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From worst to first: The story of the 2003 Penrith Panthers

Penrith players celebrate their 2003 NRL triumph. (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Roar Rookie
18th June, 2018
8

There aren’t too many ‘fairytale’ stories in rugby league similar to the Penrith Panthers’ 2003 campaign.

The Panthers’ premiership triumph that year seems to have been a lone success that symbolised the importance of luck and circumstance – especially when taking into consideration their results over the previous years.

However, it had actually been brewing for quite some time.

Nonetheless, it was a victory that shocked fans and stood as a testament to the unpredictability of the game.

It’s only when looking back that one can truly understand how talent-laden that side was, despite how unclear that seemed at the time.

Unlike the Wests Tigers in 2005, whose grand final win that year seems almost as difficult to comprehend now as it did then, the Panthers’ ability to emerge at season’s end with the trophy in hand doesn’t seem as improbable looking back.

The nucleus of the Panthers outfit was a carefully concocted blend, made up of both veteran players with representative experience, and young rookies who would later go on to achieve even greater heights in the game.

During the 2001 and 2002 seasons, the mix slowly came together although, at the time, it failed to produce much in terms of on-field success.

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After finishing last in 2001, the Panthers were able to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon the following season, but still missed out on a finals berth, finishing 12th.

Although they lost more games than they won, both of these campaigns later proved vital in Penrith’s 2003 triumph.

In 2003, fullback Rhys Wesser was the season’s top try scorer, not only for his club but across the entire competition, having crossed the try line 25 times. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that Wesser made more than seven first grade appearances, at which point his penchant for scoring tries became more evident.

Luke Lewis and Luke Rooney, who lined up on the wings throughout 2003, proved similarly adept in their scoring abilities and would go on to appear for both their state and country in the representative arena. Both players debuted in 2001.

The contributions of props Martin Lang and Joel Clinton cannot be underestimated, for it was their consistent ability – alongside the rest of the forward pack – to gain an advantage in the forwards which allowed the back line, particularly Preston Campbell and Craig Gower, to work their magic.

Both forwards debuted for the club in 2002, with Martin Lang coming to the club from Cronulla alongside his father John – Penrith’s coach – while it was Clinton’s debut year in first-grade.

Another important cog in the Penrith machine in 2003 was hooker Luke Priddis, who had only joined the club the previous year after making the switch from the Brisbane Broncos.

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NRL Grand Final 2017

The Provan Summons Trophy. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Priddis had appeared for the Broncos in the 2000 decider as they defeated the Roosters 14-6, and it was his grand final experience that no doubt played a big role in him winning the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2003 decider.

In fact, the resilient hooker was the only member of the Panther’s starting line-up in who had played in an NRL grand final.

Aside from Clinton, Lang and Priddis, four other members of the starting line-up who took the field for the 2003 decider also made their debut for the Panthers in 2002 – Paul Whatuira, Joe Galuvao, Ben Ross and Trent Waterhouse.

Among the most important player acquisitions – the final piece of the puzzle – was five-eighth Preston Campbell, who debuted for the club in 2003.

One of the smallest players in the competition, Campbell’s remarkable talent proved greater than the disadvantage his size presented. In 2001, as halfback for the Cronulla Sharks, Campbell was awarded the Dally M Medal as player of the year.

Alongside captain Craig Gower at halfback, Campbell’s creativity and elusiveness helped establish them as one of the most threatening halves combinations in the competition.

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Although Penrith began their 2003 campaign with a loss to the Brisbane Broncos, it was a performance which indicated change was indeed on the horizon. After fighting back from a 20-8 halftime deficit, the Panthers displayed tremendous fortitude to level the game at 20-all during the second half, before ultimately going down 24-20.

The four-point deficit was all the more promising when taking into consideration Brisbane had finished the previous season as preliminary finalists.

Despite losing their next outing against Melbourne to the tune of 42-16, the Panthers’ Round 3 clash against defending premiers, the Sydney Roosters, resulted in a 23-22 upset and gave fans reason to be excited, especially after their Round 1 performance.

While it appeared to initially be false hope, as they lost to the Raiders 40-28 the following week, the Panthers went on to win 13 of their next 14 games, climbing to the top of the table in the process.

