Panthers in Peril: Dolphins Dazzle as Penrith’s Premiership Dream Hangs by a Thread

The Penrith Panthers’ rocky 2025 NRL campaign took another hit on Thursday night, falling 32-12 to a spirited Dolphins side at Suncorp Stadium. The defeat, their fifth loss in six games, has left the reigning four-time premiers languishing at the bottom of the NRL ladder — a far cry from the dominance they’ve displayed over the past few seasons.

Dolphins speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow stole the spotlight with an electric hat-trick, exposing what has been a surprisingly brittle Penrith defence this year. While the Panthers have built their dynasty on rock-solid defensive efforts, coach Ivan Cleary was blunt in his post-match assessment, admitting that the team’s defensive performance was “not up to standard.”

“We’ve got to get to work and improve it, because if we don’t, it will keep happening,” Cleary said. “But of course we can turn it around. Once we get our confidence back in defence… it can change quickly.”

That confidence, however, has been hard to come by. Penrith’s season has been marred by injuries to key players, including skipper Nathan Cleary, Jack Cole, and Scott Sorensen — all sidelined by Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols. Even the return of Kangaroos fullback Dylan Edwards couldn’t stop the Dolphins’ momentum.

Adding to their woes is the instability in the team’s spine — a crucial area for any club’s cohesion and execution. The Panthers have had five different spine combinations across six rounds, making it difficult to build rhythm or consistency. “There have been a lot of changes early in the season,” Cleary acknowledged.

Thursday’s loss also saw the Panthers match an unwanted record — becoming the first reigning premiers since the 1999 Brisbane Broncos to start a season with five losses in their opening six matches. No team in the 117-year history of the NRL has ever bounced back from such a poor start to win the premiership. However, Cleary remains optimistic that history can be rewritten.

There were still flashes of resilience, including a bizarre but opportunistic try by Moses Leota after a shocking error from Dolphins winger Jack Bostock. But if Penrith hopes to resurrect their season, they’ll need much more than luck — they’ll need belief, health, and a return to the fundamentals that built their recent dynasty.