Penrith Panthers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Club information
Full name	Penrith Panthers Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	Pahs, Panthers, The Mountain Men, The Riff, Chocolate Soldiers, Liquorice Allsorts, The Pennies, Penrith.
Website	penrithpanthers.com.au
Colours	Black      Red      Yellow      Green
Founded	4 July 1966
Current details
Ground(s)	Penrith Stadium Penrith, New South Wales (22,500)
CEO	Matt Cameron (PDRLFC) Brian Fletcher (Panthers Group)
Chairman	Peter Graham
Coach	Ivan Cleary
Captain	Isaah Yeo & Nathan Cleary
Competition	National Rugby League
2023 season	Premiers
Home colours Away colours
Records
Premierships	5 (1991, 2003, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Runners-up	2 (1990, 2020)
Minor premiership	5 (1991, 2003, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Wooden spoons	4 (1973, 1980, 2001, 2007)
Most capped	244 - Steve Carter
Highest points scorer	1,572 - Ryan Girdler

The Penrith Panthers are a professional rugby league team from Penrith, Australia. They play in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. Penrith is about 55 kilometers west of Sydney, near the Blue Mountains. The Panthers are currently the champions of the NRL, having won the title five times. They have won the last three championships in a row!

The Penrith Panthers joined the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition in 1967. For nearly 20 years, the team found it tough to win. They finally reached their first finals series in 1985. In 1990, they played in their first Grand Final but lost to the Canberra Raiders. The very next year, in 1991, Penrith played Canberra again in the Grand Final and won their first championship!

Penrith won the NRL championship again in 2003. Their most recent win was in 2023, when they beat the Brisbane Broncos 26–24 in the Grand Final. They made an amazing comeback, being 16 points behind in the second half. After losing the 2020 Grand Final to the Melbourne Storm, Penrith became the second club to win back-to-back championships in the NRL era (2021 and 2022). They are also the first team to win three championships in a row in the NRL era.

Ivan Cleary became the head coach in October 2018. He had coached the team before, from 2012 to 2015. OAK Milk has been their main sponsor since 2012.

The Panthers' Journey: A Club History

Before 1967, different Penrith teams played in local leagues. In 1964, a top rugby league team in the Penrith area became known as the Penrith Panthers. The "Panther" was chosen as their symbol after a public competition.

In 1966, the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) decided to add two new teams to the Sydney competition. Penrith, Cronulla-Sutherland, and Wentworthville Magpies all wanted a spot. Cronulla-Sutherland was given one spot. Penrith won the 1966 Second Division title, which helped them get the other spot because of their location and success.

First Season: 1967

When Penrith joined the competition in 1967, they finished second to last. In 1968, under new Captain-Coach Bob Boland, they won a pre-season competition and finished 8th. But this improvement didn't last long.

First Finals Appearance: 1985

Penrith found it hard to get experienced players. Even though they had good young players, they needed strong leaders on the field. They had to wait to develop their own star players. After almost 20 years, they finally made their first finals series in 1985. This team included local star Greg Alexander and was captained by Royce Simmons.

First Grand Finals: 1988–1991

In the late 1980s, Penrith built a strong team. They reached their first Grand Final in 1990 with famous players like Greg Alexander, John Cartwright, Brad Fittler, and Mark Geyer. However, they lost 18–14 to the Canberra Raiders. The next year, Penrith played Canberra again in the Grand Final. This time, they won 19–12, with Royce Simmons scoring two tries in his last game. After this, they played Wigan in England for the 1991 World Club Challenge but lost 21–4.

Tough Times and Comebacks: 1992–2004

Their championship reign was short. In 1992, a sad event affected the club when Ben Alexander, brother of captain Greg Alexander, passed away. Greg, Mark Geyer, and Brad Fittler later left the club. Coach Phil Gould also left in 1994.

Former player and captain Royce Simmons coached Penrith from 1994 until 2001. They made the finals in the 1997 Super League season. In 2000, they finished 5th but lost to the Parramatta Eels in the semi-final.

In the 2001 NRL season, Penrith finished last. John Lang took over as coach in 2002. In 2003, with new players like Preston Campbell and Joe Galuvao, the team was on fire! They lost only three games for the rest of the season. Local hero Rhys Wesser scored a club record 25 tries. Penrith finished as Minor Premiers (top of the ladder). In the finals, they beat the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors to reach the 2003 NRL grand final. Penrith were the underdogs but defeated the Roosters 18–6. Hooker Luke Priddis won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the Grand Final. The game is also famous for a great tackle by Scott Sattler that stopped a certain try.

