With four games remaining before the NRL finals, the Penrith Panthers have worked their way into the Top 4 as they eye an incredible fifth straight premiership title. And everyone else in the playoffs should be nervous.
Speaking on the third episode of ESPN's Boom Rookies with Grub podcast, former Bulldogs and NSW State of Origin star Josh Reynolds believes the Panthers are timing their run to perfection, but that they will be tested over the final four rounds.
"Penrith are finding their groove, and momentum is a dangerous thing. But, I will say their run home is going to really have an impact on their season and how they get into the back end of their season. Because Melbourne, Raiders, Dogs and then even Dragons at the moment, they are a tough side," Reynolds said.
"It is going to be a real test, the only thing I worry about with that is being up for that many weeks in a row. Some people say it's great, gets you ready for the semis, but, I don't know if one, two, three big games in a row are. I'd take two, out of the four... but this is Penrith, we are talking about Penrith.
"They want set-for-set, they want yardage, they are waiting for you to break first, they don't mind an 8-6 game like they did against the Bulldogs. They will beat you anyway they need. I feel, at the moment, a guy that is really stepping up, and there was a lot of pressure on him early to perform, he didn't really have the big name players with him, but Blaize Talagi, he is really showing why they bought him.
"I had a word to Ivan Cleary at the airport after Magic Round, they had a big win against the Broncos and I said 'a few of your young guys stood up today.' And he said 'yeah, it's crazy that a lot of people have this perception that they have to be great straight away, coming into these systems'.
"It's hard, because you look at Thomas Jenkins and Casey Mclean, they are great players, you see who they are now, but at the start, not everyone just gets to go into first grade, no matter what team you go into. The NRL is hard, people literally, week after week try to pick you apart. In the younger grades it doesn't happen, it's more skill, your natural ability, you go week in week out, you don't do video much, you sort of just play your style, but these guys are finally finding their rhythm.
"I just think it looks like Penrith at the moment, their skill level is back to where it was. I think they must do so much skill work there, because everyone knows their role, exact role. I love watching them. Everyone knows exactly who they are giving it to, why, the movement they have to do to open up space. Nathan is the best in the game at it. Semifinal football suits them, they can beat you in multiple ways. It is going to be an interesting September, I'm pumped."
Meanwhile, with the Dolphins in danger of dropping from the Top 8 again, for a third straight year since they joined the NRL, Reynolds suggested the game might be expecting too much of the club.
"For a club that has been in three years now, they have overachieved, even though they have not made the eight. If we are going to have this same expectation for these new teams, it is not going to happen," Reynolds said.
"They have created an identity, a blueprint, in such a small time. There are guys there that you can tell that they want to be Dolphins, and it's not just because it's a new club and it is nice to live up in Brisbane or Redcliffe. It is because they want to be there, it's because they have guys there that want to play for that team and that in itself is a win. So great work to all the Dolphins people that have helped to get them to this point."
"With all their injuries, they are still going great, to be even near the Top 8 is amazing. It is tough to win the NRL, they have lost a lost of players who are all leaders."
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Make sure to return every Tuesday as ESPN's Boom Rookies team up with former NRL star Josh "Grub" Reynolds to tackle all the latest rugby league issues and points of contention, in the lead-up to the 2025 NRL Grand Final.