Aside from an unhappy first half of the grand final, pretty much everything went right for the Panthers in 2020.
But that golden season will count for little when the Cowboys visit Panthers Stadium on Saturday night as teams coached by Ivan Cleary and Todd Payten start the new season on level footing as far as the ladder is concerned.
Payten’s players have spoken of transitioning to an up-tempo style of play over the summer and on Saturday we will get a first proper glimpse of that.
As for the Panthers, Cleary will want to see the selfless style of play and willingness to do the little things that were hallmarks of 2020 remain evident.
