Records tumble as Penrith Panthers run riot against Melbourne
CommBank Stadium: The bookings continued to flow for Penrith as they made light of another alleged premiership threat in Melbourne.
Good Friday turned out to be a great Friday for the Panthers, who beat the Storm 50-10.
In doing so, the championship favorites became the first team to start the season with five consecutive wins by 20 points or more. Balmain (1985) and Manly (1995) were only able to do this four times in 1985 and 1995 respectively.
This was Penrith’s biggest ever win against the Storm.
And winger Tom Jenkins became the first winger in history to start the year with five consecutive try-scoring doubles.
He brought up the double with three minutes left. The only other player to come close to that tally is Billy Slater, who sits in the Nine commentary box at CommBank Stadium, scoring four doubles and scoring just one try in the fifth round in 2012.
Seriously, who would approach this plot?
They will face an unspectacular Bulldog next Thursday. Good luck. The struggling Knights hang on in the seventh, followed by the Knights, Sea Eagles, Raiders and Dragons.
Penrith have won eight consecutive trophies to start the 2022 campaign. Last year they won 12 on the bounce. For the record, they won the premiership in both those years.
When Luke Garner dived in for a try on the hour mark, Melbourne legend Slater said watching the Panthers was like “playing against a machine”.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy appeared to have no answers, as he was cheekily jeered by the crowd when his face flashed on the big screen before the game started.
Penrith halfback and co-captain Nathan Cleary is in another league. Full-back Dylan Edwards delivered a miraculous, pinpoint pass for Brian To’o to score.
Even a man like Casey McLean ensured his name remains deep in the NSW Origin conversation after showing incredible pace to set Jenkins up for a try and then brute force Jahrome Hughes for his own four-pointer before the break.
Latrell Mitchell has never disappointed for the Blues and has started the year strongly for the Bunnies and deserves favoritism for the left center spot. But head coach Laurie Daley will want to find a place for McLean, especially if he can keep up that anger next month.
The Storm lost captain Harry Grant to a knee injury, but he is expected to be fine and there was no point in keeping him on the field when the game was already completely lost.
The Panthers scored the first goal through hard-hitting backrower Liam Martin, who was also celebrating his 150th NRL game.
Almost unrecognizable without his headgear, To’o struggled himself to get the ball to hit a Storm player until Martin picked it up and pounced on him.
Penrith marched upfield with a Trent Loiero hip-drop to Edwards and journeyman Freddy Lussick, who was given the honor of wearing the suspended Mitch Kenny’s No.9 jersey, dropped from dummy half to take the lead.
Melbourne did well to counter Manaia Waitere and suddenly went on the attack again after Isaiah Papali’i was heckled for pushing Hughes after kicking him. Avoiding a call from behind at the other end of the pitch, winger Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown was hesitant to charge into the left corner and was eventually brought into contact by four Panthers.
A few minutes later Jenkins scored, then Cleary, then McLean.
Penrith have won four successive titles, were eliminated in last year’s preliminary final despite leading Brisbane 14-0 and are clearly in great mood to win a fifth ring in six years. We are witnessing something truly special. Which records will fall next week?
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