The dust has just settled on the 2022 NRL season, and as expected, the Penrith Panthers were able to claim their second straight Premiership. That is as it’s supposed to be, as the Panthers were the best team in the league wire-to-wire, finishing the regular season 20-4 to also claim the minor premiership and now the obvious question turns to whether we will see a third consecutive Penrith championship in 2023?
A Very Dominating Penrith Season
The Panthers really did deserve to win the Grand Final this year. They avoided a championship hangover from last season to go 20-4 and roll through the finals, leading the ladder with 42 points. Two of the four Panthers losses during the year came against Parramatta, so it’s kind of fitting that Penrith was able to take down the Eels 27-8 in the qualifying final and then 28-12 last weekend to cap off the year.
Aside from the two losses to Parramatta, the only two other times Penrith was challenged this season was in a 16-0 loss to Melbourne in round 22 when they were shorthanded and in a 38-8 defeat to North Queensland in round 25 when Ivan Cleary rested all of his players for the finals.
Penrith rolled through the finals, beating the Eels in qualifying before beating South Sydney 32-12 following a bye week to get past the preliminary final. Superstar Nathan Cleary was suspended the last five games of the regular season but all that seemed to do was refresh him for the postseason, culminating with four goals in the Grand Final. It was Dylan Edwards that was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the man of the match however.
Can the Panthers Go Three in a Row?
Penrith and coach Ivan Cleary have built a nice little dynasty, making it to the Grand Final for three straight seasons now, which also includes a 26-20 loss to Melbourne in 2020 before beating South Sydney 14-12 last year.
One thing that might be getting in the way of a third straight Penrith championship for rugby betting picks could be boredom. It’s fun to win, but some players also prefer a challenge, and the Panthers have simply rolled through the NRL for three straight seasons now.
Another thing that comes with success, is every player thinking they were an equal part of it and thus demanding compensation to match. The chips may already be starting to fall as Charlie Staines is rumored to be headed to Wests Tigers in a swap as Taylan May will return healthy for Penrith after missing the grand final with a hamstring injury.
Penrith Going to Have a Target Next Year
Heading into the offseason, every club in the NRL has one goal, putting together a squad that can take down Penrith. That isn’t solely because the Panthers have made the Grand Final three straight years, but also because they’ve done it in what many people consider an arrogant fashion.
After beating the Eels last Sunday, James Fisher-Harris couldn’t help himself from proclaiming, “Parra are our sons.” Panthers forward Jarome Luai was already in hot water after an apparent kick of a Parramatta player in the Grand Finals, and he didn’t help himself by using a racial slur – although not seemingly in a derogatory manner – in an Instagram post minutes after the GF. The NRL integrity unit is reportedly investigating the incident and Luai for what would at least be the second time this season.
Melbourne could be the team to stand in the way of a third Penrith championship after it was recently announced they would be extending star Cameron Munster, brushing off rumors that he was being lured by the expansion Dolphins for next season.
The Storm’s biggest addition may just be getting healthy, as they were a much different team once Ryan Papenhuyzen was lost for the season. Papenhuyzen ended up 11th in scoring this year despite missing half the games.
Conclusion
As WWE wrestler Ric Flair always proclaimed, “to be the man you gotta beat the man” and Penrith will almost assuredly head into the 2023 season as overwhelming favorites on the rugby betting odds to claim their third straight Premiership. The more these victories and championships pile up, though, the more vulnerable a team gets, so we will see if anybody can knock off the kings next season.
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