Extra Time September 25 2025 (Panthers v Broncos)

Hthe finalword

ave you ever seen a first half in Finals football as good as what Penrith produced last Sunday?

A 100 per cent completion rate. Nathan Cleary with the radar well and truly in tune. Wingers scoring tries for fun, which means everyone inside them is doing their job.

The Bulldogs never really stood a chance. Not against a Penrith team that experienced and that switched on.

And so Ivan Cleary’s men shift their focus to Brisbane for a date with the Broncos.

There’s a fair bit of history at play here.

Let’s start with Adam Reynolds versus Nathan Cleary.

Cleary has owned this battle over the years, leaving Reynolds heartbroken in Grand Finals not once, but twice – first for the Rabbitohs in 2021 and then the Broncos in 2023.

Reynolds will return from injury to lead the

Broncos around the park in this clash and would love nothing more than to finally get one over his younger rival.

And of course that 2023 Grand Final would have entered the heads of plenty of Brisbane officials, players and fans this week.

The heartbreak of that loss lingers and while beating Penrith this Sunday would not reverse the result of that decider, it would put Brisbane a step closer to the trophy that was so close to being theirs just two years ago.

It’s often easy to forget about the two teams that won their way to the Preliminary Finals with week one victories. They are suddenly out of sight, out of mind and the focus is on the two winners from week two.

While Brisbane wouldn’t be complaining about the week off, I’m not positive they showed enough in that clash with Canberra a fortnight ago to prove they’re favourites to

march through to the season decider.

The Broncos had been comprehensively outplayed for much of the game before they turned it on for 15 minutes and combined with Canberra clocking off, got the job done.

It won’t be that easy against Penrith.

The Panthers will be more than happy to grind this out for 80 minutes. The Broncos just aren’t that team, more content it seems with periods of brilliance that can often blow teams off the park.

And it well could happen here. The Reece Walsh magic show may be in session and he may do enough to put Penrith on the back foot. Could even blow them away.

But I’ll take Nathan Cleary’s calm, measured approach over the flashy brilliance any day.

And I feel like that is what will get the job done on Sunday afternoon. An 80-minute game plan, a grind, a real war of attrition.

Brisbane will not beat Penrith if they play as good as they did in the first half last week.

But the Broncos would take something from Canterbury’s efforts in the second half. As we have seen at various stages this year, Penrith’s defence is not as rock solid as it once was. It can leak points, and this is where Brisbane have some hope.

Michael Maguire would probably disagree with much of the above. He would likely point to Brisbane being able to win that game against Canberra as proof that the way he’s trained this side, they can go the distance if they need to.

I’m just not sure they’ll be able to wrestle free once Penrith strangles them.

This won’t be the easy ride we experienced last week, but the Panthers have too much class and experience to not book another appointment at the big dance.

Tip: Panthers by 10.

IS THIS NICHO’S MOMENT TO SHINE?

Aspot in the Grand Final awaits either the competition favourites Melbourne, or the team that has quietly emerged as a serious Premiership contender in Cronulla.

The Sharks demanded respect and now they’re getting it, into another Preliminary Final and hoping to go one better than last year when Penrith ended their run at Accor Stadium.

The Sharks would not fear this Melbourne team, having beaten them once already this year (a 31-26 victory back in mid-May), and quite often taking it to Craig Bellamy’s men in recent years.

The Storm were solid against the Bulldogs a fortnight ago and deserve favourtism here. But they were hardly playing consistently good football in the lead-up to that Qualifying Final, and have had a slight question mark hovering over them all year.

There’s been plenty of occasions when Melbourne have produced something un-Melbourne-like. And that’s why this Preliminary Final is no certain win.

Obviously if Melbourne play at their best, they win. If Cameron Munster and Harry Grant produce five-star performances, I doubt the Sharks

will be able to contain them. But if the Sharks get a sniff, they are a real chance here.

What a moment this is for Nicho Hynes. A quality player who made his name in Melbourne but has still struggled to grab a spot on the podium of the NRL’s best number sevens. If he was to guide Cronulla to a win here, it could change everything.

Hynes actually leads the competition in linebreak assists, so like this team, has been something of an underrated factor in the Premiership race.

Addin Fonua-Blake is a real key here – his post-contact metres are the best in the NRL. We’ve talked about Payne Haas and Naufahu White as the best forwards this season but FonuaBlake has gone about his business all year and played a major role in this Premiership charge.

AAMI Park is often a graveyard for visiting teams but Cronulla would be steeled for anything after that trip to Canberra last Saturday.

Melbourne deserve to be favourites given they’re well rested, but I just have a feeling that this Cronulla side is full of momentum and poised to cause a boilover.

