History of the Penrith Panthers facts for kids

The Penrith Panthers are a famous rugby league team. Their story began in the 1960s. People in Penrith wanted a team in Sydney's top league. They joined the NSWRFL premiership in 1967. The club had a tough start. They finally reached the finals in the 1980s. In the 1990s, they played in their first Grand Final. The Panthers were part of the Super League in 1997. Later, they joined the new NRL competition. So far, they have won five championships: 1991, 2003, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The Early Years: 1960s

Before 1967, different Penrith rugby league teams played in local competitions. These games happened between 1912 and 1966. By 1964, one main team had formed. They became known as the Penrith Panthers. The panther was chosen as their symbol. A graphic artist named Deidre Copeland won a public competition for the design.

In 1966, the New South Wales Rugby Football League decided to add two new teams. Penrith, Cronulla-Sutherland, and Wentworthville all wanted a spot. Cronulla-Sutherland was already chosen. Penrith and Wentworthville competed for the last spot. Penrith won because of their location. They also won the 1966 Second Division title.

The Panthers played their first practice game on February 24. They beat Cronulla-Sutherland 18–12. Their first official game was on April 2 against Canterbury. Penrith led for most of the game. But Canterbury won 15–12 in the end.

On April 23, 1967, Penrith Park stadium officially opened. The Panthers played against the champions, St George. Penrith won 24–12 in front of many fans. The team finished their first season in 11th place. They won five games, drew two, and lost 11.

In 1968, Bob Boland became the new captain-coach. The team got better. Penrith surprised everyone by winning the Wills Cup. This was a pre-season competition. They finished 8th in the main season. People hoped they would keep improving. But the club struggled for nearly 20 years. They finally reached their first finals series in 1985.

Building Up: 1970s

During the 1970s, Penrith tried to sign famous Australian players. But they often failed. This was because Penrith was seen as a weak team. Its location was also thought to be too far away.

In 1973, Penrith looked overseas for players. They signed Mike Stephenson and Bill Ashurst from Great Britain. These players were very talented. Stephenson was a strong hooker and a good playmaker. Ashurst was a brilliant player. He was fast and could kick goals in a new way. However, Stephenson and Ashurst did not get along. This made it hard for the team to grow stronger.

Penrith also had many exciting young players in the 1970s. These included Kevin Dann, Ross Gigg, Phil Gould, and Tim Sheens. They showed great potential. In 1974, Penrith reached the final of the Amco Cup. They beat the champions, Eastern Suburbs. But they lost the final to Western Division. Their best finishes in the regular season were 8th in 1971 and 9th in 1974 and 1976.

Reaching the Finals: 1980s

The 1980s were a mix of good and bad times for Penrith. From 1980 to 1983, the team often finished near the bottom. In 1984, Tim Sheens became the coach. They had their best season yet, finishing sixth. Sheens helped the team become more consistent. They even won five games in a row. This was a club record at the time. Young star Greg Alexander also made his debut this year.

In 1985, they did even better. They beat Manly to get into the top five. But their joy was short-lived. They lost badly to Parramatta in the next game. The team finished eighth in 1986. Then they dropped to second last in 1987.

The late 1980s saw new stars join the team. Players like Mark Geyer, John Cartwright, and Brad Fittler made their first-grade debuts. With established players like Greg Alexander and Royce Simmons, the team started to look promising. Penrith had the biggest junior league in the world. Now, their first-grade team was finally showing that potential.

Before the 1988 season, Ross Gigg made some great signings. Experienced players Peter Kelly and Chris Mortimer joined. Ron Willey became the new coach. These new additions brought winning experience to the team. In 1988, the team finished equal 5th. In 1989, Penrith finished second in the regular season. But they lost two playoff games and were out early. Players were not happy with Ron Willey's coaching. So, Phil Gould became the coach for 1990.

Grand Final Glory: 1990s

The team kept improving in the 1990s. In 1990, they finished third in the regular season. The Panthers had never won a playoff game before. But this year, they won both their qualifying and semi-final games. This meant they reached their first ever Grand Final in 1990.

The team had famous players like Greg Alexander, Brad Fittler, and Mark Geyer. They were a bit overwhelmed by the big occasion. They lost to the Canberra Raiders 18–14. But they had played well.

The next year, the Panthers were the Minor Premiers. They met the Raiders again in the Grand Final. This time, Penrith won 19–12. Royce Simmons, the former captain, scored two tries in his last game. After this, they played Wigan in England. This was for the 1991 World Club Challenge. But they lost to the British champions 21–4.

Their winning streak did not last long. In 1992, tragedy struck the club. Ben, the younger brother of captain Greg Alexander, died in a car accident. This sad event broke up the strong team. Penrith had been playing very well in 1992. But after the accident, their form dropped. They finished ninth that year.

