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Continuing my series of greatest teams, today we look at the Penrith Panthers.
1. Rhys Wesser
4 caps for Queensland
The enigmatic fullback was a great spark for Penrith for many years. At his best in broken play, he used his great pace to score a record 25 tries in 2003 – a record for fullbacks.
2. Luke Rooney
6 caps for Australia, 5 for NSW
Rooney was a star ever since his rookie year. A very strong runner, he famously scored the winning try in the 2003 grand final. Rooney’s later years were quite poor, somewhat diminishing his contribution to Penrith.
3. Ryan Girdler
10 caps for Australia, 8 for NSW, 2x centre of the year
Girdler constantly posed a threat for the opposition with his great swerve and step. He had a great knack for scoring tries, was dubbed the ‘Intercept king’, and is one of the few players to score a hat-trick in a State of Origin.
4. Brad Izzard
4 caps for NSW
Izzard burst onto the scene with the Panthers as a talented attacking player who backed it up with solid defence.
5. Josh Mansour
4 caps for Australia
Mansour is a very strong, gifted winger who has established himself as one of the best metre-eaters in the game, despite a career plagued by injuries.
6. Brad Fittler
38 caps for Australia, 31 for NSW, Golden Boot Award, RLW Player of the week, 2x centre of the year, lock of the year, 2x five-eighth of the year
‘Freddy’, a superstar at 16, was a super versatile player who excelled in many positions. Fittler was very smart and used his left-foot step to constantly make breaks.
7. Greg Alexander
Australia 6 caps, 4 for NSW, Dally M Player of the year, 3x halfback of the year, rookie of the year
A fast and elusive halfback, ‘Brandy’ had an excellent running game which saw him score and set up numerous tries. Well-known for his cover-tackle ability, he was key in Penrith’s first premiership win.
Alexander is the greatest to ever play for the Panthers.
8. Tim Sheens
An underrated, hard-working local junior, Sheens was a great leader and an important figure in the Panthers pack for many years.
9. Royce Simmons
10 caps for Australia, 10 for NSW, hooker of the year
The inspirational leader of the Panthers, Simmons was one of their better players when they are easy beats. Simmons famously scored two tries in the 1991 grand final win.
10. Petro Civoniceva
45 caps for Australia, 33 for Queensland. Prop of the year
Petro was one of the most consistent props in the 2000s and came to Penrith when they needed a leader after the departure of Craig Gower.
11. John Cartwright
7 caps for Australia, 8 for NSW, 2x second rower of the year
A great ball-playing forward, Cartwright had an amazing ability to offload around the corner. A great tackler, Cartwright helped change the way second rowers play.
12. Mark Geyer
3 caps for Australia, 3 for NSW
‘Loose cannon’ may be an understatement – Geyer’s aggression made him one of the most controversial players in his time. An intimidating force who ran and tackled like his life depended on it, Geyer’s most iconic moment was getting in the face of Wally Lewis during an Origin match.
13. Colin Van der Voort
A hard-working, tireless player who never played any rep games, he showed how good he was in the 1991 grand final against Canberra.
Bench
Tony Puletua, Luke Lewis, Bill Ashurst, Terry Geary
This team’s halves are extraordinary – Fittler and Alexander have the class to set up plenty of points. The dynamic backs make this team very potent, with some seriously formidable wingers.
This team has great balance all over the park, but how do they stack up against other all-time teams?
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