Penrith Panthers 2024 NRL draw snapshot

The Panthers embark on what is uncharted territory in the modern era this coming season as they hunt a fourth-straight premiership.

They’ll be the team everyone wants to beat again and will need to navigate a handful of gruelling five-day turnarounds – one of which falls in the already tricky Origin period where they will likely have a plethora of stars involved.

Teams they play twice

Two grand final rematches against the Broncos await in Round 3 and 18, while they also play the Storm – who they knocked out in the preliminary finals in 2023 – twice. Home and away fixtures against the Eels, Sea Eagles, Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Knights are also on the schedule.

Teams they play once

Penrith have just one game against a Bulldogs side who will have several former Panthers on their roster in 2024, while similarly they’ll get just one chance to take on triple premiership-winning prop Spencer Leniu in his first season with the Roosters (Round 4). The Wests Tigers, Warriors, Sharks, Dolphins, Raiders and Titans are the other teams they play once.

Day-by-day breakdown

• Thursday: 4 games (2 home, 2 away)
• Friday: 6 games (3 home, 3 away)
• Saturday: 7 games (3 home, 4 away)
• Sunday: 7 games (4 home, 3 away)

Turnaround time

• 5 days: 3 games
• 6 days: 4 games
• 7+ days: 16 games
• 

With five-day turnarounds leading into Round 9 against the Rabbitohs, Round 18 against the Broncos and Round 23 against the Eels, the Panthers have the equal-most in the competition this season. Their longest gap between games comes after their bye in Round 19, with 16 days between playing the Broncos in Brisbane and taking on the Dolphins back at BlueBet Stadium thanks to the week off.

Opening month

• Round 1: v Storm (A)
• Round 2: v Eels (H)
• Round 3: v Broncos (H)
• Round 4: v Roosters (A)

A brutal opening month sees Penrith play the second and third ranked sides from 2023, the Storm and Broncos, within the first three weeks. Add to that the fact that they open the season against a Melbourne side who have won 19-straight Round 1 games heading into 2024. The Eels and Roosters are the other teams they play in the first four games of the new season.

Magic Round

For the second year in a row Penrith take on the Warriors during Magic Round, coming after they toughed out a 18-6 win in the corresponding fixture last year. After losing their first Magic Round game back in 2019, Penrith have won their last three games at the annual event in Brisbane.

State of Origin watch

The Panthers are expected to again be hit hard over the Origin period, but they won’t have to play without their stars while they are in state camp in Round 16 and 19, due to having byes on each of those occasions. In Round 13 they’ll face a Dragons side without their Origin contingent, while Penrith will back up after all three games in the series, taking on the Sea Eagles post Origin I, Cowboys post Origin II and Dolphins after Origin II. Crucially, all three of those games will come at home for Ivan Cleary’s men at the foot of Sydney’s mountains.

Can’t miss game

Round 3 v Broncos, Thursday at BlueBet Stadium (H)

What other game could it possibly be? The first meeting of these two sides after they played out a classic grand final in 2023, with plenty on the line for both sides early in the new campaign. In the corresponding game last season the Broncos tipped Penrith over in Round 1 to make an early statement of intent but it was Ivan Cleary’s men who had the last laugh when it mattered most.