Cleary hits 200 as potent Panthers do a number on rivals

As Nathan Cleary prepares to take his place among Panthers royalty in the 200-game club, father and coach Ivan says he feels lucky to have been able to share a chunk of that journey with his son.

Having coached Nathan in 141 of his 199 NRL matches and to four grand final victories, Ivan has witnessed the growth of the game's premier playmaker both on and off the field, as a man and a matchwinner.

"It's awesome to see Nate as a role model to young kids. Not just as a player, but he is doing a lot of good things off the field as well and just the way he carries himself a lot of kids look up to him and I know he takes that responsibility very seriously," Ivan told media on Wednesday.

"He has always led by his actions but his voice and understanding of the game has grown along the way and he and Isaah [Yeo] have had a great combination there.

"He was fitter than ever and as hungry as ever this pre-season and the results are showing.

"Nate has always wanted to get better and luckily he is surrounded here by lots of other blokes that are similar."

Having missed the finals just once since 2016 and collected four consecutive premierships from 2021-24, it's hard to imagine the Panthers could still get better but that's precisely what they have done in the opening five rounds of 2026.

Dominant wins over last year's grand finalists Brisbane and Melbourne with a combined score of 76-10 have delivered an ominous warning to their rivals while the Sharks, Roosters and Eels have also felt the Panthers' wrath.

Ivan Cleary's men have become the first team to win their opening five games in a season by 20+ points and their staggering points differential of +150 is the highest in premiership history after five rounds.

And then there's unheralded winger Thomas Jenkins, the man keeping three-time premiership winner Izack Tago in NSW Cup as he racks up four-pointers at a record rate.

Jenkins is the only player in premiership history to score 12 tries in the opening five rounds; and the only player to score two or more tries in each of the first five rounds of a season 

The 25-year-old who tonight lines up for career game No.38 is the only player in premiership history to score 12 tries in the opening five rounds and the only player to score two or more tries in each of the first five rounds of a season.

Crazy numbers from a crazy good team that made a habit of starting fast during their premiership reign and going on with the job.

This is the third time in six years the Panthers have started 5-0, the most recent being 2022 when they went on to win their first eight before the Eels lowered their colours.

The year before that they won their first 12 games on the bounce before Wests Tigers defeated a Panthers side missing seven topliners including Jarome Luai, Cleary and Yeo on Origin duty.

The job of trying to stop the Panthers juggernaut in Round 6 falls to the Bulldogs, a side down on confidence after back-to-back losses and missing their inspirational skipper Stephen Crichton.

Having won only one of their past 10 games against the Panthers and conceded 126 points in four consecutive losses at Accor Stadium, the odds are well and truly stacked against the blue and whites spoiling Nathan Cleary's party.