The Panthers have had to do it the hard way but everything seems to now be falling into place for them to win their fifth-straight premiership.

But first they must overcome an injury-riddled Bulldogs outfit, who will need to produce their grittiest performance — and unlock one star player in particular — to keep their premiership dream alive.

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Meanwhile, the Sharks sent a warning shot out to the rest of the competition last week and Nicho Hynes has opened up on a key change in his mindset that’s helped him this season.

And the Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty will be hoping to make up for the opportunities he missed last week when his side takes on Cronulla.

Read on for the key talking points heading into the sudden-death semi-finals.

“What took so long!” – Sexton returns | 05:57

DOGS SHOULD COPY MAROONS’ DEFENSIVE PLAN FOR CLEARY

Cooper Cronk said the Bulldogs need to replicate Queensland’s defensive performance against Nathan Cleary in this year’s Origin decider if they are to cause a massive upset against the Panthers in their elimination semi-final on Sunday at Accor Stadium.

The Maroons shut Cleary out of the game as they claimed victory in Origin III back in July at the same venue.

Canterbury will welcome Cronk’s advice, having slumped to four losses from their last five games, with their only victory during that period coming up against a Panthers side that were resting 16 players in Round 26. Cronk believes the Bulldogs need to rediscover their defensive form that saw them finish the regular season as the best defensive team in the competition. “If I’m (Bulldogs coach Cameron) Ciraldo, I’d go and look at Origin game three and see how Queensland stopped Nathan, and I would come up with a game plan to stop him,” Cronk said on Matty & Cronk.

“If they can do that, they’re a chance. If they can’t, Penrith will go through to another prelim final.”

Back in Round 17, the Panthers beat the Bulldogs 8-6 in a tough defensive contest, and Cronk believes it needs to be this sort of game for the Bulldogs to have any chance of winning.

“But what I will say is when they played Penrith eight weeks ago, Penrith won 8-6,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.

“Cameron Ciraldo knows Penrith. Penrith knows Ciraldo and the defensive side. I think

The wounded Bulldogs will have to rally together to beat the four-peat champions. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Cameron Ciraldo needs to come up with a defensive masterclass to stop Nathan Cleary and the Penrith Panthers. If the Dogs are winning this game, they’re going to win it 10-8, 8-6, 12-10 or something like that. I don’t think the Dogs are going to have 20 points in them. Penrith do have 20 points in them.”

In Cronk’s opinion, Cleary’s class will decide the result.

“But the biggest piece of this is I think Nathan Cleary can dissect the Bulldogs’ defence whereas I don’t think (Lachlan) Galvin or (Toby) Sexton can,” Cronk added.

“So if the Dogs are to win it’s a defensive masterclass and if I’m picking my team for the Bulldogs I’m picking my best defensive players.”

Radley cops 10 match ban but dodges axe | 02:35

HONEST HYNES ADMISSION IS GOOD NEWS FOR SHARKS

In previous years, all the talk entering the finals has surrounded how Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall will make it work in the halves for Cronulla. But this time, it’s different.

A candid Nicho Hynes admitted he was too obsessed with his stats when he first joined the club in 2022.

That season, Hynes claimed the Dally M Medal and had 26 try assists. But Hynes now said he’s more than happy for five-eighth Braydon Trindall to have better stats than him.

“It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t want (Trindall) to do it,” Hynes told reporters this week.

“It was more probably me in 2022 when I won the Dally M and I was on a high and I was probably trying to play too much and trying to get all the try assists. I was trying to have the line-break assists and all that sort of stuff.

“It wasn’t worrying me about somebody else doing it. It was more me wanting to have good stats and that.”

Hynes said his only concern now is that the Sharks win the game, and that means being more than happy to play second fiddle to Trindall if needed.

“Now it’s more that we win. That’s all I want to do is win,” Hynes added.

“I don’t give a sh*t if I have zero try assists, it’s more that we win. That’s the most important stat, right?”

This year, Hynes and Trindall have shared the try assists very nicely, with Hynes at 23 for the season and Trindall at 22.

Nicho Hynes is in the right frame of mind. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Unlike previous finals series, the pair have struck the right balance and while Hynes conceded they are “still building” their combination, he believes they know each other’s game better know.

