NRL premiership winner lashes out over ‘rubbish’ claim about Panthers after streak ended
Jamie Soward has shot down a widely-circulating suggestion that the Penrith Panthers’ ‘dynasty’ is over following their loss to the Broncos in the NRL preliminary final. This is the first year since 2019 that Penrith aren’t playing in the grand final, and their run of four-straight premierships has been snapped.
There’s been numerous suggestions that their ‘dynasty’ is now over because they haven’t won a fifth-straight comp, but Soward doesn’t believe that’s the case. Soward, who won the 2010 premiership with the Dragons, believes the Panthers will remain strong for years and wouldn’t be shocked if they won another two titles by the end of the decade
“Can we get rid of this bulls**t thing about the dynasty being over,” Soward said on Zero Tackle’s ‘Loose Carry’ podcast this week. “Say the streak (is over rather than the dynasty). Mainstream media has gone into a meltdown that the dynasty is over
“Is Nathan Cleary retiring? Is Isaah Yeo retiring? Is Dylan Edwards retiring? Is Ivan Cleary walking away? I think we’re in the middle of it. If you tell me in five years’ time that the Penrith Panthers have won another two titles, I’m not going to be surprised at all.
“This whole narrative that the dynasty is over…it’s just beginning. They were last after Round 12 and they made a prelim, and they almost made a grand final. And if they went into the grand final next week I reckon they probably start close to favourites, after what they did last year.”
Soward used the NBA’s Golden State
Warriors as an example, after they won four championships in eight years from 2015 to 2022. They also made the Finals in 2016 and 2019 but lost.
“Are the Golden State Warriors considered a dynasty? They only went back-to-back once (2017 and 2018). Penrith have done it four times. The dynasty thing is rubbish to me,” he said
Ivan and Nathan Cleary reject claim about Panthers
Coach Ivan Cleary expressed similar sentiments after their two-point loss to Brisbane. “What’s over?” Cleary shot back when asked by a reporter about Penrith’s dynasty supposedly ending.
“I’d like to think there’s more in us. Obviously we’re not going to win it this year, but we definitely showed a fair bit to fight back from a poor start (this year). There’s probably some lessons in there, but ultimately we were just not quite good enough this year.
“But I feel like we got some real strides with some young guys this year. The core of our team is still going to be there next year. Hopefully they use this feeling, which we haven’t had for a while, to spur us on into next year.”
Nathan Cleary added: “I’m excited for the future. I wouldn’t say anything’s over yet.”
As Ivan stated, the Panthers’ core group will all be back next year and still in the prime of their careers. Nathan is 27, Edwards is 29, Yeo is 30 and hooker Mitch Kenny is 27. The Penrith squad is still relatively young with the likes of Casey McLean (19), Blaize Talagi (20), Paul Alamoti (21), Izack Tago (23), Liam Henry (24), Lindsay Smith (25), Brian To’o (27), Liam Martin (27) and Isaiah Papalii (27) all ready to fire for years to come
The only members of the preliminary final team who are over 30 are Yeo, Moses Leota (30), Luke Garner (30) and Scott Sorensen (32). Brad Schneider (Dolphins) is the only player from the 17 in the prelim leaving the club next year.
