Round 6: Panthers v Broncos preview
Panthers primed to pounce on Haas-less Broncos
Father-son duo Ivan and Nathan Cleary have been locked in on long-term deals until 2027.
Now, the Penrith Panthers will look to celebrate the double signing boost in style when they take on the Brisbane Broncos on Friday night.
The Panthers cruised to a 32-12 last-start win over the Bulldogs and will enter Friday's game on just a five-day turnaround.
But with the luxury of sticking with the same 17 that was named last week, there is little disruption for the defending premiers, who will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Outside of their round two clash with the Dragons, the Panthers have not really been challenged this year - a daunting prospect for the rest of the competition.
Izack Tago and Taylan May have formed a lethal new-look combination on the left edge while even Matt Eisenhuth topped the Panthers for run metres last week in further proof of their unrivalled depth.
The Panthers are shooting for 20-straight wins at BlueBet Stadium on Friday and are aiming to become the first reigning premier since the Storm of 2013 to start a season 6-0.
Brisbane, meanwhile, has come undone since a promising start to its 2022 campaign, dropping three-straight games.
The Broncos were much-improved last week against the Roosters but left it too late in a 24-20 defeat.
In a hammer blow to Brisbane's chances of an upset this week, Payne Haas will serve a one-game suspension for his altercation with halfback Albert Kelly.
Corey Jensen comes into the front row while Adam Reynolds (knee) and Corey Oates (ankle) are under injury clouds but should be alright to play.
Last meeting: Round 19 2021 - Panthers 18 Broncos 12
Who to watch: Nathan Cleary has been relatively quiet in his first two games back from injury, at least by his lofty standards. It is only a matter of time before Cleary explodes with his first man-of-the-match performance of the year and it could very well come this week. With Haas missing, the Broncos will struggle to match Penrith's forwards and that superior platform should allow Cleary to kick the Panthers to victory. It should also see him take the line on more often.
If Brisbane is any hope of an upset, it will come from individual brilliance and Kotoni Staggs has that in spades. Staggs, like Cleary, had also been quiet to open the season but that was more a case of getting limited ball in space. In recent weeks though and in particular last week, Staggs showed exactly what he can do if given early ball. Staggs erupted for a try, 14 tackle busts, two linebreaks and almost 200 run metres last week. Dane Gagai had some success a few weeks ago against Penrith and Staggs could also be a threat on the edge if he gets the chance.
The favourite: The Panthers are strong favourites to get the job done.
My tip: If Haas was in, the Panthers may be vulnerable off a five-day turnaround. But without him, it is hard to see Brisbane keeping this close. Penrith by 26.
