Ivan Cleary is confident Penrith's post-grand final sledges will be water under the bridge for Parramatta when the traditional foes clash for the first time since last year's decider.

Last October, the Panthers outplayed the fast-finishing Eels, who did not score a point until the 76th minute of their 28-12 grand final loss.

In their post-match celebrations, the Panthers caused a stir by referencing media comments that the reigning premiers were the 'bigger brothers' in the Western Sydney rivalry.

After the win, five-eighth Jarome Luai referred to Penrith as Parramatta's "daddies" on social media, before prop James Fisher-Harris declared the Eels the "sons" of the Panthers during the team's boozy grand final reception at BlueBet Stadium.

At the same event, Panthers fans chanted "We hate Parra".

In the wash-up from the defeat, Eels second-rower Shaun Lane insisted Parramatta would have kept their celebrations in check had they hoisted the trophy.

The Eels have the chance to exact revenge on the reigning premiers at CommBank Stadium on Thursday in a round-four clash that finds both sides below their best.

After starting last season with eight consecutive victories, the Panthers have begun 2023 with a loss and a win, while Parramatta are winless through three rounds.

Cleary said both sides would be focused on kickstarting their season on Thursday, rather than harking back to the grand final.

"The context (of the comments) was a few too many drinks over the road (at BlueBet Stadium)," Cleary said.

"That was a little out of context so I'm sure it's washed over. We're not worrying about last year. It's all about this year.

"New team, new situations for both teams, really. Everyone's just trying to get their season going and we're no different."

Penrith come into round four on the back of their first bye of the season.

The Panthers spent the bulk of the break down the coast at Kiama, where they enjoyed a mix of work and play.

The NRL has not had weekly byes since 2006 - the last season before this year the competition had an odd number of teams.

While the early break gave halves pairing Nathan Cleary and Luai time to nurse minor foot injuries, Ivan Cleary said time would tell whether it was an advantage to miss a week so soon into the season.

"It's like anything in the draw, you get what you're given and you've got to make the most of it," he said.

"I guess we'll know more tomorrow.

"We got a chance to work on some things from the first few games that we felt we needed to improve. It was a good opportunity for that."

This weekend, Cleary becomes only the 10th person in Australian rugby league history to coach 400 first-grade games and is set to overtake Warren Ryan as the seventh-most capped coach by the end of the season.

"I guess it's a survival thing," Cleary said of his longevity.

"If you're a good survivor, you've got to have good allies.

"I've had a lot of good help from a lot of people over the years, from mentors and management, assistant coaches, players, family of course. That's the key."