“We’re still learning from all our performances this year. We’re learning how to speak to each other the way we want to play, who’s controlling it more, who’s kicking at a time,” Hynes said.

“But he’s got a great kicking game. He plays some good eyes-up footy. He attacks short sides really well. It’s just about me and him having to fit into the way we both mould and play and what suits the team.

“Earlier in the year some performances probably showed that we were pushing and pulling a little bit and weren’t playing together. But I feel like the last block of eight weeks has been a really good block for us.

“You see what he can do on the weekend. He came up with two great try assists when the time was needed. I probably played more of a controlled role on the weekend. He played more of the highlight reel sort of role. Sometimes it’s vice versa.

“All those things don’t bother me anymore. It’s just about getting the team a win. If he’s having those highlight-reel moments for us, then that’s great.”

Sharks vow to fight ‘fire with fire’ | 02:05

IVAN MASTERSTROKE HAS PANTHERS PRIMED FOR FIVE-PEAT

A few months ago many thought the dynasty was over but now things just seem to be falling into place for the Panthers.

The four-peat champions started this season with a bang, defeating the Sharks in a clinical performance in Las Vegas.

But from there things went south with Penrith putting together some uncharacteristic performances — including a 25-6 loss to eventual wooden spooners Newcastle Knights in Round 12.

That loss plonked them at the bottom of the ladder and made a fifth-straight premiership seem impossible. For context, the last time they sat last on the ladder that late in a season was 2007 — and they got the wooden spoon that year.

But a gritty 18-10 win over the Eels the following week kickstarted a truly remarkable turnaround with the Panthers going on to win nine straight games and put themselves in the hunt for a top four finish.

Rival teams were looking over their shoulder because the Panthers were not only back but the favourite to snag the final spot in the four.

That was until coach Ivan Cleary made the shock call to rest majority of his players against the Bulldogs in Round 26 and all but give up on a top four finish.

No top four meant no second chance… but it turns out they didn’t need anyway after defeating the Warriors last week to progress to the semi-finals.

Now, Cleary’s decision has been lauded as a masterstroke with a road to the grand final opening up perfectly for the Panthers.

“Giving up on the top four was one of the smartest moves any club has come up with in a long time,” Fox League’s Dan Ginnane said on NRL 360.

“It would have been futile, they would have burnt their players out in the last two games of the year.

Ivan Cleary took a major gamble and it’s paying off… for now. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

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“They rested against the Bulldogs and let’s be fair dinkum, that was a dream to get the Warriors. I know it was over there, but the Warriors had been fading for some time. It has been unfortunate the way injuries have curtailed them.

“Now they get the Bulldogs, who are also hit hard with injuries. It is a pretty cruisy run that Penrith have been gifted here.

“If they win they know they fancy their chances of knocking off Brisbane in a repeat of the 2023 Grand Final — and they smashed the Broncos in Magic Round on a Sunday afternoon. “It couldn’t be playing out any better for Penrith.”

Four-time premiership-winner Cooper Cronk also gets the feeling the Panthers could be on track for another trophy with the Fox League analyst saying: “Penrith are now just sitting in a rails run just waiting for the home straight, everything is just forming for them.”

As does rugby league legend Gorden Tallis, who said on NRL 360: “You could say if Penrith hadn’t won the four straight titles… but the fact is they have and you just feel that they have got that extra gear to go to.”

If the Panthers do go on to win the premiership it’ll put an exclamation mark on what’s already an been incredible chapter in rugby league.

And while there’s still three games to go, Matty Johns believes they can do it — so long as they get two basics right.

“If Penrith just do two things for the rest of the season… If they just defend well and in yardage regularly get Nathan to attacking kick positions, I don’t know who beats them,” he said.

Radley call ‘Puts pressure on Souths’ | 01:05

FOGARTY OUT TO RID DEMONS AND LEAD RAIDERS TO VICTORY

Perhaps fairly or unfairly, there will be pressure on Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty to deliver against the Sharks on Saturday night, in what could be his final game for the club.

Fogarty for the most part, had a solid outing in last Sunday’s finals epic, but failed to strike the killer blow that would have sunk the Broncos in golden point.

The Raiders half, who is Manly bound at season’s end, lined up a game-winning field goal from about 20 metres out but struck it poorly and the ball sailed well left of the upright.

