Scary Panthers detail that backs up huge NRL premiership call from club legend
During their six-game winning run from round 13, the Panthers have only conceded a competition-best 11 points per game in a stunning return to their defensive best. One moment from Penrith's most recent win against South Sydney in round 20 highlighted their steely resolve when Tyrone Munro looked destined to score out wide in the second half, only to be held up over the tryline after some desperate, scrambling defence from the Panthers.
Led by fullback Dylan Edwards, it was the type of play that has become synonymous with the Panthers in recent seasons and was a far cry from their displays earlier this season. Penrith were dead-last two months ago when they were averaging more than 24 points against, across the opening 12 rounds.
And it's no coincidence that their surge into sixth spot on the ladder has coincided with a transformation into the NRL's best defensive side across that period. Penrith's NRL dynasty has been built around their work without the ball and Ivan Cleary's side only averaged more than 16 points against per game in one season since 2020, when they played in the first of five consecutive grand finals. The one outlier was their 2022 premiership season when Penrith conceded 23.3 points per game.
Penrith rediscover their NRL premiership-winning defence
However, Penrith's 11 points against per game across their last six victories is better than their premiership seasons, with the club conceding an average of 13.2 points between 2020 and 2024. "You can just feel like we're more resilient, we're stopping tries, we're making it hard for the opposition," captain Isaah Yeo said.
"Whereas that wasn't really the case for the first half of the season. "They'd go down on our end in the first set, they'd put on a play, it wasn't under pressure, and all of a sudden they're scoring.
"But we're trusting the system a bit more, we're being a bit more proactive, particularly at the start of the games. We've relied on that for such a long period of time now, and we didn't have that for the first half of the season."
During their current winning streak, Penrith have only let in seven first-half tries, compared to 27 in their opening 11 matches and it's a major factor behind their return to form. "Off the back of that, you get in the game style you want. You get more ball in play. It all flows so much into each other," Yeo added.
"When we're defending well, it keeps the ball in play more. The flip side of that, when you're having to score points and get frantic ... it doesn't suit the way we've played over the last five or six years. We were having to tackle way too much because of the pressure we were putting on ourselves."
RELATED:
Tigers star linked with switch to rival clubs as medical detail emerges
Broncos' cap squeeze could claim another star as 'formal' offers touted
Tigers player escapes charge over tackle that left superstar injured
Penrith's resurgence is even more impressive when you consider they've been missing some or all of their Origin stars for games during their six-match winning streak. And it's little wonder that Penrith legend Sattler is convinced they can go on and claim an unprecedented fifth straight NRL premiership this year.
'They can, based on the aura... and it doesn't matter if they finish 5th or 6th, cause a home elimination/semi-final to them is irrelevant," Sattler said on SEN radio this week. 'And they've got players that know how to win and how to prepare.'
with AAP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jack Conan reveals video from Katie Taylor inspired Lions before second Test win
Jack Conan has revealed that an inspiring video from Irish boxing great Katie Taylor helped the British and Irish Lions find the resilience needed to close out their series against Australia. Taylor, an Olympic gold medal winner and current undisputed world super lightweight champion, sent the good luck message to Andy Farrell's squad in the build-up to Saturday's second Test at Melbourne Cricket Club. The 39-year-old's words on the ability to dig deep turned out to be prophetic as the Lions emerged 29-26 winners after fighting back from an 18-point deficit. 'The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will,' said Ireland number eight Conan, who like Taylor hails from Bray in County Wicklow. 'That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all. 'It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades. 'Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy – it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us.' It took a beautifully-taken try by Hugo Keenan with 51 seconds remaining to separate the rivals in one of the greatest Lions matches ever played. Remarkably, Keenan's touchdown was the first time they led in the match. Conan admits that victory tastes all the sweeter for having been taken to the wire as Australia raised their game to a whole new level a week after starting the series with a whimper in Brisbane. 'We were not at our best by any measure, but physically the lads dug in unbelievably well,' he said. 'It was disappointing how we played, but we played for 80 minutes. Hugo getting over the line in the last minute was just unbelievable. 'It wasn't my best game. A lot of us weren't at the races at all, but we stuck in there. You can't fault the effort. I thought the defensive sets we put in, just whacking people and just staying in there, was unbelievable. 'It's something that will go down in history. They won't be writing the history books about how s*** we were, but they'll say that we won and that's all that matters. 'Everyone's over the moon. To be part of a Lions winning series team is incredibly special. The celebrations in the changing room wouldn't have been the same if we'd won by 20.'


