned from a brutal preliminary final exit.
The last time Penrith graced Suncorp Stadium with their season on the line, they found themselves in a commanding position. At halftime, they held a 14-0 lead, having executed a near-perfect first 40 minutes, dominating possession with 57 per cent. It wasn’t a case of the Panthers self-destructing. The Broncos, to their immense credit, defended with ferocious intensity in what has been labelled one of the modern era’s most epic preliminary finals. They earned their victory in a classic contest. Yet, for the first time since the inception of their dominant dynasty, Penrith had relinquished a 12-point buffer and failed to claw their way back.
The sting of that 16-14 loss to the eventual premiers in September has undoubtedly lingered. While there’s been no need for “popcorn and group therapy” rewatches, the crucial moments where Penrith failed to seal the deal against Brisbane have been a significant talking point throughout their pre-season.
“We’ve had enough time to digest where we went wrong and where we missed the mark,” acknowledged fullback Dylan Edwards. “We’ve taken snippets from that prelim throughout our pre-season, but no specific focus on watching that game and trying to fuel that fire going into that game [round one]. Just little focus areas.”
Edwards elaborated on the key takeaways: “We didn’t finish the game well enough, and we were probably guilty of that a lot of the time throughout the season – just staying in that game for the full 80 [minutes]. The Broncos, they were the best at it, finishing games and being able to come over the top of teams … we’ve addressed that.”
The Moments That Mattered: Penrith’s Missed Opportunities
So, what were the pivotal moments that Penrith, a team renowned for its clinical execution during their run to four consecutive titles, failed to convert? One significant passage of play occurred with 16 minutes remaining in the preliminary final, with Penrith holding an eight-point lead. They enjoyed a sustained period of pressure, embarking on three sets and 15 consecutive tackles, hammering Brisbane’s try line.
Historically, both teams found success on their respective left edges. Last year, the Broncos’ left channel was a potent attacking weapon, yielding a league-leading 65 tries. Penrith’s left edge was also formidable, ranking third with 54 tries. However, in that crucial September encounter, Penrith found little joy hammering Brisbane’s right side, occupied by Casey McLean and Blaize Talagi. Despite this, they persisted in attacking that channel too often.
In hindsight, a few crucial bounces of the ball could have swung the momentum. One of Nathan Cleary’s grubber kicks narrowly missed ricocheting Penrith’s way and instead found a Broncos defender. Furthermore, it required an extraordinary display of resilience from Payne Haas – bleeding heavily like a champion boxer – to stifle a particularly threatening 66th-minute kick.
“Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, especially for sporting hacks,” the sentiment goes. But if Penrith and Cleary had a do-over, a key decision point emerges: taking the penalty goal in the 61st minute. After Ezra Mam conceded a blatant escort penalty, a successful penalty goal would have extended Penrith’s lead to 16-6. Instead, they opted to press their attack.
Adding to the narrative, former NRL star Cooper Cronk questioned the decision during commentary. Another left-side shift broke down when Luke Garner failed to secure a short ball from Cleary. With Brisbane riding a wave of momentum, a force few teams in rugby league can match, Penrith, for once, couldn’t steer the ship back to safety.
The Final Set and the Road Ahead
Needing a two-point field goal to force the contest into golden point, Penrith’s final attacking set unravelled. Cleary’s scramble to get into position left him under immense pressure. Ultimately, he was forced to find Dylan Edwards for a desperate, Hail Mary shot – the final play of Penrith’s season.
This mirrors a past incident in mid-2022, when a rare loss to the Parramatta Eels saw Cleary miss a clutch field goal. The media documented the extensive extra practice the star halfback dedicated to long-range drop punts in the subsequent week. While Cleary has since dialled back on the “nigh-obsessive” repetitions, mindful of his hamstring issues, the sting of that preliminary final loss has clearly fuelled his preparation.
Coach Ivan Cleary senses a renewed determination within his squad. “It was a different feeling last year, for sure,” he admitted. “I feel like there was definitely some fire in that. It certainly looks that way.” The Panthers are not dwelling on the past, but rather using the lessons of Suncorp Stadium as a catalyst for what lies ahead. The challenge now is to prove they can finish games strongly and reclaim their dominant edge.