A Round 20 loss to the Roosters at home, followed a week later by another losing effort to the struggling St George-Illawarra Dragons, suggested they weren’t quite capable of maintaining their success

However, both defeats proved to be a much-needed shake-up for the Panthers, as they won their final four games of the regular season to finish as minor premiers, with a then-record home crowd of 22,304 turning out to see their Round 26 clash against the Parramatta Eels.

One of the more overlooked aspects which greatly attributed to the Panthers’ success in 2003 was the pivotal State of Origin period, which can be a turning point in many team’s campaigns.

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Teams such as the Newcastle Knights and Brisbane Broncos would falter during the latter stages of the competition due to the number of players selected for either Queensland or New South Wales.

Not only are these players unable to appear for their clubs while in camp for State of Origin, but often suffer the effects of fatigue after the representative period is over.

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As of Round 17, the Broncos sat atop the table but were ultimately only able to secure the last place in the finals, finishing the regular season in the eighth position after seven consecutive losses.

It is no coincidence the Broncos had more of their players selected for State of Origin duty than any other club. For the Panthers, it was a non-factor as they had no players selected for either the Maroons or Blues.

Leading into the finals, many pundits still favoured the Sydney Roosters, who were not only the defending premiers but hadn’t missed the finals since 1999. The Panthers’ shaky 28-18 victory over Brisbane in Week 1 seemed to confirm suspicions that they were ‘pretenders’ rather than contenders.

For many, they were similar to the Parramatta Eels of 2001; while they were able to dominate during the regular season, there wasn’t a lot of doubt they would falter at the final hurdle, and come up short when it mattered most.

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Although Penrith managed to qualify for the grand final after they defeated the Warriors – grand finalists themselves the previous year – 28-20, it was unconvincing in the eyes of many, particularly in comparison to the Roosters’ own path to the decider.

After disposing of Newcastle 36-8 in the first week of the playoffs, the Bondi-based team were clinical in their preliminary final defeat of the Bulldogs, the final score of 28-18 an injustice as to how decisive the victory was.

Leading into the grand final, it wasn’t so much a case of ‘if’ but ‘by how much’ for the Sydney Roosters and their chances of taking home the trophy.

In one of the finest contests in the game’s history, the Panthers outclassed their opponents, prevailing 18-6.

The match itself, and the seemingly random moments scattered throughout, in fact, symbolised the team’s entire campaign to that point. As they had been coming into the season, they were overlooked by pundits and fans – other than their own – coming into the grand final.

Much like their early string of losses would have shaken the confidence of a lesser team, the problems created by the rainy conditions seemed instead to make Penrith more determined.

Rather than trying to react stubbornly, they adapted and, in turn, flourished. The twists and turns of the game were but an 80-minute version of the narrative told throughout the year until that point.

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In the 53rd minute of the game, with the scores locked at 6-6, Roosters winger Todd Byrne snatched up a loose ball, and with nothing but empty space in front of him seemed destined to score. As he ran upfield, Panthers lock Scott Sattler emerged as the lone Panthers defender who had a chance of taking him down.

It appeared as though his attempt would be in vain, however, as Byrne’s speed seemed too great for Sattler to match, especially considering he was a forward.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The son of former South Sydney great John Sattler made his father proud when he dived for a cover tackle which not only took the Roosters winger to ground, but also over the sideline, thus creating a turnover in possession.

Much like Penrith’s two consecutive losses earlier in the season, Byrne’s line-break created an air of uncertainty and doubt which could have turned the tide against Penrith, but instead, they were able to turn it in their favour.

The play which truly sealed the game, – and gave the Panthers their first Premiership in 12myears – came as a direct result of the aforementioned mix of experience and youthful exuberance.

Luke Priddis, the only Penrith player with a previous grand final appearance to his name, swooped into dummy-half, and directed a beautiful, bullet-like cut-out pass to a local Penrith junior who had only made his first-grade debut two years earlier; 21-year-old Luke Rooney.

Yep, there aren’t too many ‘fairytale’ stories in rugby league like the Penrith Panthers winning the 2003 NRL grand final.

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