Extra Time September 22 2023 (Finals Week 3 - Panthers v Storm)

MASKED PANTHER

SEE PAGE 39

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO 80 MINUTES AT ACCOR STADIUM PANTHERS V STORM PREVIEW: SEE PAGE 35

PETER LANG

SEE PAGE 45

WARREN SMITH

SEE PAGE 44

Nathan Cleary.

Photo: NRL Images.

PRESENTS

Gotcha4Life Ball

Date: 18th November 2023

Time: 6:30 PM

Venue: Penrith Panthers Convention Centre 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith NSW 2750

Dress code: Formal

Ticket Prices

$275 each Or $2,500 for a table of 10

Platinum

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Ican’t help but glance back to the 2021 Finals when I think about Friday night’s game between Penrith and Melbourne.

These same two clubs did battle in a Preliminary Final, with the Storm short-priced favourites to topple Penrith, who were forced to go the long way around after a first-up Finals loss.

Like Penrith this year, the Storm were Minor Premiers in the 2021 season and appeared destined for the title. And like Melbourne this year, the Panthers were battered with injuries and limping towards the end of the year.

We all know what happened on that Saturday afternoon: The Panthers pulled off a remarkable upset, on the back of a couple of smart set plays and a whole heap of defensive desire.

It’s why I don’t go into this Friday night’s clash at Accor Stadium brimming with confidence or

cockiness. I’m a firm believer that anything can happen in a Preliminary Final, and all of the possible Grand Final scenarios are not out of the question heading into this weekend.

The Panthers are understandably red hot favourites. Not only were they dominant against the Warriors a fortnight ago, but they welcome back Jarome Luai to strengthen the spine, and will be refreshed after a week off.

The Storm meanwhile lost to the Broncos in the opening weekend of the Finals, and were two minutes away from going out in straight sets before a Hail Mary bomb came off against the Roosters.

But we all know that Melbourne, inspired by coach Craig Bellamy, do this time of year better than most.

They just know how to win Finals games, and experience is not an issue.

Penrith now know a thing or two about Finals too, and they remember that afternoon back in 2021 and would hopefully realise the motivation the Storm just may take from that kind of performance. It proved the impossible was possible, and the Storm are certainly trying to achieve the impossible on Friday.

Some have mentioned the 2020 Grand Final as playing a part in this rivalry but the reality is it serves only as a passing of the baton moment in terms of competition dominance. The Storm were at the end of their incredible reign, with Cameron Smith bowing out, while the Panthers were at the start of theirs, caught up in the occasion. I doubt there is very little either side would take out of 2020 now.

Defence for me is the key here. Penrith conceded just 268 points in the regular season, while the Storm conceded 421 – the worst of

any of the top four sides. When one side’s points differential is 178 points better than the others, it’s not hard to see why one is a clear favourite.

Melbourne have named halfback Jahrome Hughes to return from injury, but there’d have to be some doubt over him – which certainly would have impacted their preparation.

The Panthers too aren’t necessarily fighting fit. Doubts over Luai and centre Izack Tago remain, though both were named to start and seem right to go.

In the end, I think Penrith will get the job done – but like last year’s Preliminary Final against Souths, I think it might take some pretty hard work, and even a comeback. The Storm will throw everything at this – and Penrith will need to produce one of their best performances of the season to stop them.

Tip: Panthers by 6.

Things got a little heated when Penrith and Melbourne last played. Photo: NRL Images.

match preview

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Brisbane may have the home ground advantage when they face the New Zealand Warriors this Saturday night, but the support of the rugby league community is without doubt behind the visitors.

The Warriors travel to Brisbane on the back of a 40-10 thumping of Newcastle last weekend – producing a completely different performance to the one against the Panthers the previous week.

Shaun Johnson’s return proved vital for the Warriors and they showed no signs of stage fright as they set the agenda early and never really looked headed against a Knights side that started too slow in both their Finals games.

