Pre-season games are not indicative of regular season success, as shown by past champions' poor performance.
It's hard to read too much into pre-season games with key players either rested or given limited time on the field.
You only have to look at the fate of the two previous NRL pre-season champions. The Broncos won the 2024 pre-season challenge only to finish 12th in the premiership while the 2023 pre-season champions, Manly, also finished 12th in the regular season.
The Raiders accounted for a Panthers outfit minus their premiership players, 22-16, in their opening pre-season game before going down to the Sharks 40-10.