Brian To'o set Allianz Stadium alight with a magical double-kick try for himself after taking the ball from Paul Alamoti 30 metres out in the 20th minute, as four tries in 12 minutes blew the game wide open for Penrith after the Roosters had started well.
The winger's audacious execution was immediately hailed as an early contender for the year's most spectacular try. Rival fullbacks Dylan Edwards and James Tedesco created plenty of opportunities while Brian To'o stole the show with a sensational solo try, setting the tone for a dominant Panthers performance at their rivals' home ground.
Penrith's efficiency was startling. The men in pink had 54 per cent of possession and completed 23 of 23 sets as they took a stranglehold on the match. This defensive discipline has defined their season to date. Penrith got through the first 137 minutes of their season before conceding their only try to date, conceding an average of three points per game, with the next best teams conceding 12 points per game.
The backline showed the kind of x-factor that has made them genuine premiership favourites. The Panthers came up with another beauty after Paul Alamoti made a break down the right and when he was tackled they swung the ball back to the left where Nathan Cleary and Blaize Talagi handled before Isaiah Papali'i produced a superb cut-out pass for Thomas Jenkins to complete his hat-trick. Jenkins became the first Panther to open a season with doubles in the first three games.
The Roosters' experiment with new recruits showed some promise early. James Tedesco slid across field and picked up right centre Rob Toia who burned Casey McLean to post the eighth try of his career in the opening five minutes, giving the home side an early 4-0 advantage. But the team's well-documented defensive issues resurfaced once Penrith settled into their rhythm.
At Allianz Stadium, the Roosters and Panthers wrote another chapter in a great modern-day rivalry, with these teams having won six of the past eight premierships between them. The Roosters have conceded 30 points or more in five of their past six games against the Panthers, and the Panthers have won 11 of their last 12 games against the Roosters.