The Warriors and their rookie coach

Andrew Webster will know the enormous task that lays ahead of them on Saturday. Perhaps to their benefit, they also know nobody gives them much of a hope of knocking off the Broncos, who came within a whisker of claiming this year’s Minor Premiership.

If there is a question mark over the Broncos, it has to be whether or not they are match ready. They breezed through the opening weekend of the Finals, downing Melbourne 26-0. It was a decent performance but the Storm produced probably their worst attacking effort of the year.

Prior to that, Kevin Walters rested players in the final round against Melbourne, while a bye confronted them just two weeks prior to that. Whether the stopstart nature of the way the Broncos and their key players have finished this season has an impact will be intriguing to watch.

The keys for Brisbane are obviously

Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh. Reynolds was brought to Brisbane to win a Premiership – the side had the catalyst of something special but needed a driver, and Reynolds has been that. Oh what South Sydney must be thinking now. Walsh has proven a dynamite player this season, and while his erratic nature can be problematic at times, it mostly delivers Brisbane results. He has a real chance to light up Suncorp on Saturday night.

It’s hard to imagine Brisbane running away with this one, and you have to throw the form of both teams in week one out the window given the Storm team that turned up to play the Broncos, and the fact the Warriors were without Shaun Johnson.

In the end, I think the Broncos will get home – but it may well be a lot closer than many suspect.

Tip: Broncos by 4.

Adam Reynolds at training on Monday. Photo: NRL Images.

If Penrith qualify for their fourth consecutive Grand Final come 10pm this Friday night, Zac Hosking’s mates should consider careers in the fortune telling business.

12 months ago, the Panthers were playing Parramatta in the 2022 decider when the 26-year-old and his friends sat around a television and watched his future club destroy the Eels on their way to a memorable victory.

“I remember watching the Grand Final with a heap of mates last year… I had already signed [with Penrith] by that point, and they were making jokes saying that’s where I’ll be in 12 months’ time,” Hosking recalled to Extra Time

“I sort of laughed it off at the time, but now we’re one game away from being in that position.

“I look back on that day and what they were saying, and I can’t believe it might come to fruition – it’s pretty cool, actually.”

Something Hosking and his mates didn’t predict that October 2 night was that Penrith’s possible opponent in next weekend’s 2023 NRL Grand Final could be his former club in the

Brisbane Broncos. This time last year the Broncos were still picking up the pieces after a spectacular fall from grace that saw them miss the Finals

despite being in a strong position to qualify midway through the season. The backrower said it was a tough period for the Queensland

heavyweights, but he’s pleased they were able to turn it around to finish second a year later.

“I’ve said it a few times but I’m

actually really happy for them,” Hosking said.

“They were copping it this time last year from the media about the sudden decline and being a part of that was pretty shit… it wasn’t a nice time.

“But they’ve turned it around and I’m happy for them. But, at the end of the day, they are the opposition now and we need to beat them.”

It turns out Brisbane’s loss was Penrith’s gain. After playing four games for the Broncos last year, Hosking has since gone on to play 21 matches for the Panthers this season – far more than he ever would’ve imagined coming in to such a star-studded side.

“I never wanted to put a limit on what I could do this year,” the Newcastle junior said.

“Since coming into the team in Round 4, I haven’t left and every week I’m extremely grateful to be able to put this jersey on and play with some of the best players in the world.

“To think that I gave up on the whole dream two years ago and now I’m in this position.

“It’s awesome, I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Zac Hosking up against Melbourne Storm earlier this year. Photo: NRL Images.

NATHAN TAYLOR

NO CHANCE OF COMPLACENCY AT PENRITH

done that afternoon 10-6, in what was one of the great Finals matches in recent years.

Beware the walking wounded – that’s the message Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny has been spruiking this week as the Panthers go into tonight’s Preliminary Final against the Storm as red-hot favourites.

With Melbourne held scoreless in week one of the Finals and only winning on the bell against the Roosters last week, not many are giving Craig Bellamy’s men any hope of toppling the back-to-back Premiers on Friday.

