How would your rank our 6 Premierships?
For me:
2003 - the Premiership that came out of nowhere. We had been wooden spooners 2 years before, missed the finals the year before, then won seemingly out of nowhere. It seemed everyone was waiting for us to fall over all year, and even on the night, but our boys dug deep and put in the performance of their lives. Played in atrocious conditions, Priddis was by far the best player in the field, and Sattler’s tackle was pure Grand Final magic. Losing Girdler & Swain to injury in the second half, as well as Gower playing with only 1 functioning eye for part of the game only adds to the brilliance of the performance.
1991 - Our first will always be special. After going close the year before, losing was not an option. We came up against a champion team who knew how to win, and gave us plenty to think about in the first half. Losing MG to the bin early in the second half, when we seemingly had an equalising try, was heartbreaking, but we held our nerve & worked our way back to level terms after he returned. The final 25 minutes we heaped the pressure on the Raiders until they eventually cracked, with MG storming on to the short dropout, then delivering the pass for Roycie’s double to seal the game.
2023 - the threepeat. We looked in control for the first half, but the Broncos reminded us that we still had work to do when they went on a 10 minute blitz to put themselves 16 ahead. It wasn’t looking good, but Cleary put the team on his back & carried us home. Chrichton also playing a major role with the try to get us within striking distance & several deft plays that helped keep the Broncos pinned down their end.
2021 - the drought breaker. After the heartbreak of the year before, this was as much a relief as anything. We had watched the boys build into a formidable side during the years leading up, and deal with the adversity of the whole competition being moved to Queensland for a fair chunk of the season. They did it the hard way after losing in week 1 of the finals, but had just enough in the tank to get themselves over the line.
2022 - was almost a forgone conclusion before the season had even started, and we led from the front all year. By the time we took the field against our arch enemies it wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of how much?
2024 - it has to be said, probably one of the most boring Grand Finals. Apart from the debate over whether Howarth got the ball down & Martin’s chase & jump to set up the Alomoti try, did anything else really happen during the game?
I watched all the grand finals back to back a couple of months before 2024’s grand final. My impressions from that are
03 - The unexpectedness of it, made this one the best overall. No build up from the previous year. The resilience of overcoming the brutality that Easts tried to bully us with, was truly inspiring. Of all the grand finals that we have won, this is the best.
91 - The first one is always special, the last 20 minutes was exceptional, only surpassed by the last 20 minutes of 2023.
21 - As good as 91, in that, instead of being the first one, they broke a long drought. Great defensive effort in a tight game that could have gone either way, gave Souths players nightmares, that probably still haunt them.
24 - Won on the back of great coaching, sticking to the game plan for 80 minutes. Including a defensive effort that only allowed one try.
22 - This was the culmination of four years of striving to be the best. This side will go down as the best Penrith side ever. They were never going to lose this one. My enduring memory from this game is Moses putting RCG on his arse, and knocking the stuffing out of the rest of the pack.
23 - We were poor for 60 minutes, then produced probably the greatest 20 minutes of grand final football ever. And no it wasn’t just Nathan, it was the whole side, everyone contributed to that last 20. The first 60minutes puts 2023 last.
Finally
Go the Mighty Panthers
I’ve taken a little time to collect my thoughts on all this. We’ve (my sons & I) have had some discussions on this subject in recent seasons. My sons were too young for the 1991 win.
Really hard to compare & similar to the old chestnut of picking your favourite child! And each was different.
1991 was the first and came after the disappointment of '90. The way the team played in that season just made it seemed destiny to beat Canberra and stop the 3-peat.
2003 was like a dream, with the team just getting better and better as the season unfolded. There seemed no way that anyone was going to stop us, until the rain came GF night, which brought us back to the field. A dry night and we would have really plucked those chooks ![]()
2021 was a strange one for us, being in QLD and with us not being able to attend. The boys just found a way to beat the bunnies, after being the best team all year.
2022 was special, as we all got to share the win & we beat the slimies. I think that the 2022 team was the best of all time for us, or at least during the 20-25 era.
2023 - it looked like the streak was over and then the team played the best 20 minutes of GF footy of all time
2024 looked to be a sure GF win, once we got thru the week before. We were just a better team than the $torm.
I really am struggling to put any sort of order to this list… give me a little more time ![]()
91 - First is best, I was in my prime and bent for a week
22 - Although my worst nightmare, we flogged the featherweenies and Moses Leota owned the lot of them
03 - That was a great unexpected year, I won thousands on us that year, backed them at start of year @ $57, had a motza on Rooney 1st try……gravy
23 - That comeback was the greatest 20 minutes of footy in my lifetime
21 & 24 were good but a who cares from a game excitement experience
Hard to argue for the current era. Hard to compare with the earlier teams.
