Photo: NRL Photos.
the finalword
Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins travel to Penrith for the first time this Sunday afternoon to take on a Panthers side with question marks hanging over it following Wednesday’s State of Origin decider in Brisbane.
One thing we know for sure is that Dylan Edwards and Isaah Yeo will be rested, not named in the squad at all by coach Ivan Cleary on Tuesday.
Jarome Luai, Liam Martin and Brian To’o were all named on the extended bench, but we’ll have to see if they are included in the final 17 late in the lead-up.
With Origin and byes now out of the way, Penrith begins the final run to September with no further breaks until a possible rest in week two of the Finals, should the Panthers finish in the top four and win their Qualifying Final.
I’d prefer coach Cleary to rest players one at a time when needed over the next seven games, versus sitting multiple players out in one go, but he knows the fitness of his troops best.
But you just never know how the ladder is going to play out over this final period, so it’s critical to bank every possible win and then assess the last couple of weeks of the season once finishing positions become clearer.
The Dolphins will certainly be no easybeats on Sunday. Bennett has again surprised his critics by having the Redcliffe-based side in Finals contention, and after last week’s win over Souths they find themselves in sixth spot and with a real shot of playing deep into September.
Bennett has got the Dolphins playing for each other. They may not have the flashiest side in the NRL and they may well get found out in the Finals, but they’re at least giving 100 per cent
and you can rely on them for that effort every single week.
Their defence, however, has left plenty to be desired this season. In fact, they have the second worst defensive record of the teams currently in the top eight.
But one weighing up the likely outcome of this match would perhaps combat that defensive stat with the fact that Penrith has scored the second lowest points of any side currently in the eight. Only Penrith and Canterbury have scored less than 400 points this season.
In the midst of that though are some gritty, low-scoring wins – like the 14-6 defeat of Brisbane a fortnight ago. That was actually one of the side’s most impressive wins of the season, despite the score sheet being reasonably low.
The big factor in this game is of course the return of Nathan Cleary. It changes the
complexion of this Penrith side completely, and I’d expect the team to be looking much more structured from this weekend.
Cleary may take some time to find his feet, but it will be the little things that make all the difference, and the game management abilities when it’s time to put the foot down in the second half of games.
Without Cleary, the Panthers have at times lacked the ability to get themselves out of trouble; something Cleary is so brilliantly good at. I’m excited to see his clash with Isaiya Katoa, who returns to the foot of the Mountains in Dolphins colours.
This should be a decent game of footy on Sunday, and I think the Dolphins will put up a good fight. But Cleary is the best in the NRL for a reason, and his return should be enough.
Tip: Panthers by 12.
NRL HALL OF FAME REVIVED
The National Rugby League will relaunch the Hall of Fame with a special ceremony, including the induction of the first Immortal since 2018.
Following a specially convened meeting of the Hall of Fame Committee, the NRL has announced the process around the 2024 induction, which will include the induction of the first Rugby League Immortal since 2018 and the induction of 11 male players, six female players, two coaches, two referees, and four contributors.
The NRL will hold a special ceremony on Wednesday, August 21 to induct all members into the NRL Hall of Fame.
The NRL has confirmed esteemed radio and television broadcaster David Morrow will be inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame as a Contributor.
Morrow, who was awarded an OAM for services to sport, sports broadcasting and the community in 2005, was a radio and television commentator for the ABC through four decades, before joining the 2GB commentary team in 2015.
He stepped down earlier this year after being diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away this week.
“Those being acknowledged are legends of the game and their achievements through the course of the game’s history will now be honoured in the Hall of Fame forever,” said ARLC Chairman, Peter V’landys.
“I’m so pleased that the group were unanimous around the induction of David Morrow. David is a legendary contributor to the game over many decades and has provided colourful and insightful coverage of the game in his own unique style.
“The Committee were steadfast in their view that ‘Thirsty’ should be afforded this recognition as soon as possible.”
ARLC Chairman, Peter V’landys. Photo: NRL Photos.
panther rumblings
NEW SHOP OPEN FOR BUSINESS
! Open for business: The brand-new Panthers merchandise shop has officially opened inside the foyer of Panthers Leagues Club. The shop is bigger than the previous outlet and is designed much better. It opened on Monday and is located to the left of the main entrance when you walk in the doors. When you look at the foyer these days, it’s a far cry from a period of time we went through about a decade ago when you wouldn’t have known it was a footy club.
! May wears out delete button: Taylan May’s erratic Instagram behaviour shows no sign of slowing down. He’s constantly putting up posts and then deleting them hours or days later, keeping only a select few on his main grid. What’s also interesting is the number of top-line first grade players liking his posts – an awkward look given the serious domestic violence charges May is facing back at home.