However, the Panthers know just what it’s like to be the underdogs heading into a Prelim.

Two years ago, Penrith were given next to no chance of beating the Storm at Suncorp Stadium for a place in the 2021 Grand Final.

That year, the Panthers lost their opening Finals match to South Sydney before scraping past the Eels in controversial circumstances in week two.

They then faced a Melbourne side fresh from a week off and humming along beautifully after an historically good regular season.

Penrith, unbelievably, got the job

Kenny remembers the 2021 Finals Series well, and believes that’s exactly why no-one should write off Melbourne just yet.

“I remember particularly in ’21 when we won the comp, it was like every game was absolute war, but that made us so battled hardened,”

Kenny told Extra Time

“So, I think, you can’t

expect them to come limping in, if anything their path makes them stronger. We’ve got that knowledge because we’ve been through it that way as well – we’ve done it the hard way.

“This is the Melbourne Storm we are talking about. They are going to turn up here and probably play the best game they have played all year, so that’s what we must expect and be ready for.”

The rivalry between the Panthers

and Storm is one of the best going around today. From the 2020 Grand Final to that Prelim in 2021 and subsequent battles since, matches between the two sides have always been a joy to watch.

For years, Penrith couldn’t beat Melbourne – it was as if a curse had been put on them every single time they played the men in purple.

But these days, things have swung in Penrith’s favour, and they are now the dominant of the two clubs.

Kenny, who just returned from a hamstring injury, said the Panthers no longer fear Melbourne but instead have the utmost respect for them.

“There’s a fierce rivalry between the two sides but it all comes down to respect in the end. And because you have that deep respect for each other,

over the last four years.”

Penrith will need to be on their game if they are to complete their three-peat mission and do what no club has done in 40 years of rugby league.

Kenny said while they can almost taste the Premiership it’s so close, they can’t get trapped into thinking too far ahead.

“You’ve got to put every minute of your training into that Prelim. You can’t dream of anything else because if you go in trying to save yourself or worry about that final week, you’re not respecting the opportunity in front of you, you’re not respecting the opposition and you’ll get in trouble for that,” he said.

“This game will get our complete attention and complete focus. That’s the way we’ve been playing the whole season. It’s just another step, it’s just another game, it’s just another day at training. You don’t look too far ahead and you focus on the task at hand.”

Mitch Kenny returned from injury against the Warriors recently. Photo: NRL Images.

Mitch Kenny up against the Storm earlier this year. Photo: NRL Images.

Mitch Kenny has enjoyed a strong season this year. Photo: NRL Images.

NATHAN TAYLOR

panther rumblings

SMITH CELEBRATES BIG NEWS

! Smith’s big news: Panthers forward Lindsay Smith and his partner Alex are expecting their first child. The pair revealed the news on social media during the week. It’s been a big couple of years for St Marys junior Smith, who made his first grade debut with the Panthers in 2021 and has really found his feet this season.

! Venue oddity: I’m told the NRL made the decision to host Penrith’s Preliminary Final at Accor Stadium mid-way through last week, and informed the Panthers of the decision on Friday morning. The Panthers always wanted to play the match at Accor but the NRL had been considering CommBank Stadium as a venue given concern over the crowd figure. I’m told the match has sold pretty well through the week, with a crowd of around 30,000 expected. It’s not bad considering many Panthers fans would be saving their cash for the Grand Final and the Storm don’t bring many supporters.

! Cleary good to go: There was never any serious concern over halfback Nathan Cleary lining up against the Storm on Friday night. It’s true he was sent up to hospital for help with a dislocated finger – but only because a doctor was not at Monday’s training session and the staff on deck couldn’t get it back in. He’ll be good to go on Friday.

! Spotted: Panthers coach Ivan Cleary and wife Bec at the WestCare Fundraising Dinner last Thursday night (Ivan pictured below). Both have been tremendous supporters of the charity ever since arriving in Penrith.

