- Four-time premiers have lost four games on the bounce
- Has made their title defence extremely challenging
League legend Andrew Johns has revealed a staggering theory behind Penrith’s shocking start to the 2025 season, calling for star player Nathan Cleary to dumb it down if he wants to win games.
The Panthers have ruled the NRL for five years with four consecutive premierships, but they look like a shadow of their former selves in 2025.
After four straight losses, the reigning premiers are in 15th spot on the ladder. Their only win came back in round one in a tight contest against the Sharks in Las Vegas. Since then, it’s been a steady slide.
The team’s troubles have raised eyebrows, with Johns of the belief that Cleary might be too good for his own team right now.
‘The challenge for Nathan is the younger players don’t see the game like him,’ Johns said on Channel 9.
‘He has to come back (to their level) for a while until these younger players get used to the speed of the game, handling pressure, playing under fatigue.
Nathan Cleary has won four premierships but his Panthers have struggled in the opening rounds of the 2025 season
Newcastle champion and NRL analyst Andrew Johns believes Cleary needs to get back to basics to bring his new teammates up to speed
‘Because they’re not up to his fitness level or his mental strength … they don’t see the game like him. So he’s got to pull it back.’
Johns previously labelled Cleary’s 2023 grand final performance ‘the greatest performance by a halfback in a grand final ever.’
That night, Cleary inspired a comeback for the ages, guiding Penrith from 24-8 down with 15 minutes left to a 26-24 win over Brisbane.
He scored the match-winner, set up two more, and collected his second Clive Churchill Medal.
Cleary now boasts the same amount of premierships than Johns and Cowboys star Johnathan Thurston won collectively – and he is only 27.
Statistically, Cleary’s output this year is consistent with his 2024 performances. In the first five rounds of 2024, he played three games and delivered four try assists and four line break assists.
In 2025, he has played four games and produced five try assists and three line break assists – showing no real drop in individual performance.
However, team data paints a different picture. Penrith’s average errors per game have increased from 11.4 in 2024 to 12.6 in 2025. Missed tackles have also crept up slightly from 31.6 to 32.6 per game.
The Panthers struggles are across the board, recording more errors and missed tackles than at the same point last season
These subtle rises in defensive lapses and ball-handling mistakes suggest a team that’s slightly off the mark compared to the premiership-winning side of the previous year.
While Cleary remains one of the NRL’s most effective playmakers, his reliability may be covering for a team that isn’t quite firing across the board.
Coach Ivan Cleary has had to rely on younger talent following the departure of key players like Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Sunia Turuva.
This new-look side is still adjusting, and the chemistry that once defined Penrith’s dominance is missing.
Many hoped the return of Cleary from injury would steady the ship against the Cowboys. Though he brought some structure to their attack, the Panthers were still outplayed.
Defence remains a major concern for Penrith, with uncharacteristic lapses allowing opponents to take control.
The Panthers will take on the Dolphins in round six of NRL action.
