The Penrith Panthers have won three competitions on the hop, and there is little doubt they enter the 2024 season as one of the teams primed to be in the mix yet again.
Ivan Cleary's side almost fell short in the 2024 grand final, but, as they have done time and time again over the last four seasons, found a way to get the job done and lift the premiership yet again.
The club come into 2024 with another key out as Stephen Crichton heads off to the Canterbury Bulldogs, and will spend the season preparing for another one with Jarome Luai already signing elsewhere for 2025.
But it hasn't stopped the men from the foot of the mountains in the last couple of years and is unlikely to slow them down significantly this time around.
Here are the key questions that will define the road ahead for Ivan Cleary's side.
5. Can Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke continue to improve?
Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke came into the 2023 season with as much pressure hanging over their head as any Penrith players, preparing to replace Apisai Koroisau who had departed for the Wests Tigers.
Koroisau is as close to unreplaceable as you can get being one of the game's best dummy halves.
But Kenny and Luke stood up to be reckoned with in 2023, while Luke Sommerton will also come into calculations this year as the club's third dummy half option.
Luke's energy off the bench brought plenty to the table for the Panthers, while Kenny consistently improved throughout the season at both ends of the park and provided a lot of solidness around the ruck at the start of games.
Still, with some big-name departures from the foot of the mountains, it does feel as if Penrith need the duo to find another gear in 2024 if they are going to remain at the top of the pile.