! Spotted: Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai training the house down at Ballymore Stadium for the Blues ahead of the State of Origin decider on Wednesday evening.
! Art’s the answer: Penrith City Council is encouraging the developers of the new Penrith Stadium to incorporate public art into the design of the stadium. They’ve pushed for the inclusion of public art, including ways to highlight connection to the community. In their response to the Environmental Impact Statement for the stadium, Council has encouraged the use of a local artist to deliver any local art.
! Commentator shuffles: It’ll be interesting to see how both Channel Nine and 2GB juggle their Olympic coverage with their NRL commitments over the next month or so. Nine is using many of its TV and radio commenta-
tors and talent in Paris, with a bit of shuffling to occur for the NRL coverage. The good news for Nine is that the 8pm games it broadcasts on Thursday and Friday nights are on at about Midday Paris time, so there shouldn’t be any major clashes with huge medal events. Thankfully, digital channels these days makes things a lot easier for programmers.
! Brandy’s radio waves: It’s slow going, but Panthers legend Greg ‘Brandy’ Alexander is having some success on breakfast radio. His show with Andrew Voss on SEN 1170 has gone past the long-running Big Sports Breakfast on 2KY in terms of the ratings. I have to admit, I’ve become an SEN convert. Vossy and Brandy never fail to deliver a quality show. Who would have thought that two Penrith 1991 Grand Final winners in Alexander and Mark Geyer would both be doing breakfast radio in 2024? MG is still plying his trade on MMM.
! A debutant looms: The whispers are getting louder that young fullback Isaiah Iongi (right) will make his NRL debut on Sunday against the Dolphins. Iongi was pulled out of NSW Cup last weekend and named as 18th man for Sunday’s game at BlueBet Stadium. With Dylan Edwards to be rested, Daine Laurie has been named at fullback but you’d think there could be some ducks and drakes at play. Laurie is very unlikely to have recovered from a hamstring injury in time to take his place in the team. Expect a late change.
! Fans on the field: Panthers will have another crack at Fans on the Field on Sunday, after the last attempt was called off due to weather. Fans will be able to head onto the playing surface after the second siren sounds on Sunday against the Dolphins. It’ll be about 30 minutes after full-time.
! Cleary’s Bennett run: Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has won six of his last seven games against super coach Wayne Bennett – a pretty good run many other coaches would be envious of. A five-match winning streak was broken when the Rabbitohs beat the Panthers 16-10 in the 2021 Finals, though Cleary had the last laugh a few weeks later. While Cleary has had the wood over Bennett lately, it hasn’t always been the case. Ivan lost 10 of his first 12 clashes against the veteran, covering his time at both the Warriors and his first Penrith stint.
new Panthers Shop.
PANTHERS WELCOME CLEARY RETURN
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed his star halfback, co-captain and son will be making his long-awaited comeback from a hamstring injury this Sunday against the Dolphins.
The two-time Clive Churchill Medallist hasn’t played since Round 10 – missing 11 games for the club overall as well as the entire State of Origin series.
Sunday afternoon’s game will mark the second time this season that the 26-year-old will be making a comeback from a hamstring injury after first hurting himself back in Round 3 against Brisbane. Cleary would return as soon as Round 8, only to be back on the sidelines two weeks later.
“At this stage he’ll be back,” Ivan confirmed to reporters on Tuesday.
“He has looked really good, actually. It’s been a while [since he last played], we’ve probably been a little conservative just with the byes and how they’ve turned out, but he’s certainly looking good.”
Being out for much of the year, Ivan said his son is “hungry” to get back onto the pitch and eventually return to his best.
“We can’t just expect him to come back and do everything, but I think in the past he’s come back from injury strongly, so I’m certainly hoping that’s the case,” he told Extra Time One player who is looking forward to having his skipper back is hooker Mitch Kenny.
The 26-year-old, who has only played four matches with Cleary all season, said he can’t wait to start feeding the ball to the champion halfback again.
“If all things go well for him this week, then hopefully, he’ll be out there for us on Sunday,”
Kenny told Extra Time
“I think anyone in his position would be stinging to get out there again. On the surface, he’s been great around the group, but I’m sure inside he’s dying to get out on the field.
“He’s a footy player and that’s what he wants
to do – play footy – so it’ll be nice to have him out there.”
While Cleary’s return will no doubt be a welcome sight for the Premiers, Penrith’s opponents on Sunday – Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins – will be more than up to the ask.
The Dolphins, who play at BlueBet Stadium for the first time ever this weekend, have enjoyed a tremendous second season in the NRL, sitting in the top eight for the majority of the year.
