The Mole: Panthers Confront ‘Unimaginable’ Challenge as Bellamy’s Storm Gathers Strength

Let’s set aside the notion of the Panthers claiming five consecutive premiership titles for just a moment. Could they actually face the unimaginable scenario of missing the finals in 2025?

The four-time champions are currently in a tailspin, having dropped four consecutive matches, leaving them languishing in 15th place after five rounds.

Shockingly, the reigning champions haven’t tasted victory since their gritty win against the Sharks in Vegas, which feels like a lifetime ago.

Last season, the Panthers only lost seven games throughout the entire year, yet given their current form, they could hit that same number within a month.

Fans had high hopes that the return of the magic man Nathan Cleary would signal the end of their troubles against the Cowboys on Friday night.

While Cleary did add some structure to the Panthers’ attack, they still appear to be light-years away from the formidable Penrith side of 2021-2024.

Defensive frailties continue to arise, with the traditionally tough black, green and red wall conceding points in ways that are uncharacteristic for them.

Kudos to the Cowboys, who arrived in Sydney with little expectation from anyone except their family and friends.

After starting the season winless for three rounds, the Cowboys have dramatically turned their fortunes around, rediscovering their confidence over the past fortnight.

Storm Finding Their Footing

Watch out for the rejuvenated Storm! That was the message sent from Melbourne following their 48-24 rout of Manly at Brookvale on Sunday.

In a striking testament to Craig Bellamy’s relentless pursuit of excellence, the Storm have scored at least 38 points in the week following every loss since the beginning of 2023.

It’s clear that Bellamy isn’t shy about giving his players an earful following a defeat – as he did after the shock collapse against the Dragons last week – and the players respond in kind.

The Storm maintained that trend, overwhelming Manly in a manner rarely witnessed at Brookvale.

Although Manly attempted a late resurgence, many disillusioned Sea Eagles fans had already left their seats by that point.

Catch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

Broncos Breakthrough

Note down Jesse Arthars as one of the standout performers in the NRL for 2025.

The 26-year-old Kiwi faced a tough season last year, much like many of his Broncos teammates, managing just five tries across the entire year.

Fast forward to this season, and just five rounds in, he has already exceeded that tally with seven tries, including an impressive double during the 46-24 thrashing of the Tigers on Saturday night.

Arthars might not fit the mould of the heavy set modern winger who bullies opponents, but he possesses pace and exceptional evasive skills, using them to navigate his way to the tryline.

Surprise Eel Dazzles

A little-known Fijian international who had played only three NRL games in the previous three years emerged as an unexpected star in the Eels’ historic first victory under coach Jason Ryles.

After being released by both the Bulldogs and Tigers, Kitione Kautoga notched a crucial try in the thrilling 23-22 win against the Dragons in extra time.

The strong 22-year-old made over 120 metres and stood out in just his third outing in the NRL.

With the ability to bend the defensive line and execute impactful tackles, he could play a significant role in Ryles’ future strategies.

‘Baby’ Dolphin Still Evolving

Few running halves in the league possess the same flair as Isaiya Katoa from the Dolphins.

While he is still refining his organisational skills, Katoa exhibits bravery when engaging the defensive line.

In fact, he topped his team in running metres during the emphatic 36-10 victory over the Titans.

At just 21, Katoa is still considered inexperienced in the pivotal playmaking position, but he boasts a full arsenal of skills.

Latrell’s Brave Gamble

Souths are fortunate that Latrell Mitchell enjoys taking risks – at least when it comes to football.

In his first outing of the season, Latrell experienced a night of mixed fortunes, to say the least.

He booted two kicks out on the full, with one directly resulting in a Roosters try, and encountered a few shaky moments.

However, when the struggling Rabbitohs appeared down and out with both halves Jamie Humphries and Cody Walker injured, it was Latrell who took charge.

With the score locked and the Roosters looking more formidable and organised, Latrell launched a daring long, laser-like pass to winger Isaiah Tass that could have easily been intercepted by his counterpart, Dom Young.

Against the odds, the ball – which others thought to be thrown forward – found its way to Tass, who narrowly avoided putting a foot out before diving over to break the deadlock and secure one of Souths’ most memorable victories in recent history.

Sharks’ Missed Opportunities

The overly cautious approach adopted by the Sharks cost them victory in Thursday night’s nail-biter against the Raiders.

Teams have become so accustomed to playing mistake-free football that they often struggle to adjust their strategy against 12 men, and that was the Sharks’ undoing.

With the scores tied at 18-all midway through the second half when Hudson Young was sin-binned, the Sharks decided to go for a penalty goal to take the lead.

However, that merely consumed around 90 seconds of Young’s 10 minutes in the bin, and squandered 80 metres of field position.

This signal of apprehension suggested to the Raiders that Cronulla didn’t have the confidence to score against 12 players, triggering an immediate response from Canberra.

The Sharks didn’t score again, and despite looking like the side destined to lose, the Raiders produced a spectacular late try from Sebastian Kris to emerge victorious.