Penrith lost the 2004 World Club Challenge to the Bradford Bulls. However, they still made the NRL semi-finals in 2004, finishing fourth.

Ups and Downs: 2005–2013

From 2005 to 2009, Penrith struggled to make the finals. In 2007, they finished last. In 2010, Penrith had a great season, finishing 2nd. However, they were knocked out in the second round of the finals. Michael Gordon had an amazing year, setting new club records for most points in one game (30) and most points in a season (270).

The 2011 and 2012 seasons were disappointing. In 2011, Ivan Cleary was announced as the new coach. In 2012, new talents like winger Josh Mansour emerged. In 2013, Penrith had mixed results, finishing 10th. Many new players joined the club, including Jamie Soward, Peter Wallace, and Jamal Idris.

Back to Finals and Recent Success: 2014–Present

The 2014 NRL season was good for Penrith. They made it to the preliminary final before losing to the Bulldogs. In 2015, they had a tough year, finishing second last.

In 2016, the Penrith Panthers celebrated their 50th year. They finished 6th and won their first finals game against Canterbury. In 2017, they finished 7th and won against Manly in the finals. Their reserve grade team had a fantastic year, winning both the Intrust Super Premiership and the NRL State Championship.

In 2018, Penrith finished 5th. Coach Anthony Griffin left the club before the finals. Penrith won their first finals game but lost a close match to Cronulla, ending their season.

The 2019 NRL season started slowly for Penrith, but they won seven games in a row to get back into contention. However, they missed out on the finals for the first time since 2015.

Grand Final Appearances and Three-Peat: 2020–2023

Penrith started the 2020 NRL season very strong, winning 15 games in a row to become the 2020 Minor Premiership winners. They reached the 2020 NRL grand final but lost to Melbourne 26–20.

At the start of the 2021 NRL season, Penrith made history by winning their first two games without letting the other team score any points. They continued their amazing form, setting records for away winning streaks and consecutive regular season wins. They finished second in the regular season. In the finals, they had a very close 8–6 win against Parramatta. They then beat Melbourne 10–6 to reach the 2021 NRL grand final.

In the 2021 Grand Final, Penrith played South Sydney. In a thrilling game, Penrith won 14–12 to claim their third championship! Co-Captain Nathan Cleary won the Clive Churchill Medal. After the win, there was some talk about the Provan-Summons Trophy being damaged. The club later said a fan accidentally broke it. Some players also faced fines for how they acted with the trophy on social media.

Penrith started the 2022 NRL season by winning their first eight games. They secured their fourth minor premiership. They then won their finals matches against Parramatta and South Sydney to reach the 2022 NRL grand final. In the final, Penrith beat Parramatta 28–12, winning their second championship in a row! This made them only the second team in the NRL era to win back-to-back titles.

Before the 2023 NRL season, Penrith played against the Super League champions St Helens R.F.C. in the 2023 World Club Challenge. Penrith lost a very close game 13–12 in extra time. At the end of the 2023 regular season, Penrith won their second Minor Premiership in a row. They then won their third straight championship in four years (and fifth overall) by beating the Brisbane Broncos 26–24 in the 2023 Grand Final. They made an incredible comeback from being 16 points down with only 20 minutes left!

Achievements and Awards

Premierships (5)

• 1991, 2003, 2021, 2022, 2023

Runners-up (2)

• 1990, 2020

Minor Premierships (5)

• 1991, 2003, 2020, 2022, 2023

Other Major Titles:

• Reserve Grade (4): 1987, 2014, 2017, 2022
• NRL State Championship (2): 2017, 2022
• Jersey Flegg Cup (5): 1977, 1986, 2006, 2007, 2022
• S.G. Ball Cup (8): 1977, 1981, 1985, 2000, 2006, 2016, 2018, 2022
• Harold Matthews Cup (7): 1979, 1985, 1989, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010
• NYC Premiership (2): 2013, 2015
• Third Grade (1): 1978
• Wills Cup (1): 1968

Team Sponsors

The Panthers have had 10 main sponsors on their jerseys throughout their history.

