LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
This NRL season, the Penrith Panthers encountered an emotion they seldom experience during their successful streak that includes four consecutive premierships.
Humiliation.
However, the sting of a 25-6 defeat to Newcastle in Bathurst in late May galvanized the Panthers, helping them escape what coach Ivan Cleary described as a "vortex of self-pity."
Now, the Panthers are gearing up for a semifinal match against Canterbury on Sunday, as they strive for their fifth consecutive championship.
Their situation could have been drastically different had they chosen to give up during the season.
At one point, they risked becoming the first team since the 1953 Western Suburbs Magpies to fall from champions to wooden-spooners within a single year.
After 12 rounds, they found themselves at the bottom of the ladder with only three victories to their name. The loss to the Knights, who ultimately would finish last, became a turning point for the Panthers.
"We were all so embarrassed about ourselves after that game and we took it upon ourselves to make a change," stated Panthers player Daine Laurie on Wednesday.