! Cheeky mates: Talking of WestCare, we had a good laugh courtesy of former Panthers Royce Simmons and Brad Waugh at the fundraiser. One of the silent auction items was an afternoon at the Pioneer Tavern for four people with Mark Geyer – a great opportunity to get on the drink with a Premiership winner and media personality. Simmons opened the bidding at $2, only to be trumped by Waugh who offered $3. Thankfully, both were out-bidded rather handsomely.

! On the move: Former Panthers enforcer Nigel Plum was celebrating this week after a quick sale of his home in regional New South Wales. Plum and his family are moving to acreage – achieving a long-held dream.

! Media man’s marathon effort: Renowned for his fitness, Panthers Media Manager Michael Blok faced a different race on Sunday – having to get back from the Sydney Marathon, where he ran a PB, to coordinate the team’s media session. Train delays meant he only just made it to wrangle the big media contingent that had made its way out to training.

! Lunch still on: Panthers will hold what is now an annual Grand Final Luncheon next Friday regardless of if Penrith qualify for the season decider or not. There’s no question those at the club organising it are desperate for

the Panthers to make it – the atmosphere will be shocking otherwise.

! Huge edition: Next week you’ll find my column as part of what I’m told will be a record-breaking Grand Final feature in next week’s Weekender. After a 40 page wraparound in 2020 and 2021, and 44 pages in 2022, the crew at the paper are putting together a whopping 52 page commemorative issue next week. Extra copies will be available at Panthers and the Weekender office. Should Penrith not make the Grand Final, we’ll wrap up the season with a special edition of Extra Time next week. Let’s

Lindsay Smith and his partner Alex.

BEHIND THE MICROPHONE: VOICES OF

the Parramatta Eels for 1997. The Panthers went to Super League, and things took quite the turn.

The Rodney O era

We’re not sure any other NRL club has as much attention around its ground announcer as the Penrith Panthers. Not just someone to announce who’s scored and who pays big dollars to ‘sponsor’ them, the ground announcer has become part of the fabric of game days at Penrith Stadium.

And long-time Penrith fans and members are certainly vocal when the man or woman with the job is someone they don’t like – or someone they do.

But a permanent, regular ground announcer is a relatively new game-day element.

The early days

If the Panthers had a regular ground announcer in the late 1960s, through the 1970s and 1980s, they’re certainly hard to find. Nobody we spoke to, including management from those days, could remember anyone who had the role at the old Penrith Park.

“The role of ground announcer wasn’t substantive until probably the mid-90s,” one official said.

In 1995, the club hired the services of veteran radio announcer Pete Graham to handle the ground announcing duties.

Graham is probably best known for his long-running Saturday Night Live radio program on Sydney’s 2UE.

He stuck around for the 1996 season as well, before staying loyal to the ARL and switching to

The Super League era hit in 1997 and match days became more of an event, not just a game of footy.

And along came Rodney O.

These days known more conservatively as Rodney Overby, the radio personality and basketball pump-up man certainly shook things up at Penrith Stadium in 1997.

“East side, west side, family hill” would be his common call to arms, as he aimed to get fans involved in the excitement.

And as you can see on YouTube, Rodney O’s involvement even came with its own video.

Super League would only last for one season, and so did Rodney O. 1997 was his one and only season as Penrith’s ground announcer, but to anyone who attended the footy during that era, he was unforgettable.

And then came Scott…

In 1998, a fresh-faced Scott McRae took over from Rodney O and would remain the voice of the Panthers for more than two decades.

He almost departed in 2012 and was even given a lap of honour to farewell fans, but returned the very next season after a suitable replacement couldn’t be found.

“The Panthers GA days were a big part of my life. Mostly very enjoyable even in the hard times when we were struggling on the field,” McRae told the Weekender

“The things I loved about the gig, especially in the early days was the fun we had with the

Current ground announcer Glen Hawke interviewing Royce Simmons.

Photo: Megan Dunn.

THE PANTHERS

crowd. We interacted, we made it as enjoyable as it could be.

“When I was first brought to Panthers by Chris Keeble and Max Cowan entertainment was paramount to the gig.”

