Don't poke the Panther: The prelim pain driving redemption bid

The preliminary final loss has been front of mind this week as the Panthers chase revenge in a Round 1 showdown with the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. 

While there is plenty of uncertainty leading into the clash, one thing is for sure. 

Penrith will not let another 14-0 lead slip. 

If failing to slam the door shut on a second-half comeback sounds out of character for the Panthers juggernaut, it's because it is. 

According to stats compiled by rugby league historian David Middleton, last year's preliminary final loss was the first time since Round 6, 2019 Penrith had allowed a 14-point lead slip through their grasp. 

Penrith led the Sharks 14-0 after 48 minutes on that occasion, only to lose 24-20.

That was six years, five grand finals and four premierships ago. Yeo, Nathan Cleary and Moses Leota are the only players left from that game who will line up at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Liam Martin also came off the bench at Shark Park that night but will miss the Broncos game due to a calf injury. 

Take a broader look at the Panthers' 2025 campaign and there were plenty of events that were out of character. 

After a Round 1 win in Las Vegas, Penrith lost five games in a row. They sat last after 12 rounds and hit rock bottom following an insipid 25-6 loss to Newcastle in Bathurst.

Looking back, senior players concede standards started to slip and complacency set in after five years of dominance. 

"We haven't had to deal with that situation for such a long time," Yeo said. "We've been fortunate it just hasn't reared its head, whereas last year it did and it took us too long to rectify it. 

"We let standards slip. We were walking past things we might not have walked past in previous years and it wasn't until we reached a tipping point in Bathurst during the Origin period. 

"We drew a line in the sand and accountability was the big focus. When you have accountability on yourself, you can keep others accountable. 

"Then we had the win in New Zealand and we flipped our season around. We weren't playing well but we were able to get some scrappy wins and that helped us springboard into the back end of the year."

While the pain of last year's loss to Brisbane burns bright, the Panthers are taking confidence from an unusually settled pre-season.

It's the first time since their 2021 premiership they haven't farewelled a swag of star players at the end of a campaign. 

The loss of a handful of fringe first-graders will test the club's depth, but Penrith's best 17 remains unchanged from a year ago.

Halves Nathan Cleary and Blaize Talagi enter their second season together. Casey McLean is one year stronger and more mature, Luron Patea has more playing time under his belt and Isaiah Papali'i is ready to fire after building into the 2025 campaign. 

That, Yeo hopes, will allow the club to hit the ground running and aid their pursuit of a crucial top-four finish. 

"We've said farewell to a few of the Cup boys who have been here since the run started," Yeo said. "They've had opportunities elsewhere, it's sad seeing them go but it's never a bad thing to move to a different system. 

"We've normally lost one or two marque players every year and have had to manoeuvre through that. This year that hasn't been the case and that helps us. 

"You need a lot of luck throughout the season with injuries and other things but it's been nice not to lose any marquee players. That makes it a bit easier coming into the year and you'll see those combinations continue to grow. It's a lot easier when it's the same people playing together each year."

A settled squad and some minor tweaks throughout the off-season have Penrith full of confidence heading north. 

The time for talking is finally over. Now the time has come to reclaim the premiership mantle. It's a process that starts with a chance to bury the demons of September 28, 2025.