Penrith were scary enough at night. In daylight, they’re outright terrifying

To think this Penrith side have done their best work under cover of darkness.

To think this Penrith side – with the most expansive, enterprising big-game rugby league of their dynasty to date – get to play on a sunny Sunday afternoon again.

The only thing better than the most perfect 40 minutes of finals football in living memory?

The prospect of an encore same time, different place next week. But Sunday’s first half blitzkrieg of the Bulldogs could actually just be the opening act.

The Panthers will take their travelling Cirque du Soleil roadshow to what will surely be a sold-out Suncorp Stadium for more Sunday afternoon finals footy, against a rested, rejuvenated Broncos outfit.

The spectre of a replay of the 2023 grand final – arguably the most entertaining and expansive decider of them all – will be impossible to ignore. Even with so much upheaval in both team sheets, and in Brisbane’s case, their coach’s box too.

Not when the last time Nathan Cleary played Sunday afternoon footy in Brisbane, he reprised his stepping, skipping, scything grand final-winning try, and waltzed out of Suncorp having once again torn the Broncos to pieces.

Liam Martin’s sore ribs are cause for concern, so too Casey McLean’s shoulder and Brad Schneider finishing on report for a cannonball tackle.

But credit to the NRL, shifting the biggest games of the season to the day of rest has been a masterstroke – 72 points on Sunday made for fine viewing.

Credit to Penrith and their dominance of the past-half decade – the theory their play is better suited to night and evening games is backed by four-straight titles and 14 consecutive finals victories.

Brian To’o scores in the corner for Penrith.Credit: Getty Images

They’re just that good. Sunday’s six tries in 40 minutes, with a 100 per cent completion rate, seven offloads and 32 tackles in Canterbury’s half doesn’t change the fact they’re nigh unbeatable when a conservative game plan is called for either.

Cleary remains the best game-managing No.7 in the NRL by the length of one of his 40-20s. The backfield metres of Brian To’o and Dylan Edwards, and the control of Isaah Yeo and Mitch Kenny, is priceless under lights and in any sort of dewy or dicey weather. The defence that has conceded less than any other side since round 13 is even more formidable at night at Accor Stadium.

But in picture perfect conditions on Sunday, Penrith were exactly that too. Despite losing so many stars to so many rivals over so many years, they let the Steeden sing against a hapless defence as passes stuck and tries piled up.

Canterbury matched them for roughly five minutes before being completely and utterly dismantled.

It’s rare to recall the Panthers playing with such abandon in big games. But To’o’s opening try came courtesy of play swinging from one sideline to the other with half a dozen passes either side of one play-the-ball.

They didn’t stop until oranges were called and even with the Bulldogs refusing to wilt and racking up second-half points of their own, Penrith were always Brisbane-bound.

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To think the Broncos have Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo bidding to join Adam Reynolds in returning for the home side.

To think Reece Walsh will be leading Brisbane’s attack in what’s predicted to be dry, 28-degree south-east Queensland conditions.

To think rugby league gets treated to this Penrith side doing the same on a sunny Sunday afternoon again.

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