Tip: Sharks by 2.

panther rumblings

WHERE FAMILY COMES FIRST

! Family is secret weapon: There is no question that one of Penrith’s secret ingredients over the last few years has been the family feel that has been created at the club. The Panthers have leaned right in to families being part of the club – something evidenced after games when you see players and their kids. With so many players having kids at a young age, the club identified some time ago that rather than force competing priorities, they would embrace becoming a ‘family club’. It has worked a treat.

! Cleary cares: Panthers coach Ivan Cleary cut a relaxed figure at the annual WestCare charity dinner at The Coffee Club Nepean River last Thursday. Cleary is a strong supporter of WestCare and was in attendance on the night along with his wife Bec. More than $230,000 was raised at the fundraising evening.

! Spotted: Panthers enforcer Liam Martin grabbing a bite at El Jannah in Penrith last Friday.

! Spotted: Members of the Swiss team enjoying the atmosphere at Panthers Leagues Club last Sunday, soaking in the Panthers v Bulldogs clash as they continue to prepare for the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith later this month. They were accompa nied by Richard Fox, who is the driving force behind the Championships.

on Monday morning to members of the competing clubs. As always, the league has held back an allocation for fans of the two sides who make the season decider. I’m told tickets to the Grand Final have sold very well this year, likely on the back of Bulldogs and Raiders fans hoping they’d make the big dance.

! Spotted: A group of new footy fans from Nashville experiencing their first NRL game at Accor Stadium last Sunday. Despite being surrounded by Bulldogs fans, they’ve adopted the mighty Panthers as their new team.

! Embracing the fans: He’s the most in-demand player in the game but Nathan Cleary

was the first man over to the fans at full-time of Penrith’s win over Canterbury on Sunday. He could have easily just waved and moved on – but he climbed the fence to take selfies and sign autographs.

! Grand Final ticket rush: The NRL will put the last batch of Grand Final tickets on sale

! St Marys training: If Penrith make the Grand Final, an open training session will be held next week at St Marys Leagues Stadium.

! Fox fumbles: What was doing at Fox Sports last Sunday? First, Warren Smith declared Penrith had played in their Vegas jersey in last year’s Grand Final. Then, Jake Duke said it was the biggest Panthers v Bulldogs crowd outside of a Grand Final. They’ve never played in a season decider. Weird.

! Halves charged: Both Nathan Cleary and Brad Schneider copped charges from the NRL Match Review Committee following Sunday’s showdown with the Bulldogs. Cleary was hit with a grade one careless high tackle charge, copping a $1000 fine. Schneider was charged with grade one dangerous contact and has also been fined $1000 after taking an early guilty plea. Both are free to play against Brisbane on Sunday.

! Spotted: Die-hard Panthers fan Warren Bird showing his Penrith pride on Sunday in Patmos, Greece.

! Grand Final Luncheon: The Panthers are bringing back their annual Grand Final Lunch, regardless of whether they reach the season decider next week. The $285-a-head event on October 3 is targeted at sponsors and corporate types, with hypnotist Andy Nunn amongst the entertainment locked in.

MILESTONE FOR SCOTT ON BIGGEST STAGE

Since Panthers backrower Scott Sorensen arrived at the foot of the Mountains in 2021, Penrith have qualified for and won a Grand Final every single year.

One of the club’s most popular and hardest working players, the 32-yearold four-time Premiership winner doesn’t want that incredible streak to end anytime soon.

“I’m not finished yet,” Sorensen declared on Tuesday.

“This is a dream come true and I can’t credit Penrith enough. I’m not standing in this position without this club. I’m just forever grateful and very excited that we get an opportunity to do it again this year.”

Following two stints at the Cronulla Sharks and a handful of games at the Canberra Raiders in 2017, Sorensen will notch up his 100th NRL game in Panthers colours when he runs out onto Suncorp Stadium this Sunday.

When Extra Time informed him this week of his pending club milestone, he was blown away.

“I didn’t even know that. I honestly

had no idea! You’ve put me on the spot,” Sorensen said.

“I’ve said this a lot in the past that I wouldn’t be where I am today without this club. I absolutely love this club and putting on this jersey every week.

“I do my best not to take it for granted because I really love this group, I love the coaching staff, and I really love the environment and the culture that’s built here.

“Thanks for letting me know that that’s very exciting and I’m very humbled and grateful to be here.”

If Penrith are to beat the Broncos on Sunday afternoon and advance to their sixth consecutive NRL Grand Final, they’ll need to be at their absolute best like they were against the Canterbury Bulldogs last weekend.

Sorensen said he’s wary of Michael Maguire’s men, who enjoyed a monumental win over the Minor Premiership-winning Canberra Raiders a fortnight ago.

“They are just electric, aren’t they?” he said.

