Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has questioned the integrity of the Bulldogs' 17-game winning streak of 2002, as his own club looks ahead to its 11th straight win in 2020, per The Age.
Canterbury were eventually stripped 37 points and fined $500,000 when it was revealed the club had spent $1 million over their allocated salary, but 18 years on their famous winning streak remains.
The Panthers have enjoyed life at the top of the ladder, with 10 consecutive wins putting them in the front seat for the minor premiership.
Cleary's side will face The Tigers on Saturday before a run home that includes the Broncos, Eels, Cowboys and Bulldogs, with many backing in the club to end the season on an undefeated run of 15 matches.
While the Panthers coach remains quiet on his side's perfect run, Cleary did draw focus to the tainted streak the Bulldogs put together in 2002.
"Didn't they get their points stripped?'' Cleary asked. ''I don't think it's fair. How can it be?
"It's like saying Melbourne should keep their [2007 and 2009] premierships. Did [sprinter] Ben Johnson keep his [1988 Olympics] gold medal?
"I understand the individual records, but as far as a team goes, how can it be acknowledged when they were cheating?''
While the Bulldogs' streak is the best of the modern era, the Roosters boast the greatest run in the game's history with 19 wins in the 1975 season.
NRL historian David Middleton backed up Canterbury's claim that their streak is official despite their campaign being tainted.
"The [Bulldogs] record still stands because the games were played and the wins were recognised, they just lost all their competition points,'' Middleton said.
"It's like the Storm, they won the grand finals but were stripped of the titles. You can't say it didn't happen. The players' records still stand and they weren't changed. The wins were recognised, but the penalty was stripping of competition points, not the withdrawal of wins.''
Former Canterbury prop Mark O'Meley was a member of the 2002 side and said the streak deserves to remain in the history books.
"Regardless of what went on with the salary cap, it was a special thing and pretty tough to do,'' O'Meley said.
"As a player, it's hard to say we didn't win 17 straight. We had to beat Penrith in the last minute in one game, I had a one-on-one rake on Colin Ward and flicked it to Braith [Anasta] to score to keep the record going. Hazem [el Masri] kicked one from the sideline in another game.
"As players, we didn't know who the board spent money on. I was proud of that record.''
The Panthers haven;t been discussing their current run of wins, with Cleary revealing his senior players are keeping the group focussed one week at a time.
"They're just enjoying preparing,'' Cleary said. "We prepare to give ourselves [victory] each week. That's how it started and it's still going.''
