Penrith were scary enough at night. In daylight, they’re outright terrifying

To think this Penrith side have done their best work under cover of darkness.

To think this Penrith side – with the most expansive, enterprising big-game rugby league of their dynasty to date – get to play on a sunny Sunday afternoon again.

The only thing better than the most perfect 40 minutes of finals football in living memory?

The prospect of an encore same time, different place next week. But Sunday’s first half blitzkrieg of the Bulldogs could actually just be the opening act.

The Panthers will take their travelling Cirque du Soleil roadshow to what will surely be a sold-out Suncorp Stadium next week for more Sunday afternoon finals footy, against a rested Broncos outfit.

The spectre of a replay of the 2023 grand final – the most entertaining and expansive decider in recent history – will be impossible to ignore. Even with so much turnover in personnel since then – and in Brisbane’s case, their coach’s box.

Especially when the last time Nathan Cleary played Sunday afternoon footy in Brisbane, he reprised his stepping, skipping, scything grand final-winning try, and waltzed out of Suncorp having once again torn the Broncos to pieces.

“We’ve been working on that all year,” Ivan Cleary said, noting Penrith’s second half was a “bit of a rough ride”.

“Our game has changed slightly so what you saw today has probably been at least six weeks in the making. It’s great to see it all connect and come to fruition.”

Liam Martin’s sore ribs aren’t cause for too much concern according to Cleary, nor is Casey McLean’s shoulder and hip-pointer issue. Utility Brad Schneider finished on report for a cannonball tackle as well, but otherwise, Penrith are purring at exactly the right time, with another edition of Sunday afternoon footy to come.

“Ask the Broncos, they’ll say the same thing,” skipper Isaah Yeo mused on daytime kick-offs. “Anytime there was an opportunity, everyone attacked it and everyone was onboard.”

Credit to Penrith and their dominance of the past-half decade – the theory their play is better suited to night and evening games is backed by four-straight titles and 14 consecutive finals victories.

They’re just that good. Sunday’s six tries in 40 minutes, with a 100 per cent completion rate, seven offloads and 32 tackles in Canterbury’s half doesn’t change the fact they’re nigh unbeatable when a conservative game plan is called for either.

Cleary remains the best game-managing No.7 in the NRL by the length of one of his 40-20s. The backfield metres of Brian To’o and Dylan Edwards, and the control of Yeo and Mitch Kenny, is priceless under lights and in any sort of dewy or dicey weather. The defence that has conceded less than any other side since round 13 is even more formidable at night at Accor Stadium.

But in picture perfect conditions on Sunday, Penrith were exactly that too. Despite losing so many stars to so many rivals over so many years, they let the Steeden sing against a hapless defence as passes stuck and tries piled up.

Canterbury matched them for roughly five minutes before being completely and utterly dismantled.

It’s rare to recall the Panthers playing with such abandon in big games. But To’o’s opening try came courtesy of play swinging from one sideline to the other with half a dozen passes either side of one play-the-ball.

They didn’t stop until oranges were called and even with the Bulldogs refusing to wilt and racking up second-half points of their own, Penrith were always Brisbane-bound.

To think the Broncos have Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo bidding to join Adam Reynolds in returning for the home side.

To think Reece Walsh will be leading Brisbane’s attack in what’s predicted to be dry, 28-degree south-east Queensland conditions.

To think rugby league gets treated to this Penrith side doing the same on a sunny Sunday afternoon again.

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