CommBank Stadium: The records kept tumbling for Penrith as they made light work of yet another alleged premiership threat in Melbourne.
Good Friday became a great Friday for the Panthers as they thumped the Storm 50-10.
In doing so, the title favourites became the first team to start the season with five-straight triumphs by 20 points or more. Balmain (1985) and Manly (1995) could only do it four times in 1985 and 1995, respectively.
It was Penrith’s biggest-ever win over the Storm. It was Melbourne’s biggest defeat since the famous 40-0 grand-final blowout against Manly in 2008.
And winger Tom Jenkins became the first winger in history to start the year with five straight try-scoring doubles.
He brought up the double with three minutes remaining. The only other player who came close, Billy Slater, who was sitting in the Nine commentary box at CommBank Stadium, scored four doubles, and only scored the one try in round five back in 2012.
Seriously, who is going to come close to this lot?
They take on an out-of-sorts Bulldogs next Thursday. Good luck. The Dolphins await in round seven, followed by the Knights, Sea Eagles, Raiders and Dragons.
Penrith won eight in a row to start their 2022 campaign. They won 12 on the bounce the previous year. For the record, they won the premiership both those years.
When Luke Garner dived over for a try on the hour mark, Slater, a Melbourne legend, said watching the Panthers was like “playing against a machine”.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy, who was cheekily jeered by the crowd when his face beamed on the big screen before full-time, looked like he had no answers.
A disappointed Bellamy said afterwards: “We knew were playing a good side, and they’re head and shoulders [above the rest] at the moment.
“We’ll have to go a bit harder [at training]. If they don’t want to go harder, they can go and play reserve grade, and we’ll bring some young blokes up.
“The disappointing thing for me is our defence. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to be a good defender. You just need to work hard and be determined.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said: “The scoreline was a shock … things are clicking for us at the moment.
“We have a lot of confident players and the team is confident at the moment; it’s my job to be a little bit paranoid, and understand it can come and go pretty quickly. We need to keep at it.”
Penrith halfback and co-captain Nathan Cleary is in another league. Fullback Dylan Edwards produced a miracle, pinpoint kick for Brian To’o to score.
Even a guy like Casey McLean made sure his name remains deep in the NSW Origin conversation after showing some sizzling speed to set up Jenkins for a try, then brute strength to shove off Jahrome Hughes for his own four-pointer before the break.
Latrell Mitchell has never disappointed for the Blues, and started the year in powerhouse fashion for the Bunnies, and deserves favouritism for the left centre spot. But coach Laurie Daley will be tempted to find a spot for McLean, especially if he can maintain this rage the next month.
The Storm lost skipper Harry Grant to a knee injury, but he is expected to be fine, and there was no point keeping him on the field when the game was already well and truly lost.
The Panthers scored first via Liam Martin, the tough-as-nails backrower who was also celebrating his 150th NRL game.
To’o, almost unrecognisable without his headgear, grubbered for himself, only for the ball to bounce into a Storm player before Martin scooped it up and dived over.
Penrith marched down field on the back of a Trent Loiero hip-drop tackle on Edwards, and Freddy Lussick, the journeyman given the honour of wearing the suspended Mitch Kenny’s No. 9 jersey, crashed over from dummy-half to stretch the lead.
Melbourne did well to hit back through Manaia Waitere, and were suddenly on the attack again after Isaiah Papali’i was pinched for shoving Hughes after he had kicked. Winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown, who avoided a knock-on call at the other end of the field, was in two minds about charging for the left corner, and ended up getting carried into touch by four Panthers.
A couple of minutes later Jenkins scored, then Cleary, then McLean.
Penrith won four premierships in a row, crashed out in last year’s preliminary final, despite leading Brisbane 14-0, and are clearly in one hell of a mood to win a fifth ring in six years. We are witnessing something truly special. What records will fall next week?
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