Penrith have sounded the alarm in their pursuit of a fifth straight premiership, destroying Canterbury 46-26 and setting up a preliminary final against Brisbane.

The Panthers produced one of the most dominant 40 minutes of football of their dynasty, blowing Canterbury out of the water with a record-breaking 36-8 first half.

And while the Bulldogs added some respect to the scoreline in the second half, it still ensured they would follow minor-premiers Canberra out of the finals in straight sets.

Nathan Cleary was at his brilliant best for Penrith, Paul Alamoti scored a hat-trick and Brian To’o a double while the Panthers’ pack won the battle in the middle.

Penrith’s halftime lead was the biggest in finals history, as the Bulldogs missed 42 tackles in the first half alone.

There was

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