Trent Robinson says Penrith are clearly the NRL's form team after Tom Jenkins scored four tries in a brutal 40-4 drubbing of his Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
The ruthless Panthers rode a 24-4 halftime lead to their third consecutive defeat of a premiership heavyweight in as many games to start the new season.
Penrith's three wins have come by a combined score of 92-10 - the team's most one-sided opening three rounds by points differential since Ivan Cleary returned as coach in 2019.
"They've been definitely the form team to start the season," said Roosters coach Robinson.
Left winger Jenkins surged to the top of the try-scoring leaderboard with eight four-pointers for the year, Dylan Edwards bagged a double and Paul Alamoti toyed with the Roosters' left edge all night.
Intimidatingly, the Panthers still have room to improve. They missed 47 tackles to the Roosters' 40 and gave away twice as many six-agains.
But there is no question Penrith are well on the way to recapturing their four-time premiership-winning best following a roller-coaster 2025 season.
"I still think there's a long way to go. It's round three," said halfback Nathan Cleary.
"But in terms of this point, definitely compared to last year, we're streets ahead."
Penrith's round-five clash against 2025 runners-up Melbourne shapes as the season's biggest blockbuster yet.
Friday's match came with similar anticipation given Reece Robson's recovery from a thumb injury meant the Roosters unveiling their new first-choice spine.
The star-studded Tricolours had the first points through Robert Toia, but fell off the pace after 15 minutes.
"(There's a) Mike Tyson quote around 'Everyone can fight until they get punched in the face'," Robinson said.
"We got punched in the face and we didn't fight back. We might've danced around a bit, but it's pretty clear what we need to do."
In-form fullback Edwards swung momentum with a 30-metre break in the 15th minute to put Jenkins in position for the Panthers' first try.
Brian To'o had their second minutes later, poking a grubber kick through the line, regathering the ball and then scoring on the back of a second kick to himself.
"I might ask him for a few tips on grubbers, they were deadset perfect," said champion halfback Cleary.
Alamoti had a field day marking journeyman centre Junior Pauga and orchestrated Penrith's third in the set after To'o's try.
He began a 90-metre tear out of the backfield that ended with Edwards scoring the first of his two tries, the second coming in the final 10 minutes on the right side.
Jenkins had a career-best fourth try when the Roosters batted a kick back to Penrith prop Moses Leota, who popped the ball up and ignited his winger's 80m break.
Coach Cleary felt Jenkins' omission from last year's finals campaign had spurred him on.
"He came back with a real purpose. He made some adjustments physically in what he needed to do. He's definitely had that hunger about him," the coach said.