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Panthers rookie OLB Princely Umanmielen stands up for franchise legend Cam Newton
A Carolina Panthers rookie is not tolerating any Cam Newton slander. The franchise legend has recently received quite a bit of vitriol, almost all of it personal, for his take on Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts. After Newton recently excluded the Super Bowl LIX Most Valuable Player from his list of the NFL's top ten quarterbacks, his career has been poked and prodded at by dissenting talking heads, analysts and fans alike. Newton himself punched back this past week, calling out a handful of celebrity detractors including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky, Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and rapper Gillie Da Kid. Well, he got some backup on Sunday—when Panthers outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen took a stand for the team's all-time leading passer on Twitter/X . . . Oh, and he's not just saying that because he plays for the Panthers . . . Umanmielen's defense of Newton will probably endear him to the Carolina faithful even further. The 2025 third-round pick already had plenty of Panthers fans smiling after the first week of training camp, where he picked up a few would-be sacks on back-to-back days at practice. He also poked fun at his first big play, which caused an abrupt end to the opening outing on Wednesday. Although he was eventually cleared of being overzealous on his strip-sack of Bryce Young, Umanmielen hilariously acknowledged that he'd try to keep his quarterback clean moving forward . . . There seems to be little doubt that Umanmielen, hands included, is quickly becoming a favorite in Carolina. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
4 standouts from Week 1 of Panthers 2025 training camp
The Carolina Panthers are a bit more out of sight for this year's edition of training camp. With the organization in the middle of their construction on a new practice facility, fans have not been allowed to attend the team's workout sessions. But that doesn't mean a few players haven't shined through to start the summer. Here are four standouts from the Panthers' opening week of camp . . . WR Hunter Renfrow Renfrow has yet to drop the pen on his comeback story. After missing the entire 2024 campaign due to a challenging bout with ulcerative colitis, the former Pro Bowler signed with Carolina in the spring. He impressed head coach Dave Canales during mandatory minicamp and has kept on stacking days into training camp. "It's just the Hunter Renfrow I remember," Canales told reporters on Saturday. "He looks healthy. I think everyone who's watched football over the last four or five years remembers what he looks like, and he's really playing in top form right now. I'm really excited to have him here and to have his family, which is right down the road here after this practice, just to be able to connect with him. And it's a great story that's unfolding right before our eyes." The Panthers' wideout room is a bit crowded, at least compared to years past. But the 29-year-old Myrtle Beach, S.C. continues to make an intriguing case for a spot. WR Jimmy Horn Jr. Horn is also trying to make a space for himself at the end of the room. The 2024 sixth-round pick, as he did during the spring, has opened quite a few eyes with his speed. Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer noted that Horn looked especially fast in one-on-one coverage drills on Saturday, beating fellow rookie defenders by "four or five yards." And by the looks of his footwork here, that shouldn't be too surprising . . . Horn made a few nice catches in seven-on-seven action and gave a preview of his prowess as a returner, too. And like Renfrow, he got some props from up top. Canales described what he admires about Horn on Thursday. "Yeah, I just love the way that he plays football. It's full speed all the time," Canales stated. "Some guys, we have to really teach them how to get in a walk-through mode. He's one of those guys. Everything he does is fast. "I think about Deven Thompkins—who I love, who was here last year. They just bring out the best in everybody because you know, when they're out there, they're going 100 miles per hour, full speed and they're looking to take the top off. So, I love that style about Jimmy. And what he's shown us—whether it's in drills or in the team periods, he's just all gas." OLB Princely Umanmielen Umanmielen caught the attention of many on Wednesday, when his close call on a strip-sack of quarterback Bryce Young caused an abrupt end to practice. That decision came from Canales, who initially thought Umanmielen was a bit too physical on the play. Upon further review, however, the rookie pass rusher actually tried to avoid making contact with Young. "We watched the film—he was actually trying to avoid . . . Bryce didn't have anywhere to go in the pocket," Canales said following Thursday's session. "So as he pulls his arm back, he kinda hits him and you can see Princely running kinda by. "Still made a point of it. Still great to teach the guys in those moments. But just another great teachable moment for the whole group. Hey, let's not pass judgement on what happened. I saw the play kinda, but I didn't see specifically. We'll be able to rewind it ten times and figure out what happened. "But had a couple 'nother good rushes today by Princely. Every day, shows up and does something good. I'm really encouraged with the effort, first and foremost, that he's giving and the strain to finish all the way through practice." One of those good rushes by Umanmielen saw the rookie beat starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu on an inside move for another would-be sack. S Demani Richardson Richardson made what deemed as the "play of the day" from the first outing . . . Richardson is one of a few contenders vying for the starting spot next to free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig. If he continues his ball-hawking ways, the undrafted rookie from 2024 could make himself a real factor in the backend of the defense. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.