As the original poster of this thread, I predicted that this side would have great success over a period of time. At the end of last year, I thought they were a shot this year but would not be as good as they were in 2022.
The 2023 side is indeed in my opinion, the weakest of the premiership sides. The fact that they still wipe the floor with 15 of the 16 other sides with Brisbane being the only real tough nut to crack for them speaks to how well they are coached. Talentwise, man for man, I think the Broncos edge out Penrith. The great difference between the sides was their mindset, the way they are coached plus some elite plays from Chrichton and Cleary which led to a title.
I have nothing but admiration for this team. As a Tigers fan, I hated Ivan Cleary and didn't like the initial success of the Panthers. But, they have won me over with time. This IS the greatest side I have ever seen.
Not that Panthers fans should care....but I think the energy towards being excellent for such a long period of time will probably finally take their toll next year. Their biggest challenge will probably be desire to climb that mountain again. Roster-wise, I think Taylan May will do a job at centre. Leniu will be harder to replace so I hope for their sake they have a young prop coming through as I don't think Lindsay Smith fits that bill.
Huge congratulations!!!