In the Panthers’ quest for a quintuple, Thursday’s clash served as a litmus test. By the result alone – a 30-24 loss against the Storm in Melbourne – they failed. But while the scoreline says one thing, their performance says another.
This defeat was paradoxically why Penrith shouldn’t be written off yet in a fast-crystallising 2025 NRL season. It was one of those rare “good losses”, a display that shows that Penrith – despite shortcomings – are on the right track.
