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'Concerning for us': Cleary pinpoints Panther malaise after Dolphins demolition
Joel Gould, AAP • April 11th, 2025 8:00 am
Photo: AAP
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary didn't have to think too hard when asked what was behind the dire 1-5 start to the season for the four-time defending premiers.
"It's pretty obvious that our defence is not up to standard and that's actually having a big effect on the rest of our game. It did tonight," Cleary said after the 30-12 loss to the Dolphins on Thursday night.
The Panthers, in 15th position, have now conceded 170 points in six games at 28 per match and are one of the NRL's worst in that area.
After six matches last year they had given up 92 points, just 15 per outing, and had the best defence in the league.
"That's just too many weeks where we just can't defend our line early in the game, which gives the opposition confidence and probably takes ours away," Cleary said.
"It's something that we've historically been so good at, so that's probably a little concerning for all of us.
"We've got to get to work and make sure we improve it, because if we don't then the same things will keep happening. I'm still confident we can improve it, we just need to do it.
"We definitely have some young guys and changes in combinations and chemistry, but we also have some guys that have been there a bit as well.
"Conceding 30 points every week puts a lot of pressure on everything else."
Part of that "everything else" is the attack which is also not working. The Panthers played the ball 50 times inside the Dolphins quarter but scored just two tries from kicks. It was a shambolic display at times.
There is no doubt the loss of Nathan Cleary's halves partner Jarome Luai to Wests Tigers has hurt, as has a plethora of personnel changes over the previous seasons during their dynasty.
"It's not just the players we've lost, but that's the fifth different spine we've had in six weeks as well, so there have been a lot of changes," Cleary said.
"It's early in the season and there's been a lot of tight games that we just haven't won. If we can improve our defence, it's going to give us a lot more confidence and then it's just a building process from there.
"It looks like doom and gloom, but it can change quickly as well."
Cleary gave 20-year-old former Parramatta young gun Blaize Talagi his first start in the No.6 jersey. Talagi had a difficult night, like his teammates, but there were positives as well.
"It wasn't surprising really that he wasn't perfect tonight, but you saw the kind of player he is," Cleary said.
"If he doesn't get it all right, it doesn't stop him, he just keeps on going and keeps on asking questions.
"Tonight probably gives you some indication of maybe why I didn't think he was ready before that, but it's a hard one to judge on tonight.
"But I thought he was definitely asking questions all the way to the end and he'll only get better."
The Panthers 1-5 start to the year is an historical concern. No side in 117 years of the premiership has come back from such a dire beginning to win the title.
