Anthony Griffin will have left 1300Smiles Stadium content that his side put together one of the most dominant defensive efforts of his tenure at the club as they notched a brilliant 33-14 win over the heavily fancied North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
In a game that was marred by the distinct sound of the referee's whistle for much of the opening exchanges, the Panthers made for an uncomfortable night for the Cowboys and their stars with an array of big hits and plenty of physical football.
There was some fine stuff with the ball in hand, notably a great try to the big-runner Viliame Kikau and a high-flying Waqa Blake, but Penrith's win tonight was built on the back of winning that famous battle in the middle third.
Kyle Feldt was strong with a two-try performance, but even the former Grand Final hero couldn't drag his side back into the contest.