McRae admits things changed as the years went on.

“The NRL and the people that were in charge of game day became rigid in what was deemed as fun and the whole process became robot like and bland in my opinion,” he said.

“Some say it’s not an important role and it doesn’t matter who you have out there. I disagree and the friendships and real connections I formed with the fans, some of the staff and a lot of the players over those 22 years, will remain with me until it’s game over.”

McRae was at one stage joined by former cheerleader Nat Sinclair in a dual ground announcer set-up, before eventually returning to the gig solo.

McRae departed the club at the end of the 2019 season.

Handed a poison chalice

Perhaps the toughest gig in any form of media or entertainment is replacing someone so beloved, so there’s no doubt it was difficult for Zac Bailey in the early days of his three-year tenure with the Panthers.

But despite having to navigate smaller (or sometimes no) crowds during a difficult COVID period, Bailey took on the ground announcing gig during

a successful time for the Panthers –handling the duties across the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons.

A new era

The Panthers appointed the experienced Glen Hawke as the game day ground announcer for the 2023 season. Hawke works for a number of other NRL clubs and is one of the most experienced hosts and sports ground announcers in the business.

Cameos, there’s been a few

Just like players and fans, ground announcers miss the odd home game. There’s been a few cameo appearances over the years, including some quite famous and unexpected ones.

During his ‘gap year’ between Channel Nine and Fox Sports, Andrew Voss filled in for McRae on two separate occasions – including one game he hosted proceedings from centre field in the pouring rain. Brian Sanders also filled in.

Tony Lackey also got a start in the mid-1990s, and more recently radio presenter Lyndall Rogers has filled in for two games when Glen Hawke was unavailable.

Former media manager Andrew Farrell was also behind the microphone at times.

Who have we missed? If you can help fill in the ground announcer gaps over the years, drop us a line at troy. dodds@westernweekender.com.au.

Photo: Megan Dunn.

LEAKS PROVE POINT ON SUCCESS

Loose lips sink ships. And footy clubs.

Take a look at the teams who will contest this weekend’s Preliminary Finals, and compare them to those who filled the bottom of the ladder.

The clubs one game away from the Grand Final feature administrations where everybody sings from the same hymn sheet, focussed on doing whatever needs to be done and not caring who gets the credit.

warren smith

The same can’t be said about the strugglers who have just spent another 12 months leaking stories like sieves and getting caught up in the kind of internal battles that give the football department little to no chance of being successful.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary is one victory away from making four successive Grand Final appearances, a phenomenal achievement, which is lost on nobody at the Panthers and should definitely not escape the attention of anybody who carries a business card at the Wests Tigers.

It’s incredible to think what a sliding doors moment it was when Cleary chose to depart the Tigers after the 2018 season and head back to the Panthers.

While the Panthers can join an elite group of clubs to have made four or more Grand Finals in a row, the Tigers have just chalked up a

second consecutive wooden spoon.

They both have the same amount of salary cap to spend, both get the same amount of exposure on television each week, both have deep junior bases to draw talent from.

But there’s a gulf between the two in terms of results.

Only Ivan Cleary himself could tell you the biggest reason why

he left Tigers HQ and drove back up the M4 to link once again with the Panthers, but the reality is that there are probably a host of reasons why he made that move. The chance to coach his son, Nathan, was unquestionably a big drawcard, but it wouldn’t have been a big enough reason on it’s own to make the switch.

Maybe there’s a clue in the myth-

hidden panther

ical bus that Cleary spoke about in his time at the Tigers.

“Get on the bus”, was the catchcry the coach used in relation to players who were wavering in their commitment to a rebuild the Tigers needed, but perhaps there were more than just players at a club starved of success who needed convincing that everybody should be rowing in the same direction.

If winning starts in the front office, it might have been that Cleary sensed the Tigers football department was going to be forced to fight with one arm tied behind its back for some time to come. Compare the two clubs this week – the attention on the Panthers is whether Jarome Luai’s injured shoulder is in a fit enough state to allow him to play against the Storm, while the Tigers Chairperson was left to lament yet again at how internal discussions over a new General Manager of Football made their way into the media. Loose lips.