Greg Alexander, Mark Geyer, and Brad Fittler left the club soon after. Coach Phil Gould also left in 1994. Former player and captain Royce Simmons took over as coach. He coached the Panthers from 1994 until 2001.

During the Super League war, Penrith joined the new competition. They played in the Super League's 1997 Telstra Cup. They even reached the finals. The next year, they continued to play in the re-united National Rugby League.

A New Championship: 2000s

Penrith made the finals again in the 2000 NRL season. However, in 2001, they finished last. This was Royce Simmons' last season as coach. John Lang took over in 2002. The team finished 12th. Their last game of 2002 showed promise. They beat the Northern Eagles, stopping them from making the finals.

This win hinted at what was to come in 2003. With new players like Preston Campbell and Joe Galuvao, the team was strong. After three early losses, they only lost three more games all season. Local hero Rhys Wesser scored a club record 25 tries. Penrith finished as Minor Premiers. They beat the Parramatta Eels in the last round.

In the finals, Penrith beat the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors. This sent them to the Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters. Penrith was not expected to win. But they defeated the Roosters 18–6. Winger Luke Rooney scored two tries. Hooker Luke Priddis won the Clive Churchill Medal. Fans also remember a great tackle by Scott Sattler. He stopped Roosters winger Todd Byrne from scoring a certain try.

In early 2004, Penrith lost the World Club Challenge. Bradford beat them 22–4 in very cold weather. But they bounced back. They finished fourth in the NRL and made the semi-finals. They beat St George Illawarra. But they were knocked out by the Bulldogs two weeks later.

The Panthers just missed the top 8 in 2005. They finished tenth. In 2006, they had another poor season. They finished 12th. The 2007 season was also tough. They won only eight games and finished last. This was their second "wooden spoon" in six years.

In 2008, the Panthers improved. They finished 12th out of 16 teams. They had 10 wins, one draw, and 13 losses. In 2009, Penrith had a strong season. But they lost four of their last five games. This meant they just missed out on the top 8.

Building for the Future: 2010s

For the 2010 season, Penrith used a teal jersey for away games. New players like Adrian Purtell and Nigel Plum joined the team. The Panthers finished second on the ladder. The team was led by veteran Petero Civinoceva. Players like Lachlan Coote, Michael Gordon, and Luke Lewis had strong seasons. This was the first time Penrith made the playoffs since 2004. Their season ended with a loss to the Sydney Roosters.

The next few seasons were not as good. The Panthers missed the finals in 2011, 2012, and 2013. During this time, the club made big changes. In 2011, former captain and coach Phil Gould became General Manager. He was in charge of all rugby league operations. Soon after, coach Matt Elliott was replaced. Ivan Cleary signed on as coach for 2012.

Over 2012 and 2013, many long-serving star players left. These included Petero Civoniceva, Luke Lewis, and Michael Jennings. New big-name players arrived. These included Jamie Soward, Peter Wallace, and Jamal Idris. Matt Moylan took over as fullback.

2014 was a good year for Penrith. They made the finals and reached the preliminary final. But they lost to Canterbury 18–12. The Penrith Panthers celebrated their 50th year in the NRL in 2016.

In 2017, Penrith finished 7th and made the finals. They beat Manly in week one. But they lost to Brisbane the next week. This ended their season. However, the Penrith reserve grade team did very well. They won the Intrust Super Premiership. Then they won the State Championship final.

In 2018, Penrith finished 5th. Coach Anthony Griffin was sacked four weeks before the finals. Cameron Ciraldo took over as interim coach. In the first week of the finals, Penrith beat the New Zealand Warriors. They then played Cronulla. This was the first time these two clubs met in a finals match. Cronulla won a close game 21–20. This ended Penrith's season.

Before the 2019 NRL season, many thought Penrith would challenge for the championship. But they started badly. They won only 2 of their first 10 games. This left them at the bottom of the table. Then, they won 7 games in a row. This put them just outside the finals spots. In a must-win game against the Sydney Roosters, Penrith lost. This meant they missed the finals for the first time since 2015.

Recent Success: 2020s

Penrith started the 2020 NRL season with three wins and a draw. Then they lost to Parramatta. After that, the club went on a 15-game winning streak. They claimed the 2020 Minor Premiership. This was only the third time in the club's history.

Penrith reached the 2020 NRL Grand Final. They had been unbeaten for 17 games. Their opponents were Melbourne. Melbourne led 22–0 at half-time. Penrith fought back in the second half. But they lost the Grand Final 26–20.

At the start of the 2021 NRL season, Penrith made history. They were the first team to win their first two games without letting in any points. They beat North Queensland 24–0. Then they defeated Canterbury 28–0.

In round 4 of the 2021 NRL season, Penrith beat Manly-Warringah 46–6. This was Manly's worst ever home defeat. This win also meant Penrith had their best start to a season since 1997. They had won their first four games that year.