With three straight championships under their belt, the Penrith Panthers are undoubtedly among the sides most likely to be in the mix come 2024.
As they have done repeatedly over the last four seasons, Ivan Cleary’s team nearly lost the 2024 grand final, but they managed to pull through and win the premiership once more.
With Stephen Crichton leaving for the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2024, the team will lose another significant player at the start of the season. Jarome Luai has already signed a contract to play elsewhere in 2025.
However, the men have been coming from the foot of the mountains for a few years now, so it’s unlikely to stop them this time.
These are the main queries that will determine Ivan Cleary’s side’s future course.
1. Next. What effect will the Panthers’ journey to England have?
Penrith has not had to go to England for the World Club Challenge following any of their premierships to date.
Naturally, that isn’t their fault; Penrith was honored to host St Helens last year and had been champions in a time when the world was controlled by a pandemic.
Needless to say, that ended in tears as Penrith lost and missed out on winning the World Club Challenge.
This year, however, they leave for England a mere two weeks before the new season begins and return to play their opening match against the Melbourne Storm.
It also means that, with a few new players joining the team, they won’t be participating in any more non-competitive tryouts, which could have an effect when the season gets closer to starting.
It’s hard to predict the impact it will have, especially considering that four other possible competitors are leaving for the United States to begin the season, but it is undeniable.
