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Penrith have won back-to-back titles by dominating their opponents on the field but they’re in danger of being brought down from within by their own arrogance.
There’s a difference between having the swagger of a champion team and being petulant and the Panthers crossed that line with some of their carry-on during the celebrations at the fan day at BlueBet Stadium following their 28-12 demolition of traditional rivals Parramatta.
Clearly they had been enjoying the victory with an alcoholic beverage or two, or more, and they earned that right to let their hair down after a long season in which they became just the third team in the past three decades to successfully defend their title.
But it’s clear the success has gone to their heads.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Kiwi prop James Fisher-Harris was literally playing to the crowd with his “Parra are our sons” jibe. It sent the Panthers fans into raptures and kick-started a “we hate Parra” chant.
Jarome Luai boldly declared the Eels “can call them daddy” in the lead-up to the game after Penrith have hitorically been seen as Parramatta’s little brother, so Fisher-Harris taunted their beaten grand final foes some more: “I just want to say: Parra are our sons. That’s the facts,” he told a crowd of around 3000 supporters.
View the video of JFH’s speech in the player at the top of this story
Luai proclaimed “Daddy’s home” to the crowd to further whip them into a frenzy.
JFH’s bold statement revived memories of Broncos captain Allan Langer in 1993 when he asked fans to chant “St George can’t play” during victory celebrations.
Rivalries are great. Parramatta hate Penrith just as much as they do and it will be on for young and old next year when these teams meet.
But it was churlish for JFH and Luai to rub it in their noses like that.
Fisher-Harris took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a psuedo apology to Parra as well as previous Penrith teams he disrespected by saying the current side was the greatest in club history: “I’m cool with the players & the area is not bad, just tryna keep the rivalry alive! & I hold the up most [sic] respect for those players gone before me/us So don’t get it twisted”
Phew, lucky he said those inflammatory remarks or the Penrith-Parramatta rivalry could have died, apparently.
Api Koroisau snickered like a schoolboy when he was on the microphone at the fan day after saying “to go out on a high like that, it’s pretty incredible, and I’ll probably do the same thing at the Tigers”.
Not that he was thinking about them, or much at all for that matter, but the Wests Tigers have forked out huge dollars to sign the Fijian international for the next three seasons.
James Fisher-Harris still in his playing kit during a fan day at BlueBet Stadium on Monday. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
They are desperately trying to turn their club around and now they have to cop this on the back of their other star recruit, Isaiah Papali’i, umming and ahhing for months about whether he’s going to honour his contract at the club.
Club chair Lee Hagipantelis has already contacted Koroisau and his manager and he told SEN on Tuesday “the matter has been dealt with and dealt with privately”.
“As I understand it, Api is a thoroughly decent fellow and presents as such. I’m sure if he had his time again he might rethink those comments.,” Hagipantelis said. “It was on the spur of the moment, emotions play a large part and perhaps some alcohol as well. We’re not going to put a lot of stock into it and we’re very keen on welcoming him to the club.”
Luai is also in strife posting an offensive term on Instagram hours after the 28-12 triumph over Parramatta.
He posted an image on Instagram of himself celebrating with teammate Jaeman Salmon in the early hours of Monday morning with the caption “My n—-.”
Using the N-word on social media is not acceptable, even if he will try to claim it was a term of endearment among teammates.
The 25-year-old Samoan international deleted the post hours later but he is likely to be sanctioned by the NRL and his club. He could face a ban from matches at the World Cup along with Samoan teammate Luciano Leilua after he was charged over an alleged domestic violence incident on Monday afternoon.
Newcastle NRLW player Caitlin Moran was banned for a finals match and received a suspended fine of a quarter of her salary for posting a disrespectful remark on social media following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
If that is the benchmark, then Luai should cop a similar punishment for his stupidity online.
The genesis for the chest-beating behaviour at the Panthers is the 2020 Grand Final loss to Melbourne.
They believe they were bullied and thrown off their game by the Storm in the decider that year. After going into the clash on the back of a 17-game winning streak, they were blown away by their more-experienced opposition’s standover tactics and were blown away to trail by 26 before mounting a late, but ultimately futile, comeback.
Penrith didn’t want the old nice guys finish last theory to apply to them so they got meaner last year on the back of a “fight club” style pre-season camp in which they belted the bejesus out of each other, within reason.
Ever since they’ve been the kings of the NRL jungle by roughing up opponents, giving a bit of verbal here and there while also having the slickest backline in the competition by a long way.
The fact that it was Fisher-Harris revving up the crowd with hubris on Monday was surprising.
He is Penrith’s silent assassin who rarely speaks in media interviews. Still dressed in full jersey, he also claimed the current Panthers squad was the greatest in club history.
“Everyone gone before us, much respect. But as I said last night: We are the greatest Penrith team ever,” Fisher-Harris said.
This may be true but the 1991 and 2003 teams would be well within their rights to see those comments as an unnecessary dig in the ribs.
Next time they have victory celebrations, a club official should perhaps be on hand with a breathalyser – anyone who blows three times the legal driving limit should not be allowed near a live mic.
Ivan Cleary is no dope and is renowned for being level headed – he will know these victory celebrations have been a bad look and will deliver an attitude adjustment.
Penrith will kick off 2023 as overwhelming favourites even accounting for Koroisau’s exit to the Wests Tigers and Viliame Kikau to the Bulldogs.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke are waiting in the wings to fill the dummy-half role while Luke Garner is arriving from the Tigers to replace Kikau while they also have Scott Sorensen or Jaeman Salmon, who now looks like rejecting a Canterbury deal to stay, as edge forward options in the pack.
The Roosters are considered the main challengers next year as they will have a similar squad plus the addition of Brandon Smith.
Melbourne and Parramatta are next best but both are losing a few key players in the off-season, Cronulla and the Cowboys are on the rise but are still relatively young in terms of finals experience while Souths are probably the only other club with a half-decent crack at bringing a halt to a Panthers dynasty.
But it appears the team most likely to bring the Panthers down is themselves.