Panthers count the cost of $40 million lockdown blow

Penrith’s premiership celebrations will last long into December as the club counts the missed financial opportunities of winning a grand final in lockdown.

Most Panthers players and coaches are still in Queensland following Sunday night’s victory over South Sydney, enjoying their end-of-season holidays.

The majority will return at the end of this month, with the club to hold back its presentation for when restrictions ease further in December.

Likewise, the fan day usually held days after the grand final is also still in the works for later in the year.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Penrith will hold off on hosting an event until greater numbers can attend, with limits of one person per four square metres still in place beyond 80 per cent vaccination rates.

It comes as the club counts the cost of a 15-week lockdown in Sydney that came at exactly the wrong time for them.

Club estimates suggest they lost up to $5 million alone at Panthers’ Leagues Club in Penrith in grand final week.

Throughout the course of the lockdown, just shy of $40 million was missed in takings from the leagues club section of the club.

Penrith were also one of the few sides to continually sell out matches when fans were allowed due to their success, raking in around $200,000 per home game.

The NRL has made up for that slightly, compensating clubs $100,000 per home game lost during the relocation to Queensland.

The Panthers also collected $200,000 from the NRL for lifting the trophy, but the club is not expected to pocket as much in merchandise as they would normally after a premiership.