“Reece Walsh is their go-to guy, but have a look at their forward pack as well – that’s an absolute handful to go with. I also feel like both centres are in

career-best form too.

“It’s an absolute star-studded team. The amount of Origin players they have in there, so many big game play ers. Their halves are also a handful.

“Obviously Reece is a big part of what they do but if you go through their whole line-up, they’ve got so much experience and big-time players. You can’t be distracted by one person that’s for sure.”

Of course, this won’t be the first Preliminary Final the current Panthers have played at Suncorp Stadium, having beaten Melbourne there during the COVID-affected 2021 NRL season.

That game Sorensen played a crucial role in the 10-6 victory, with a huge chase down tackle at the end of the first half to save a certain Storm try.

The 2025 Club Person of the Year said he loves playing big games at Suncorp.

“We’re one from one in Prelims at Suncorp,” Sorensen said.

“Playing there is exciting! It’s what you want. You want the big stage; you want the big stadiums. Hopefully it’s a sell-out. To be playing the Broncos there is even better. I’m very excited and can’t wait for the challenge ahead.”

HENRY SOAKS UP DO-OR-DIE SHOWDOWN

While some of his teammates are chasing a fifth premiership ring on the first Sunday in October, Penrith interchange forward Liam Henry is looking to do the double.

The 24-year-old will play in just his second Preliminary Final this Sunday afternoon when the Panthers and Broncos do battle at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium.

Henry has been one of Penrith’s best this season, quietly going about his business by coming off Ivan Cleary’s bench and making a real impact in games.

Speaking with Extra Time on Tuesday, the Blayney product said getting the opportunity to play this deep into the Finals again is something he doesn’t take for granted – especially after Penrith’s rocky start to the season.

“This will be my second Prelim, and I can’t wait… off to Brissy!” Henry said excitedly.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll fly up on Saturday, stay the night and then game day on Sunday. I’m super excited and can’t wait to rip in.”

It’s often said that Preliminary Finals are tougher and more nerve-racking than the Grand Finals themselves.

The fear of falling short at the final hurdle can often cripple players with anxiety and fear, resulting in them not playing at their best.

Henry said that shouldn’t worry his team on this occasion as the Panthers have been staring down the barrel of sudden-death footy for a while now.

“I feel like for us this year it’s been do or die the whole Finals Series,” he admitted.

“We’re just tackling it this week and trying not to think too far ahead. We know if we put our best foot forward, we’ll go a long way to winning.”

The Panthers booked themselves a spot in this weekend’s Preliminary Final with the Broncos after a monster 46-26 performance over the “Temu Panthers”, also known as the Canterbury Bulldogs, last Sunday afternoon.

Henry scored a try in the huge victory at Accor Stadium, pouncing on a neat grubber kick by hooker Mitch Kenny before half-time.

“I think that try was right place, right time,” Henry said.

“Mitchy’s done that a couple of times [before]. I didn’t have to do too much, but I was very lucky.

“It was an awesome game to be a part of. The boys really laid the platform there in the first half and to come on and score, it was very special. It was a packed house of Blue & White, but I’m super stoked with that performance and happy to get the win.”

For the third straight week, the Panthers will have another big crowd cheering against them – this time nearly 50,000 mad Broncos supporters.

While the players admit the crowd noise doesn’t impact their performance, they very much enjoy silencing the opposing fanbase.

“It’s a good feeling but our goal is to always go out there and put our best foot forward and play our game in hopes that that silences the crowd,”

Henry said.

“We know if we’re playing our best and doing the best we can that will do that.”

Debuting at the end of the 2022 season, Henry will finally notch up NRL game number 50 this Sunday afternoon. Over the past two seasons, Henry has remained largely injury-free playing 24 games in 2024 and 22 games so far in 2025.

Henry admitted that these past two

years in the top grade have felt like a “blur”.

“The last two years have felt like it’s just flown – I can’t really describe it,” he said.

“You come into training and then you play on the weekend and then you do it all again. I feel like the last two years have been a bit of a blur, but it’s awesome. I’m stoked to be a part of this group, and I can’t wait until Sunday.”

Off contract at the end of 2026, Henry is also hoping to be a member of the Panthers well into the future. With new franchises like the Perth Bears and PNG sniffing around players, it’s going to take a significant offer from Penrith officials to keep him.

“I’m absolutely stoked with where we are at as a club and I’ve absolutely loved my time here so far and I hope to be here for a long, long time,” Henry said.

“I absolutely love it here and wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. That’s the plan anyway, but we’ll see what happens.”

scoreboard & fixtures

Missed last week’s results? Here’s a rundown of what happened in key Penrith Panthers games...

