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League fable Andrew Johns has revealed a staggering mentation down Penrith's shocking commencement to the 2025 season, calling for prima subordinate Nathan Cleary to dumb it down if helium wants to triumph games.
The Panthers person ruled the NRL for 5 years with 4 consecutive premierships, but they look similar a shadiness of their erstwhile selves successful 2025.
After 4 consecutive losses, the reigning premiers are successful 15th spot connected the ladder. Their lone triumph came backmost successful circular 1 successful a choky contention against the Sharks successful Las Vegas. Since then, it's been a dependable slide.
The team's troubles person raised eyebrows, with Johns of the content that Cleary mightiness beryllium excessively bully for his ain squad close now.
'The situation for Nathan is the younger players don't spot the crippled similar him,' Johns said connected Channel 9.
'He has to travel backmost (to their level) for a portion until these younger players get utilized to the velocity of the game, handling pressure, playing nether fatigue.
Nathan Cleary has won 4 premierships but his Panthers person struggled successful the opening rounds of the 2025 season
Newcastle champion and NRL expert Andrew Johns believes Cleary needs to get backmost to basics to bring his caller teammates up to speed
'Because they're not up to his fittingness level oregon his intelligence spot ... they don't spot the crippled similar him. So he's got to propulsion it back.'
Johns antecedently labelled Cleary's 2023 expansive last show 'the top show by a halfback successful a expansive last ever.'
That night, Cleary inspired a comeback for the ages, guiding Penrith from 24-8 down with 15 minutes near to a 26-24 triumph implicit Brisbane.
He scored the match-winner, acceptable up 2 more, and collected his 2nd Clive Churchill Medal.
Cleary present boasts the aforesaid magnitude of premierships than Johns and Cowboys prima Johnathan Thurston won collectively - and helium is lone 27.
Statistically, Cleary's output this twelvemonth is accordant with his 2024 performances. In the archetypal 5 rounds of 2024, helium played 3 games and delivered 4 effort assists and 4 enactment interruption assists.
In 2025, helium has played 4 games and produced 5 effort assists and 3 enactment interruption assists - showing nary existent driblet successful idiosyncratic performance.
However, squad information paints a antithetic picture. Penrith's mean errors per crippled person accrued from 11.4 successful 2024 to 12.6 successful 2025. Missed tackles person besides crept up somewhat from 31.6 to 32.6 per game.
The Panthers struggles are crossed the board, signaling much errors and missed tackles than astatine the aforesaid constituent past season
These subtle rises successful antiaircraft lapses and ball-handling mistakes suggest a squad that's somewhat disconnected the people compared to the premiership-winning broadside of the erstwhile year.
While Cleary remains 1 of the NRL's astir effectual playmakers, his reliability whitethorn beryllium covering for a squad that isn't rather firing crossed the board.
Coach Ivan Cleary has had to trust connected younger endowment pursuing the departure of cardinal players similar Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Sunia Turuva.
This new-look broadside is inactive adjusting, and the chemistry that erstwhile defined Penrith's dominance is missing.
Many hoped the instrumentality of Cleary from wounded would dependable the vessel against the Cowboys. Though helium brought immoderate operation to their attack, the Panthers were inactive outplayed.
Defence remains a large interest for Penrith, with uncharacteristic lapses allowing opponents to instrumentality control.
The Panthers volition instrumentality connected the Dolphins successful circular six of NRL action.
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