{"id":54179,"date":"2025-08-09T00:38:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T00:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/54179\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T00:38:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T00:38:07","slug":"who-can-and-cant-stop-the-panthers-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/54179\/","title":{"rendered":"Who can\u2014and can\u2019t\u2014stop the Panthers in 2025?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes it\u2019s good to take a moment to pause and reflect on the bigger picture as rugby league fans.<\/p>\n

For whether you love them or loathe them, what we\u2019re witnessing right now from Ivan Cleary and the Penrith Panthers is almost certainly the closest thing we\u2019ll ever see to the remarkable St George Dragons side of the 1950-60s that won eleven first-grade titles straight.<\/p>\n

With four NRL premierships already securely in the Panthers\u2019 trophy cabinet, it\u2019s becoming increasingly clear the club from the foot the Blue Mountains has a genuine shot at making it five in 2025.<\/p>\n

Having surged into the NRL top four for the first time this season, the question is who can realistically stop them?<\/p>\n

MORE: Penrith warned not to ‘fall in love’ with themselves after ninth win in a row<\/a><\/p>\n

Can the Raiders stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Possibly. Ricky Stuart\u2019s young and inexperienced squad have been inspired in 2025\u2014but can they hold it together when the screws are being tightened in September? One major factor working in their favour is likely home ground advantage until the grand final. We\u2019ll get a taste of what\u2019s to come when the two sides square off in Round 25 in Mudgee.<\/p>\n

Can the Storm stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Probably. Unlike the Raiders, Craig Bellamy\u2019s squad has a proven finals pedigree and big game experience in key positions. Assuming Jahrome Hughes is fit and healthy\u2014which he won\u2019t be for next Thursday night\u2019s Round 24 clash in Sydney\u2014they have the best chance to stop the Panthers\u2019 record run in the finals. Of course, actually doing it is a different matter entirely.<\/p>\n

Can the Bulldogs stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maybe. Serious doubts remain about the Bulldog\u2019s performances against the game\u2019s very best sides. They\u2019ve run the Panthers close already this season and the two sides meet again in Round 26 in what will be a critical match for the Bulldogs\u2019 finals confidence, as much as the result itself.<\/p>\n

Can the Warriors stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unlikely. Things started so well for the Wahs, but a wicked run of injuries have cruelled their season and any chance of beating the Panthers would likely evaporate if they finish outside the top four\u2014a scenario which appears increasingly likely.<\/p>\n

Can the Sharks stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Highly unlikely. Craig Fitzgibbon\u2019s side have shown moments of brilliance in 2025, but their consistency and overall class across the field is still a couple of rungs below the four-time premiers. Now the Panthers are back to their best, it\u2019s hard to imagine them losing to the Sharkies this season.<\/p>\n

Can the Dolphins stop them?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Highly unlikely. Despite a long injury list the Dolphins have been one of the delights of the 2025 season, but eye-catching attack alone is unlikely to withstand the rigours of September. They can score a lot of points, quickly, but the Panthers\u2019 edge in big game experience could strangle their tactics and ambitions.<\/p>\n

Can the Broncos stop them?<\/p>\n

No, not any more. In what shapes as another \u2018what could have been\u2019 year for the Broncos, there\u2019s a real chance they could even miss the finals given their sudden hamstring crisis. Vanquished by Nathan Cleary in the 2023 grand final, it\u2019s now very difficult to see that result being reversed should the teams meet in the 2025 finals.<\/p>\n

Can the Roosters stop them?<\/p>\n

Maybe. This could present one of the more intriguing finals match ups should Trent Robinson\u2019s squad managed to sneak into the top eight. They\u2019ve had an inconsistent year, but with their best 17 on the field they boast plenty of big game experience and talent. A smokey\u2014if they make it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sometimes it\u2019s good to take a moment to pause and reflect on the bigger picture as rugby league…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54180,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-54179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}