All the momentum: Scott Sattler

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Scott Sattler sees plenty of similarities between the club with whom he won a premiership and the greatest racehorse of this generation.

Penrith have won 17 straight to be one win away from a premiership, and in doing so became the Winx of the Telstra Premiership as they streaked to a massive margin atop the table.

They earned the JJ Giltinan Shield with a five point gap to grand final opponents Melbourne, though that gap felt much more as the regular season came to a close.

They enter the grand final to one of the most unique seasons in history as outsiders with the bookies, and plenty of pundits reckon that, after winning so much, they're due for a loss.

But Sattler, the 2003 premiership hero, reckons a Panthers side led by halfback Nathan Cleary still have enough to get over the line and hoist the premiership come 9pm on Sunday.  

"Some people were waiting for Winx to fall over and she didn't," Sattler said.

"People have been coming up with reasons why this Penrith team can't win the competition after they won the minor premiership by the length of the straight. 

"But when you're in a really good mindset and have all the rhythm, it's really hard to beat."

Just as Winx went on to win 33 straight races - including an impressive 25 Group 1s - and never looked like slowing down, the Panthers have reached 17 in a row and still look to be in great stride.

If you look back, there are plenty of similarities between Cleary's Panthers of 2020 and Sattler's premiership class of 2003.

In 2003 an inexperienced Panthers faced a Sydney Roosters side stacked with Origin representatives and internationals who were appearing in their third grand final in four years.

The Panthers were in their first big dance for 12 years.

In 2020, a youthful Panthers side are up against a Melbourne Storm side stacked with Origin representatives and internationals and are in their fourth grand final in five years.

The Panthers, however, will appear on the final day of the season for the first time in 17 years despite winning almost everything there is to win so far this season.

"Everyone expects you to lose when you're a young team that's beaten everything in front of you, but this team doesn't fear anything," Sattler said.

"They don't fear reputations. The thing they want to do is build a legacy and give the club something to cheer about again because it's been a long time between drinks."

Sattler knows they won't be gifted the premiership; they will have to earn it.

"When you're playing the Melbourne Storm you have to be willing to withstand water torture," he said.

"You will be put under extreme amounts of pressure but then you have to find the ability while you're up against the ropes to fire a shot that breaks their will."

It may require more than 70 minutes for them to get their noses in front.

"If you get to a point where you're leading the Melbourne Storm with six or seven minutes remaining you have to have the nerve to hold onto a lead of that nature," Sattler said.

"And I think they can."

A premiership win would provide long-suffering Panthers fans with a renewed sense of optimism that the club can again stand toe-to-toe with the competition heavyweights.

Since their 2003 victory, the Panthers have only registered four top four finishes while the club has finished in the bottom four on five other occasions.

"17 years is a long time and it's really important to win any grand final because you've got to give the community some faith in the product," Sattler said.

"Winning a premiership is also a culmination of a lot of hard work from a lot of key and unheralded people that have been around the club for a number of years.

"We hear about Phil Gould, Brian Fletcher and Dave O'Neill - these people that have been in high-ranking positions - but there are a lot of other people in the club like Jimmy Jones and Cameron Ciraldo.

"They're just as much of the reason why this club is there on grand final day."

Just as Winx was challenged in her farewell before her class ultimately shone through, the minor premiers will be challenged on Sunday night.

But you get the feeling there is a sense of destiny about 2020 and the Penrith Panthers.

This article first appeared in the Grand Final edition of The Front Row. Check out the full edition here, with all past editions available here.