FINALS WEEK 3

Tries: P Alamoti 3, B To’o 2, N Cleary, L Henry, I Papali’i

Goals: M Burton 5/5 PANTHERS

Goals: N Cleary 7/8

SHARKS

Tries: R Mulitalo, N Hynes, B Burns, K Iro, T Wilton

Goals: N Hynes 6/6

BULLDOGS

Tries: L Galvin, J Preston, B Xerri, J Kiraz

RAIDERS

Tries: C Horsburgh, S Tamale

Goals: J Fogarty 2/2

JERSEY FLEGG

Tries: D Wigmore 2, J Edgar 2, T Patea, T Bunting, J Liddiard

Goals: Raven 5, Liddiard 1

SHARKS

Tries: J Dovenski 2, N Williams, A Sandy, R Pollard, P Gray, J Camilleri

Goals: R Pollard 4/7

player of the year

panther memories

This photograph shows Penrith Park in 1967, as preparations begin to host first grade rugby league.

Owned by Penrith City Council, it was agreed the land between Station Street and Mulgoa Road would be the home of the Panthers after their acceptance into the 1967 competition was confirmed.

It would require significant upgrades and development to be ready to host first grade rugby league.

The playing surface was originally oval shaped, with just the western grandstand (with no roof!).

The first home game at Penrith Park was held on April 8, 1967 between Penrith and Newtown.

In the lead-up to the game against Newtown, concerns had been raised about the standard of the surface, with talk that the sand-based field was not ready for play. It was officially opened on April 23, 1967.

WHAT PANTHERS MEANS TO ME

lang on league

with Peter Lang

As the Panthers fly to Brisbane to play in their sixth successive Preliminary Final, this time against the Broncos on Sunday, Penrith are only two games from achieving the unthinkable in this modern-day salary cap era, a fifth premiership in a row.

C’mon surely that won’t happen. They can’t do it again, can they?

Well even if they don’t, the premiership window will still be open for years to come, if not forever. The Penrith Panthers are a modern-day rugby league juggernaut built on a strong work ethic and a tried-and-true culture.

But what does Panthers actually really stand for?

Pride, Aspiration, Nurturing, Teamwork, Hard work, Excellence, Respect, and Striving.

That’s pretty much what Panthers means to me when you break it down.

I believe the club and team exude all these values and that’s why it’s been able to achieve what it has.

Now let’s look at each word and how it applies to the club and team.

Pride – The team has it in bucketloads. To fight back from last on the ladder after 12 rounds to an Elimination Final shows pride in the jumper as well as pride in themselves.

Aspiration – The Panthers always aspire to be the best version of themselves they can be. They’re never the finished product.

Nurturing – The Penrith Pathways system is perhaps the best example of nurturing and growing from within. The success of this program is now being copied by other clubs.

Teamwork – It’s always about the team not the individual. There are plenty of examples of players always talking about the ‘team’ and not

taking the credit themselves. Thomas Jenkins congratulating and telling Paul Alamoti that he was taking his place in first grade is the perfect example of that.

Hard work – The Panthers won four consecutive premierships because they worked harder than any other team. They realised after finding themselves last on the ladder, that perhaps they weren’t working as hard at training as they should be. That all changed and the hard work intensified at training and the results on the field improved.

Excellence – The Panthers were one of the first clubs to establish the Rugby League Academy [of Excellence]. Everything grew from there, the centre includes some of the finest facilities offered to ensure players always perform at their maximum level.

Respect – You don’t ask for respect, you earn it. Five consecutive grand-finals and four premierships in a row has ensured the club has the

Panthers work hard to keep it. Striving – The club is always striving to be the best team in the NRL. This flows down through the lower grades and even now with women’s rugby league. The Panthers plan to field a team in the NRLW in 2027. They strive to be the best in every competition they participate in.

Let’s also not forget that the Panthers represent Penrith and its people, in turn the people of Penrith have embraced this football team not just in the last few years but all the way back to 1967 when the team entered the NSWRL competition.

Over the years the crowds have grown as the area has grown.

Panther Pride, what it really means is the feeling you get when the team wins. It’s what the players feel when they thump that logo on their chest after a try.

Penrith is the pride behind the Panthers and It doesn’t get much better than

Raising the standard of home building.

We’r e pr oud to announce tha t Better B uilt H omes has been re c ognised at the 2025 HIA N orthern NS W H ousing and Kitchen & Bathr oom Aw ar ds, t aking home two pr estigious awar ds and being named finalists in two additional categories. L ooking

GOLD CLASS PANTHERS PUT ON A SHOW

It was a Sunday afternoon to savour.

Penrith’s 46-26 win over Canterbury catapulted them into a sixth straight Preliminary Final.

Here’s some of the best moments from a spectacular day at Accor Stadium, thanks to NRL Photos...

IN FINALS EPIC