The Penrith Panthers delivered a dominant 50-10 thrashing of the Melbourne Storm to continue their extraordinary start to the 2026 season, becoming the first team in premiership history to win their opening five games by 20 or more points.
Penrith ran riot despite strong early Storm completion rates, racing to a 26-6 halftime lead and piling on tries through a relentless, high-powered attack praised as “undefendable” by commentators.
Tom Jenkins continued his record-breaking try-scoring run while Casey McLean further boosted his State of Origin credentials, and recruit Freddy Lussick impressed in the absence of Mitch Kenny.
For Melbourne, the heavy defeat marked a third straight loss and their first time conceding 50 points since 2003, compounded by a leg injury to captain Harry Grant, leaving coach Craig Bellamy facing mounting concerns as tougher fixtures loom.