Earlier in the game, Fogarty missed a conversion from right next to the sticks which would have made the scoreline 30-12.

That miss proved costly as Brisbane would overcome the deficit to win 29-28 after 94 minutes of play.

That’s not to pin the loss on Fogarty. There were several reasons why Canberra were first mowed down and then unable to clinch it in extra time or golden point.

Jamal Fogarty will steer the Raiders around the park. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Premiership winning playmaker Braith Anasta noted that Fogarty hasn’t got form delivering in clutch moments in big games, which could continue to cruel the Raiders.

“You talk about pressure. You talk about big moments. There was a question mark over Jamal Fogarty heading into this game,” Anasta said.

“Through no fault of his own, he just hadn’t been put under pressure in the big moments.

“Will we say he fell short yesterday? I think yes, he did.

“I hate even saying it or looking over it, and he’s had such an incredible year but again, nothing compares to when you have the kick and it means so much to not only you but to your teammates and fans.

“That’s when you find out what you’re made of. He still needs to prove that too.”

“I think Fogarty has been among the top six halfbacks this year but there have been a couple of clutch moments that the really good halfbacks get,” veteran journalist Phil Rothfield added.

Fogarty has played in five finals (Raiders x4, Titans x1), starting in the No. 7 in all of those.

His teams are 1-4 in those.

He’ll get a terrific chance to change the narrative and improve on that record against Cronulla this weekend. One thing is for sure, the Beaudesert product isn’t spending too much time going over Sunday’s tragedy.

“That’s football. You win some, you lose some,” the halfback told AAP.

Roosters have ‘drawn a line in the sand’ | 00:54

DOGS ‘DIDN’T ISOLATE’ KIKAU ENOUGH AGAINST STORM

Cooper Cronk said the Bulldogs need to make forward Viliame Kikau the central focus of their attack if they’re to beat the Panthers on Sunday.

Kikau threw passes that led to tries for both Toby Sexton and Matt Burton in their qualifying final loss to the Storm in week one of the finals series.

“When it comes down to moments, the presence of Kikau, if it is going to happen this weekend and they win, just come up with something where Kikau is everywhere, and he might just come up with a play,” Cronk said on Matty & Cronk.

Kikau has proved to be a handful for opposition teams in 2025.

Is Viliame Kikau the Dogs’ most potent player? (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The 30-year-old has 56 offloads this season which is the fourth most in the NRL.

Matty Johns believed the Bulldogs needed to get more ball to Kikau against the Storm.

“I just don’t think they used him enough,” Johns added.

“They just didn’t isolate him enough.

“Just getting Kikau one-on-one with the edge, and something happens.”

Kikau also has five charge downs this season which is the most in the NRL.

Sunday game “come back to bite” Raiders? | 05:21

‘THE BIGGEST SIN’ THAT COULD COST A TEAM

Everything is on the line this weekend in two sudden-death semi-finals. And with all four teams fighting to keep their premiership dreams alive it could come down to moments that will win or lose them the game.

With that in mind, Matty Johns has warned that one error could be what costs these teams a spot in the preliminary finals.

“I reckon just about the biggest sin in finals football is giving away a seven-tackle set,” he said on Matty & Cronk.

“Over the course of week one, I think there was probably six or seven seven-tackle sets given away and I reckon there was about four tries scored off them.

“It happens to the best of them, you’ll see Nathan Cleary’s led to a Warriors try. He kicked it down the right-hand side, it went a little too far, they (the Warriors) go down the other side (of the field) and Leka Halasima scores.”

Nathan Cleary’s kicking game will be crucial for Penrith. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Champion No.7 Cooper Cronk — who won four premierships — agreed and gave insight into what goes through a halfback’s mind if they’re gifted a seven-tackle set and just how big of an opportunity that can be.

“A halfback’s mindset, when you catch the ball on a kick-return and your fullback gets tackled inside the 20, a halfback is thinking ‘lets just get out of here and kick the ball back’,” he said.

“When there’s a seven-tackle set that happens, you’re thinking ‘what’s my attacking kick at the end of this?’

“While it’s 20 metres and it doesn’t look like it’s a big thing, it ends up being a big thing for the net five minutes because I’ve gone from just staying in the grind and kicking the ball back to thinking ‘ok I can now start with an attacking kick and I might be able to come up with some points.”