Penrith have shot to the top of the NRL ladder with a 22-10 defeat of North Queensland Cowboys at Panthers Stadium.
Their fifth consecutive win of the campaign allowed Ivan Cleary's club to leapfrog the Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm into top spot, after their best start to a season in 30 years.
The 1991 Panthers won eight of their first 10 games to sit atop the NRL ladder - and went on to claim their first premiership crown.
And with just one loss in 2020, this edition of the Panthers will be tough to beat, come the playoffs in October.
The only downside for the club was the potential long-term losses of fullback Dylan Edwards and Kiwis centre Dean Whare, who both limped off with leg injuries.
Missing a glut of stars, the Cowboys were a much-improved side on the one humbled by Sydney Roosters a week ago. Debutant halfback Daejern Asi showed glimpses of supreme talent, while rookie fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow had his best game of the season, deputising for the injured Valentine Holmes.
But the class of Penrith proved the difference, with halfback Nathan Cleary again at the fore, as his case for the best playmaker in the game continues to rise.
Cleary capped off a fine individual performance with a final-play try on fulltime to extend the Panthers lead.
Earlier, the Warriors were hammered by rampant Cronulla Sharks in Gosford, losing 46-10 in a performance coach Todd Payten described as the worst of the season.
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