“They’ve been great! I’ve been a fan of the Dolphins. I’ve been excited watching them come into the competition and they’ve been going far better than expected,” Kenny said.
“They’ve been great for rugby league fans, and I’ve got a good mate in Sean O’Sullivan up there too, who scored a try last week.
“Look, we’ll try and give them a warm welcome and hopefully pack out the crowd.”
With Penrith enjoying their third and final bye of the year last week, the time is now to get down to business and shoot for their fourth straight Premiership.
Kenny said he’s been looking forward to the run home.
“Our season is broken up into thirds… you have the initial stretch, then the Origin period, and then you come out the other side where teams get to bunker down and hopefully develop consistency and their game leading into Finals,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in a consistent team every week and building our game and putting in a good foundation that will hopefully last us until the end of the year.”
Ivan Cleary and Royce Simmons chatting to the media on Tuesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.
MCLEAN REVEALS NERVES OF NRL DEBUT
When 18-year-old Casey McLean was notified by Panthers coach Ivan Cleary that he’d be making his NRL debut that weekend, he felt sick to his stomach with nerves.
“I remember him pulling me aside at training and he sat me down and said, ‘you’ll be making your debut this week end’,” McLean told Extra Time
“I was just starstruck. I had no words. My stomach was turning. I was nervous. I called my mum and dad straight away.”
McLean’s apprehension was due to the fact that he never thought in his wildest dreams that he’d be making his first grade debut just two months after his 18th birthday –making him one of the youngest debutants in Panthers history.
It was a huge show of faith in the supremely talented local junior, who also inked a new multiyear contract with the club just a couple of weeks prior.
McLean, who is a centre but played on the wing, said his debut against the Cowboys in
Round 17 was a “good taste of first grade” but those nerves… yep, they were still there.
“It got to Game Day and all those nerves just kicked in again,” he admitted.
“I woke up nervous. I had all these little fidgets. But I got through it. I got to the warm-up and going out into that environment with all those fans, it was just something else.”
Another ‘pinch me’ moment for McLean was getting to play alongside some of the best players the Panthers club has ever produced. While they were missing a host of their Origin stars for that June 30 clash at BlueBet Stadium, there was still plenty of incredible talent written on the final team sheet.
“Running out with the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, players I used to watch growing up,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe I was looking either side of me and I was running out next to them. It was just surreal, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Panthers supporters will be seeing a lot more of McLean in the coming years after he and his brother Jesse signed a new deal to remain with the Premiers until the end of 2028.
“This club is the best in the comp – three premierships in a row – you can’t really turn it down,” he said.
“Knowing the club wanted us, especially together, it’s just going to be a dream come true when Jesse and I get to run out together for the first time.
“I think that will be the start of many games to come. It’s a dream for both of us to play together in the NRL.”
The McLean brothers follow a long line of siblings that have played for the Panthers over the decades. While many never got to play together on the big stage, the odds are certainly in the McLeans’ favour.
“Our parents are really proud of us,” he said.
“Not because of where we are but because they’ve seen the work we’ve put in, the dedication, and what this club will turn us into… not just as players but as young men.
“I feel like this club’s environment will make us better young men with the choices we make both in and outside of footy.”
He has been named in the centres for this Sunday’s clash against the Dolphins.
Casey McLean after making his NRL debut in Round 17. Photo: NRL Photos.
Casey McLean runs out for his first grade debut. Photo: NRL Photos.
Casey McLean on Monday.
NATHAN TAYLOR
panthers poster
SHAPES JUMPS ON BOARD
f you’re after the perfect snack while watching the footy, it’s hard to go past a box of delicious Arnott’s Shapes.
Shapes is a partner of the NRL as the Official Snack of the NRL, and they recently partnered with the defending Premiers, the Penrith Panthers, for the remainder of the 2024 season.
“The partnership represents a combined passion for each other’s fanbase and Shapes going hand-in-hand with watching, snacking
and enjoying the footy,” Shapes Brand Manager, Amber Dutkiewicz said.
“Our aim is for when fans think ‘if footy had a flavour, what would it be?’, they think Shapes… Shapes is the Flavour of Footy.”
In recent weeks, boxes of Shapes have started popping up at the Panthers Rugby League Academy as well as in the media box at BlueBet Stadium, satisfying those hardworking but often peckish journalists.
“We love that so many of the Panthers playing group and wider coaching staff
which is always where the magic happens in making these partnerships really come to life for fans,” Dutkiewicz said
In some exciting news, the Weekender has also teamed up with Shapes from now until the end of the NRL season, with Shapes the newest sponsor of the ‘Face in the Crowd’ promotion. If you’re snapped at a recent Panthers game by one of our photographers and appear in Extra Time, you will win an epic, delicious prize pack thanks to Arnott’s Shapes. All you need to do is visit
Passionate Penrith fans enjoy some Shapes at BlueBet Stadium. Photo: Melinda Jane.