• FEENEY (1977)
• Alpha Micro (1984–85)
• Radio 2KA (1986–87)
• Penrith City (1988)
• Calphos (1989)
• Dahdah Uniforms (1990–1993)
• Prospect Electricity (1994–1995)
• Classifieds (1996)
• Sanyo (2000–2011)
• OAK Milk (2012–present)

Jersey Makers

Different companies have made the Panthers' jerseys over the years.

• Peerless Sports (19??–1996)
• Nike (1997–1998)
• Classic Sportswear (1999–2003)
• ISC (2004–2012)
• Asics (2013–2017)
• Classic Sportswear (2018–2019)
• O'Neills (2020–present)

Team Look: Emblem and Colours

• Penrith Panthers Logos
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  1978–1990

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  1991–1999

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  2000–2012

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  2013–2018

In 1966, Penrith's uniform colours were blue and white. But other teams already used blue. So, Penrith changed their colours to brown with a white V. This led to them being called the "Chocolate Soldiers" by a radio commentator, Frank Hyde. He said, "these chocolate soldiers from out west – they don't melt!"

The team was called the 'Panthers' as early as 1970.

In 1974, Penrith changed their strip to brown and white stripes. In 1991, they changed again to black with white, red, yellow, and green stripes. This earned them another sweet nickname: the "Liquorice Allsorts." In 2000, they changed to black, rust red, teal green, and white. In 2004, the jersey design changed to its current look.

In 2017, Penrith decided to bring back their "Liquorice Allsorts" jersey from the 1990s. Fans voted for this design. In 2018, the Panthers introduced a new logo with the "Liquorice Allsorts" colours, removing teal completely.

Jersey Styles Over the Years

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  Primary (1967–1969, 1972)

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  Primary (1970)

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  Primary (1971, 1973–1975)

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  Primary (1976–1978)

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  Primary (1979)

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  Primary (1980–1984)

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  Primary (1985–1990)

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  Primary (1991–1996)

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  Primary (1997–1999)

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  Primary (2000–2003)

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  Primary (2004–2007)

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  Primary (2008–2010)

• 

  Primary (2016)

• 

  Primary (2017–2018)

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  Primary (2019–present)

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  Alternate (1991–1994)

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  Alternate (1995–1996)

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  Alternate (2000–2002)

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  Alternate (2007–2009)

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  Alternate (2016)

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  Alternate (2017–2018)

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  Alternate (2019)

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  Pink Panthers (2021)

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  Heritage (2011)

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  Heritage (2012)

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  '1967' Heritage (2016)

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  '1991' Heritage (2016)

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  '2003' Heritage (2016)

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  40th Anniversary (2006)

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  Pink Panthers (2009-2011)

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  Pink Panthers (2013-2015)

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  Pink Panthers (2016)

• 

  Pink Panthers (2017)

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  2003 20th Anniversary (2023)

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  NRL Nines (2017)

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  Pink Panthers (2020)

Panthers Leagues Club

Aerial photograph of the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club complex

The Penrith Panthers Rugby League Football Club is a big supporter of the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club. This club is part of the Panthers Entertainment Group.

The Panthers Entertainment Group has six club locations in New South Wales. These clubs offer many activities for members and their families.

Team Rivalries

Penrith vs. Parramatta Eels

The Parramatta Eels are the closest NRL team to Penrith. This makes their games a big rivalry!

A former Penrith player, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, once said that as a Penrith junior, you learn to "hate" the Eels. He explained that it's a game you always get excited for, no matter how the teams are playing.

In 2002, Parramatta beat Penrith 64–6. But in 2003, Penrith got revenge. They beat Parramatta 40–22, which stopped the Eels from making the finals. Penrith then went on to win the championship that year.

In 2010, Parramatta made an amazing comeback against Penrith. They were losing 22–0 at half-time but won 34–28!

In 2011, Penrith spoiled Nathan Hindmarsh's 300th NRL game. Penrith scored a try in the last two seconds to tie the game. Then, Luke Walsh kicked a field goal in extra time to win 23–22.

In 2020, Parramatta beat Penrith 16–10. This was Penrith's only loss in the regular season that year. In 2021, Penrith won both regular season games against Parramatta. One was a very close one-point win.

