The Penrith Panthers just keep rolling.
A fourth straight premiership this year, knocking the Melbourne Storm in the grand final, has left no doubt surrounding who the best team of the modern era are.
The Panthers are them, and there is not even a question to be asked.
Nathan Cleary spent half the season sidelined, other injuries threatened to hamper their progress, and yet, despite falling short of the minor premiership, when it counted, they were next to faultless during the finals.
And things don't look like they are about to slow down for the settled Penrith outfit, who have a squad built strongly over the coming years.
We will run the rule over all 17 clubs on Zero Tackle as the 2026 recruitment period gets underway to determine who their top targets are. Today, the Panthers…
Current 2026 Penrith Panthers squad
Paul Alamoti, Nathan Cleary, Jack Cole, Dylan Edwards, Luke Garner, Liam Henry, Mitch Kenny, Moses Leota, Liam Martin, Casey McLean, Jesse McLean, Isaiah Papali'i, Lindsay Smith, Scott Sorensen, Izack Tago, Blaize Talagi, Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo, Luron Patea, Billy Scott, Trent Toelau
Off-contract at end of 2025
Mavrik Geyer, Harrison Hassett, Asu Kepaoa, Daine Laurie, Soni Luke, Riley Price, Preston Riki, Brad Schneider, Luke Sommerton
Current best 17 for 2026
1. Dylan Edwards
2. Brian To'o
3. Paul Alamoti
4. Izack Tago
5. Casey McLean
6. Blaize Talagi
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Mitch Kenny
10. Lindsay Smith
11. Scott Sorensen
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange
14. Jack Cole
15. Liam Henry
16. Isaiah Papali'i
17. Luke Garner
Not in 17: Jesse McLean, Luron Patea, Billy Scott, Trent Toelau
The Panthers are unbelievably settled for the long-term given this side have won four straight premierships.
It just goes to show that salary cap management is a game, and if you play it right, even success can't slow you down.
The fact they have a best 17 for 2026 that doesn't look all that far removed from the fourth straight title winning side of 2024 is almost scary for the remainder of the competition.
It's a 17 which does, however, have a few potential needs for upgrades. The club appear to be less than sold on Jack Cole as their long-term five-eighth, and could well look for more options in the outside backs where Jesse McLean is currently listed as a first-choice winger.
He is a raw talent, and the next 12 months will tell us how far through his development he truly is.
The Panthers are also yet to replace James Fisher-Harris, but money will be tight when it comes to that, so it'll be a case of either promoting from within, or looking for young options who can fit into their system and float from first grade to reserve grade as needed.
The biggest factor when it comes to recruitment for the Panthers is that they simply aren't going to have cash to splash.
Yes, they have lost James Fisher-Harris and Jarome Luai ahead of 2025 without adequate replacements from outside of their own system, but they have also had to upgrade a number of their current players to keep the team together.
Without a locked in five-eighth, that means they could well be able to tempt a number of younger players from around the competition in having a crack on their system.
That would come with the promise that, even if they aren't in the best 17, opportunities will arise, and those players will then go on to land big contracts elsewhere, as other back ups in multiple positions at the Panthers have done in recent seasons.
Kade Dykes is one such player. Able to play fullback and five-eighth, when he hasn't been injured, he has been one of Newtwon's best in the NSW Cup, and would be an excellent acquisition to the Panthers' squad without breaking the bank.
The Panthers do look like they are a little skinny on depth in the outside backs at this stage, but also unsure as to which direction they are going to take with the players currently on deck.
That could leave them looking for a few options from around the competition who won't break the bank, but also have enormous future upside.
Any approach for a player like Stonestreet could well be futile if they can't guarantee him a starting position, but at this stage, neither can the Sharks as they continue to use Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa in their wing positions.
Which way Cronulla end up going remains to be seen, but would the opportunity to learn from Brian To'o and fight for a spot playing in the NRL's most dominant team talk to a youngster like Stonestreet?
I'd hedge a bet that the answer is yes.
Stonestreet isn't the only back five player off-contract at the end of the 2025 NRL season, with impressive breakout centre Kyle Laybutt from the North Queensland Cowboys being another.
Penrith have Izack Tago on their books for 2026, and have re-signed Paul Alamoti, but good judges have Tago making a positional swap in the coming years, which could leave Ivan Cleary and his recruitment staff looking to bring through another centre.
While it stills remains to be seen what role the McLean brothers will play, Laybutt, who spend much of 2023 sidelined with an ACL injury, is the type of player a number of clubs could go after.
Don't be surprised if Penrith are on the list.
The Panthers are yet to replace James Fisher-Harris, who has gone to the New Zealand Warriors for 2025.
It goes without saying they don't have the money to do so, but would still likely want to add depth to their engine room as it stands right now.
They have young talent coming through, but whether that talent will be NRL ready by 2026 remains to be seen.
That said, a player like Fonua Pole, who has been impressive in the Wests Tigers' struggling system, but would potentially go to another level at the foot of the mountains, could be a good get for the Panthers.
He is a hard worker, can play right across the forward pack, and will only keep getting better in the years to come without breaking the bank.
Loiero, a former junior State of Origin player, has moved into the middle third of the park over the last 12 months, becoming a key figure at the Melbourne Storm as they pushed back to the grand final.
That doesn't mean he is going to stay there for good though after coming through the system as a second-rower.
A versatile forward with plenty of NRL experience, but, keeping with the theme here, not breaking the bank, is a player the Panthers could certainly use. He would likely walk onto their bench.
He currently starts in Melbourne so it would be a tough sell, but a question should, at the very least, be asked.