NEW PODCAST OUT TODAY
tives
FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS
Over the years, Penrith has had its fair share of fathers who have either played or coached the Panthers and seen their sons follow in their footsteps.
They haven’t always succeeded but this week I thought it would be interesting to look at former Penrith players and coaches and how their sons turned out as rugby league players themselves.
Interestingly, there are five sons from Penrith’s maiden Premiership winning side which have gone on to play rugby league at some level.
Many played lower grades for Penrith, like 1991 Premiership winger Graham Mackay and his son Zac. Zac, a rugged fullback and winger himself, actually played NSW Cup for the Panthers in 2016 before a stint in the QLD Cup.
Another 1991 Premiership winner Steve Carter saw his son Paul play 40 first grade games for the Titans, Rabbitohs and Roosters between 2014-2017 before off-field problems took him out of the game.
Tall and talented 1991 second rower John Cartwright saw his son, Jed, make his first-grade debut for Penrith in 2019. Jed went on to play 30 first grade games for the Rabbitohs between 2020-23 and three more for the Knights earlier this season. He’s now over in the UK with Hull FC.
Finally, the Panthers 1991 Premiership winning captain Greg Alexander watched son Braith turn out for Penrith’s SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams early in his career before the talented hooker/half found himself at the Roosters. In 2024 Braith is still plying his trade with the Chooks as part of their NSW Cup side.
There are others too from John Farragher’s son Jake playing Holden Cup for the Sharks in 2008
to Preston Campbell’s son Jayden setting stadiums alight currently with the Gold Coast Titans. It seems the production line of sons of Panthers will no doubt continue forever.
The past has already seen coach John Lang and his son Martin lift Penrith’s second Premiership trophy in 2003.
In the present we have perhaps the most successful father/son pairings with coach Ivan Cleary
already winning three premierships with his son Nathan, and with hopefully a few more to come.
While the future is currently with former Panther Mark Geyer and his son Mavrik Geyer. Mavrik has already played five first grade games for Penrith and the young Geyer is not finished playing in the top grade just yet.
Not one of the sons listed above is a failure whether they were as good a player as their ‘old man’ or not.
The pressure on the next generation coming through is intense and doesn’t always ‘open doors’ as some may think.
Mark Geyer said it best when he spoke with the Sydney Morning Herald just before Mavrik made his first grade debut with Penrith against the Roosters in Round 4 of this year.
“I know how hard it is, seeing ex-teammates and their young blokes coming through,” he said.
“They are always the son of someone, it’s never their name.”
But there’s no doubt for the sons, it’s not a problem to carry their father’s name and they do so with plenty of pride, they wear it like a badge of honour.
One also gets the feeling, no matter how intense the pressure, these boys wouldn’t have it any other way.
See you next week.
Jed Cartwright with his father John Cartwright. Photo: NRL Images.
panther memories
Next week will mark the 35th anniversary of the iconic Penrith Panthers song, ‘Go The Mighty Panthers’.
Jane Scali (pictured) recorded ‘Go The Mighty Panthers’, which was written and produced by Ray Hall, in the late 1980s. It premiered at a function at Panthers Leagues Club on July 24, 1989 and is still used today as the club’s victory song at Penrith Stadium.
“I must admit I’m more than a little chuffed to hear that they are still playing the theme song I recorded a good 30 years ago,” Scali told the Weekender in 2020. There isn't a Panthers fan alive who doesn't know the words to the song. And when “Tension’s running high, it shows on every face” starts coming through the speakers, it’s impossible not to sing along.
Despite a number of attempts to dump the song over the years – the most recent in 2014 – it has stood the test of time. And many may still have the cassette release (pictured) at home!
RAIDERS RABBITOHS
WARRIORS RABBITOHS
RAIDERS RABBITOHS
KNIGHTS ROOSTERS PANTHERS TITANS BULLDOGS
BRONCOS STORM PANTHERS SEA EAGLES COWBOYS
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WARRIORS SOUTHS BRONCOS STORM PANTHERS SEA EAGLES BULLDOGS
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WARRIORS RABBITOHS BRONCOS ROOSTERS PANTHERS SEA EAGLES BULLDOGS
WARRIORS TIGERS BRONCOS ROOSTERS PANTHERS TITANS BULLDOGS
RAIDERS TIGERS KNIGHTS STORM PANTHERS SEA EAGLES BULLDOGS
WARRIORS TIGERS
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RAIDERS RABBITOHS KNIGHTS STORM PANTHERS SEA EAGLES COWBOYS
