The Penrith Panthers lie at the foot of the mountains in Sydney’s west. They run one of the game’s largest junior rugby league nurseries in one of the fastest growing areas in Western Sydney.
The benefits of being located where they are will be felt in the future, but that is only if the club capitalises on its opportunities now.
Since the Panthers inaugural season of 1967 the club has achieved limited success. In the early days the club struggled both on and off the field. The colours of brown and white along with the fact the team faded out in matches gave rise to the nickname the chocolate soldiers. The club’s early years were not their glory years.
It wasn’t until the mid-80s with a crop of young talent that the club began to come into its own, and by 1990 they had broken through for their first shot at the title. They were up against an all-conquering Canberra team, so the odds were against them. The fact the team and the Penrith area celebrated making the grand final as if they had won one did not help their cause. Despite this, they were valiant in defeat.
The 1991 season saw the Penrith Panthers win their maiden title. It was party time. Things were looking bright. The locals had a team that could dominate for years and create a legacy for the ages.
(AAP Image/Craig Golding)
But then tragedy struck. I won’t revisit this period in the club’s history other than to say that it set the team back for years to come. It was a sad time.
The Panthers were not to reach the summit again until the 2003 season, when they upset the Sydney Roosters for their second title. But once again the Panthers struggled to maintain that success.
The club has recently reorganised itself and is aiming to achieve greatness again. Part of their aim is to have the Penrith Panthers act as a whole club. The whole-club approach means that it is a junior and senior club and that players in the region can go from being a junior to a senior player. That plan is commendable, and although it hasn’t brought a title now, it is not to say it won’t work in the future.
So where to from here for Penrith? Ultimately titles should be the goal. That is why all the clubs participate in the first place. However, Penrith should be aiming much higher.
In 2017 Penrith comprised 19,139 members, third amongst the Sydney clubs. It is not high enough. Penrith is very much under-utilising their market. They reside in one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The population for the city of Penrith alone, not counting towns or the area around it, is roughly 200,000, yet Penrith and the area’s population is set to climb drastically in the next few years.
The key for the Panthers moving forward is to translate this population into active fans. At the moment the Penrith Panthers average only about 12,000 fans per game. This attendance rate is below the average of the game and highlights that the club needs to do more to engage and entice fans to the game.
(AAP Image/Craig Golding)
This low attendance makes one wonder if region supports the Panthers or if the area is made up of fans who have moved from other areas and consequently follow other teams. Maybe the locals could explain why their crowds are so low.
What will be interesting is whether, if ANZ Stadium is rebuilt, the Penrith Panthers will be forced to play some games there. This situation may take them away from their heartland, but it may also open up other opportunities.
In any case the people of Penrith are proud of their area. Some may cringe at the thought of travelling out Penrith way, but you will be surprised to find the place is a lot more pleasant than you would have imagined.
For the fans of this club the key is not to rest easy. Greatness awaits, but the club must reach for it. For the club to achieve greatness it needs to do a few things better. More engagement with the schools and community is required so that kids grow up wanting to play for Penrith instead of other clubs.
Further, the club must do all it can to promote membership, which is a cornerstone of continued success. Having fans being active paying supporters is an accurate indicator of a club’s supporter base.
With the club’s junior pathway system and the growth of its population base the Penrith Panthers are poised to do well now and into the future.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
A brutally honest Blake Lawrie has conceded he could rightfully have been axed by Shane Flanagan, labelling his own early-season form at St George…
Penrith centre Taylan May could face sanctions from his club and the NRL after posting a video of a car speeding in a residential…
Viliame Kikau could well be the most overrated player in the NRL based on the stats he has produced thus far in 2024.
The have been some great nights over the years in this part of the Northern Beaches, and you can stick this one right up…
It was more like an A-League game than the NRL at times on Thursday night. A packed bay, all in black, cheering and chanting…
NRL kickers are under more pressure than ever. But what will the knock-on effects of the new crack-down be?