In the 2022 regular season, Parramatta was the only team to beat Penrith twice. They also ended Penrith's long home winning streak. But in the 2022 Finals, Penrith beat Parramatta 27–8. Then, in the 2022 NRL grand final, Penrith played Parramatta again. Penrith dominated, leading 18–0 at half-time, and won the Grand Final 28–12.

In 2023, Parramatta beat Penrith 17–16 in extra time. Penrith had tied the game with a field goal in the last seconds. Later in the season, Parramatta ended Penrith's 8-game winning streak.

Since 1967, Penrith and Parramatta have played in the finals five times. The most recent was the 2022 Grand Final, where Penrith won.

Star Players

Current Team (2023)

Panthers Team of Legends

In 2006, for the club's 40th anniversary, a "Team of Legends" was chosen.

No. Position Player 399 FB Rhys Wesser 7 WG Bob Landers 14 CE Grahame Moran 337 CE Ryan Girdler 280 WG Alan McIndoe 286 FE Brad Fittler 228 HB Greg Alexander 50 PR Terry Geary 181 HK Royce Simmons 62 PR Tim Sheens 248 SR John Cartwright 100 SR Bill Ashurst 260 LK Colin van der Voort 383 RE Craig Gower 196 RE Brad Izzard 262 RE Mark Geyer 393 RE Tony Puletua

Hall of Fame

On June 25, 2016, the Panthers started their Hall of Fame. The first four members were:

• Grahame Moran
• Royce Simmons
• Greg Alexander
• Craig Gower

Coaches of the Panthers

There have been 20 coaches for the Panthers since 1967. The current coach is Ivan Cleary.

Team Records

Individual Player Records

Most Games for the Club

• 249, Steve Carter (1988–2001)
• 246, Craig Gower (1996–2007)
• 238, Royce Simmons (1980–1991)
• 230, Greg Alexander (1984–1994, 1997–1999)
• 220, Isaah Yeo (2014-present)
• 216, Luke Lewis (2001–2012)
• 215, Tony Puletua (1997–2008)
• 211, Ryan Girdler (1993–2004)
• 209, Brad Izzard (1982–1992)
• 188, John Cartwright (1985–1996)

Most Tries for the Club

• 116, Rhys Wesser (1998–2008)
• 112, Ryan Girdler (1993–2004)
• 100, Greg Alexander (1984–1994, 1997–1999)
• 91, Luke Lewis (2001–2012)
• 76, Michael Jennings (2007–2012)
• 75, Josh Mansour (2012–2020)
• 73, Brad Izzard (1982–1992)
• 69, Robbie Beckett (1994–2001)
• 66, Steve Carter (1988–2001)
• 66, Brian To'o (2019-present)

Most Points for the Club

• 1,572 (101 tries, 581 goals, 6 field goals), Ryan Girdler (1993–2004)
• 1,421 (57 tries, 588 goals, 15 field goals), Nathan Cleary (2016–present)
• 1,100 (100 tries, 343 goals, 14 field goals), Greg Alexander (1984–1994, 1997–1999)
• 798 (55 tries, 289 goals), Michael Gordon (2006–2012)
• 613 (43 tries, 220 goals, 1 field goal), Preston Campbell (2003–2006)
• 454 (113 tries, 1 goal), Rhys Wesser (1998–2008)

Most Points in a Season

• 270 by Michael Gordon in 2010
• 229 by Ryan Girdler in 1999
• 228 by Nathan Cleary in 2017

Most Tries in a Season

• 25 by Rhys Wesser in 2003
• 23 by Amos Roberts in 2004
• 21 by Brian To'o in 2023
• 19 by Rhys Wesser in 2006

Most Points in a Match

• 34 by Nathan Cleary in Round 25 of the 2019 NRL season

Famous Supporters

• Jason Arnberger, Australian Cricketer
• Nathan Bracken, Australian Cricketer
• James Courtney, Supercars driver
• Pat Cummins, Australian Cricketer
• Anton Devcich, New Zealand Cricketer
• Mick Fanning, Australian professional surfer
• Kurt Fearnley, Paralympic wheelchair racer
• John Hastings, Australian Cricketer
• Matthew Nielsen, Olympic basketball player
• Leonardo Zappavigna, Australian professional boxer
• Jessica Fox , Australian Olympic athlete

Images for kids

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  Home Jersey

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  Away Jersey

See also

In Spanish: Penrith Panthers para niños