Penrith Panthers

The Penrith Panthers are a team in the National Rugby League (NRL), the premier rugby league football competition in Australia.

Based in Penrith, New South Wales, 60km west of the centre of Sydney and at the foot of the Blue Mountains, the Panthers were in 1967 admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition, predecessor of the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the current NRL competition.

Penrith's team colours in the lower grades of earlier years were blue and white but due to those colours being previously registered or already in use by three other teams, upon entry into the NSWRL competition a decision was made to change the colours to Brown and White. This decision subsequently earned them the affectionate name of the "Chocolate Soldiers". Penrith struggled for almost 20 years before finally reaching their first finals series in 1985. Penrith achieved their first Grand Final appearance in 1990 only to be beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18-14. The next year the Panthers met the Raiders again in the Grand Final, this time walking away winners in a game where the Panthers score 19 points to Canberra's 12. The Panthers most recent premiership achievement was in 2003, in a Grand Final where they were considered under dogs to the Sydney Roosters.

In 2004 the Panthers came equal third with the North Queensland Cowboys, losing to the premiers Canterbury Bulldogs.

Contents

1 Club information

2 Club history

3 Penrith Panthers Leagues Club

4 Players of note

5 External link

Club information

Club Name: Penrith Panthers

Founded: 1967

Home stadium: Penrith Football Stadium (1967- ) Note: Penrith Football Stadium was known as Penrith Park (1967-1990)

Head coach: John Lang (2002- )

NRL Team Captain: Craig Gower

Uniform colors: Black, Rust red, Teal green and White (2003- ) Note: Uniform colours were Black with White, Red, Green and Yellow stripes (1991-2002); Brown and White (1967-1990)

Premiership Titles: 2 - 1991, 2003

Premiership Runners-up: 1 - 1990

Minor Premiership Titles: 2 - 1991, 2003

Club history

Varied Penrith teams had played for many years between 1912 and 1966 in the Western Districts League under the control of the Western Suburbs RLFC, in the Parramatta competition after Parramatta was admitted to the NSWRL in 1947, and also in a second-tier Sydney competition introduced by the NSWRL in 1962. By this time a single top level rugby league team had emerge in the Penrith area and in 1964 they became known as the Penrith Panthers. The Panther had been chosen as the Penrith emblem after a public competition won by a graphic artist from Emu Plains named Deidre Copeland.

In 1966 word was out that the New South Wales Rugby League in 1967 would introduce two new teams to the Sydney premiership. There were three teams vying for the two proposed slots, Penrith, Cronulla-Sutherland, and Wentworthville. Cronulla-Sutherland had been assured of one place, leaving Penrith and Wentworthville to fight it out for the other place. The NSWRL eventually settling on Penrith due to their location and a win in the 1966 Second Division title.

Penrith's uniform colours in the 1966 NSWRL Second Division and earlier years were blue and white but due to the Cronulla-Sutherland side registering a predominantly blue jersey design first, and with Newtown, Canterbury, Eastern Suburbs and Parramatta also displaying various shades of blue, Penrith went in search of an alternative. A decision was made to change their colours to Brown with a white V. This decision subsequently earnt them the affectionate name of the "Chocolate Soldiers" thanks to radio commentator Frank Hyde who wrote in the Penrith Club journal "these chocolate soldiers from out west - they don't melt!". In 1974 Penrith changed their strip to a jerseys with brown and white vertical bars and again in 1991 they changed the colours to Black with White, Red, Green and Yellow stripes until 2002 when they changed the colours once more to Black, Rust red, Teal green and White.

After admission to the competition in 1967, they promptly came second last on the competition ladder. Penrith struggled for almost 20 years before finally reaching their first finals series in 1985. Penrith achieved their first Grand Final appearance in 1990 with a team boasting notable players the likes of Greg Alexander and Mark Geyer only to be beaten by the Canberra Raiders 18-14. The next year the Panthers met the Raiders again in the Grand Final, this time walking away winners in a game where the Panthers scored 19 points to Canberra's 12, including two tries by Royce Simmons the team captain in his last game, they were the only tries he ever scored.

Their reign was short lived as a large slump followed. In the year 2001, they came last on the competition ladder, and they were only prevented from collecting the wooden spoon by the Canterbury Bulldogs' salary cap scandal in 2002. Their last game of 2002 showed hope as they proceeded to thrash the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, knocking them out of the final eight.

This showed the promise that was to come the next year. With the signing of Preston Campbell, their side fired in 2003. After coming off 2 early losses, they proceeded to lose only 3 games for the rest of the competition, winning Minor Premiers and getting into the finals, where they beat the Parramatta Eels and New Zealand Warriors to get into the Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters. The Grand Final of 2003 was hailed as the best ever, with Penrith, the heavy underdogs, beating the Roosters 18-6, with winger Luke Rooney scoring two tries, and hooker Luke Priddis receiving the Clive Churchhill Medal.

Penrith lost the World Club Challenge in early 2004, with Bradford defeating them 22-4 in sub-zero temperatures.