It’s fitting and a complete non-surprise that the Panthers and Storm meet in another big finals game and you won’t find two better-run operations in the NRL. The blueprint they provide should be the first point of order on the next board meeting at the Tigers, Dragons and Bulldogs. Enjoy the weekend.

WHO AM I ?

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. Photo: Megan Dunn.

analysis WW43941

It is said that a “captain’s job is to make everyone around them better”. Over the years the Panthers have had some outstanding captains lead them.

I’ll look at past Penrith captains and then tell you why I think the current Panthers duo of Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, could end up becoming the best leaders the club has ever had.

The modern day NRL club captain has a lot more on their plate than just performing on the field. Nowadays a captain must also do plenty of media and represent their team at numerous corporate functions throughout the year.

He also needs to lead at training, for this is where habits are formed both good and bad. He needs to make sure all players are at the intensity level they need to be, as mistakes and a poor attitude at training will often translate to poor performances on the field.

Back in the summer of 2008, during a pre-season trial game against the Eels, the Panthers were well behind on the scoreboard with three-quarters of the game gone. It was then that Petero Civoniceva, only new to the club himself and recently anointed captain, came on for the final 20 minutes of the game.

Penrith went on to win that trial game 30-28 and it was Petero who led the way.

“I was bought back on because I wanted to show the boys that the game is never over,” he said.

One time, while ‘mic’d up for TV’ captain Peter Wallace could be heard telling his players behind the goal line to ‘stand up! hold your head up, don’t lean over, don’t let them see you’re tired, that you’re down.’

From Greg Alexander’s heroics in the 1991 Grand Final to Craig Gower playing with a

bruised sternum and not telling any of his teammates he had the injury, a captain leads in so many ways.

In the off-season of 2020 just after James Tamou left the club, both Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo were named as co-captains of Penrith.

Nathan at 23 and Isaah at just 25, were now the leaders of the club.

It’s fair to say their list of achievements as captains so far are impressive. They have already led the side to back-to-back premierships with another one, possibly only a few weeks away.

They also complement each other so well and they know when to talk and when not to.

As Cleary takes a kick at goal, it’s Yeo who can be seen addressing the team in a huddle. While

during the game, Cleary can often be seen barking orders at the players, marshalling them into position.

It’s a partnership that works because there are no egos at play. Neither see their voice as more important than the other.

Along with coach Ivan Cleary and senior players like Jarome Luai and James Fisher Harris, Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo set and maintain high standards not only for themselves but for the entire team and club for that matter. With both players still only in their mid to late 20s, this could end up being the most successful co-captaincy the game has ever seen.

It’s a pleasure watching them go about their work.

Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary. Photo: NRL Images.

with Peter Lang

PANTHERETTES THROUGH THE YEARS:

They’ve been dancing with pride for the Panthers for decades.

We’re looking back on the Pantherettes over the years in a special gallery that’s worth cheering about!

The Pantherettes all smiles in 2019.

A Panthers cheerleader in the 2004 season.

Photo: NRL Images.

The Pantherettes cheer up a storm in 2017. Photo: Megan Dunn.

The Pantherettes in an Australia Day parade held at St Marys in 1982.

The Pantherettes perform during the 2023 season. Photo: Megan Dunn.

The Pantherettes during the 2013 season.

Photo: NRL Images.

western

CHEERING LOUD AND PROUD

The catsuit era... the Pantherettes in 2014.

Photo: Megan Dunn.

The Pantherettes in 1980.

The Pantherettes in 1991.

She’s got the moves... a 2023 performance.

Photo: NRL Images.

The Pantherettes squad in 2015.

Photo: Andrew Farrell.

The Pantherettes dance up a storm in 2008. Photo: NRL Images. Pretty in pink: A Pantherette in 2010. Photo: NRL Images.