Penrith domination leaves NRL looking for challengers

Forget Penrith, Melbourne or any other title contender, 2025 looms as a crucial year for the NRL.

For so long the sport that sold hope to all with the message any team could lift the trophy, the league is in the midst of its least competitive era since the 1980s.

Where once the NRL trumpeted a different premier for eight straight seasons in the early-2000s, only three sides have now lifted the trophy in the past eight years.

Beyond Penrith's historic four-peat, Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters' successes between 2017 and 2020 mean no other fan base have enjoyed success since 2016.

Even still, the NRL insists the league remains competitive headed into 2025, with 14 of the 17 clubs having played finals in the past four years.

"I genuinely believe our competition to be there are no easy games," NRL CEO Andrew Abdo told AAP.

"If you are trying to predict a winner on any given weekend, it's not a fait accompli.

"We still have a hugely open competition and trying to decide on a top four or top eight is actually really difficult.

"Many of the clubs have caught up to some of the rule changes that were made by the commission a few years ago.

"So we're going to have an even more unpredictable and highly competitive competition this year."

The game's biggest names remain split on whether the dominance of the big three is a good thing for the league.

Ex-Panthers players, which rival clubs are now flush with, can see the positive.

As far as Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau and Canterbury counterpart Stephen Crichton are concerned, all boats rise with the tide and lift the NRL's standard.

"If you want to be the best you have to beat the best," Crichton said.

"Coming from the Panthers, they know what works for them. I feel like it is just a duty for all other clubs to catch up. I don't feel like it's unfair."

Others are more blunt.

"It means if you're not one of the three clubs it's been really s***," Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans quipped.

"And I am one of them so it hasn't been fun.

"But if anything though it makes me say well done to those three clubs, who know who they are. They are obviously doing a lot right."

Even those who have tasted success can also see the downside of it, with James Tedesco the star of the first back-to-back titles of the NRL-era with the Roosters in 2018 and 2019.

"I think fans want to see different teams win every year," Tedesco said.

"I'm a big NFL fan, and everyone got over the (Kansas City) Chiefs winning.

"But sometimes you have to appreciate and respect greatness. You have to respect what Penrith are doing."

The reality for the NRL is Penrith are a juggernaut, reaping the rewards of a grand plan from last decade that has set up a generation of sustained success.

"They have guys who have left, new guys coming in, young guys who are well coached and have been successful. You have to respect it," added Tedesco.

"I don't know what else you can do, you have a salary cap.

"I know people talk about the draft, but I don't know if that would work. The NFL do that as well and the Chiefs are still successful."

Put simply, Penrith have defeated the NRL's great leveller in the salary cap.

"You have to give credit to Penrith for what they have invested in," Abdo said.

"They lose players each year to other clubs as part of the salary-cap mechanisms.

"They have invested heavily in age-group competitions, created a strong culture and credit to their leadership team and coach and structures they have in place."

And in that respect, the Panthers should be celebrated.

When they kick off their season against fellow-contenders Cronulla in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT), Penrith will aim to become only the third team in history to win five straight titles.

Already among the greatest sides of all time, last year's four-peat made them the only professional men's team in any Australian code to achieve the feat this century.

"I can certainly see why people would think it's a bad thing. They want a competition that is even," Penrith second-rower Liam Martin said.

"But this one is even. And personally I think it is incredible what we have done.

"It's good for the game. You still talk about that Dragons team, or Parramatta from the 1980s.

"I am incredibly proud that I can look back in 20 years time and say I was a part of that dynasty."

This year does loom as Penrith's biggest challenge, with departees Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris among the hardest men to replace in the NRL.

The Storm will start the season as favourites after last year's grand-final loss, while the Sharks are legitimate contenders on the arrival of Addin Fonua-Blake.

Michael Maguire's arrival as coach and Ben Hunt's signing give Brisbane reason to believe, while Canterbury were last year's fairytale team.

Manly remain the dark horse with their attacking threats, while all eyes are on what Luai can do to turn around Wests Tigers after three straight wooden spoons.

But Penrith still have the game's best player in Nathan Cleary, his father Ivan at the helm and the most balanced roster in the NRL.

And as for the suggestion the mountain will be too big to climb this year, the Panthers have heard it all before.

"You hear you can't do it again, that you've lost this or whatever," Martin said.

"But it is pretty cool to be able to keep going."