See the bizarre way Penrith will make footy history when they run out for the NRL grand final
The Penrith Panthers are heading into an historic fifth consecutive grand final and are preparing to do something that no NRL team has done before: wear pink jerseys in the year’s biggest game.
The three-time reigning premiers have worn their black strip in their past four deciders, but will be required to change their alternate uniforms when they play the Storm this Sunday.
Penrith’s home strip would clash with Melbourne’s dark purple, and as the Storm are the minor premiers, they have earned the right to don their traditional strip.
Melbourne had to wear their white strip in the 2020 grand final against the Panthers because Penrith had finished the season as minor premiers.
In the 116 years of rugby league in Australia, no side has played in a wholly pink jersey in a grand final.
The news is expected to prompt a rush to buy pink jerseys, which have proved to be more popular than expected.
‘Every time we wear it, it’s amazing the number of young, female fans we get,’ Panthers Group chief executive Brian Fletcher told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘And the young kids love the jersey. I hear them ask their parents, ‘can you buy me that pink jersey?’ If we sell out of the stock, we’ll order more. It’s a great point of difference for our fans.’
The Penrith Panthers will become first team in NRL history to wear pink in a grand final
The Storm are the minor premiers and have the right to don their traditional strip for the NRL decider on Sunday
Over the weekend, coach Ivan Cleary implored the NRL to make changes in the bunker before Penrith’s grand final against Melbourne, saying he is worried that ‘terrible’ obstruction calls could cost his side the premiership.
Ivan Cleary is set to avoid a grand-final week NRL sanction despite his comments raising concerns over bunker officiating being branded ‘unhelpful’ by Andrew Abdo.
Cleary implored the NRL to make changes in the bunker before Penrith’s title decider against Melbourne, saying he is worried that ‘terrible’ obstruction calls could cost his side the premiership.
After the Panthers’ 26-6 preliminary final win over Cronulla on Saturday, Cleary said he was having ‘a lot of anxiety’ over the NRL’s handling of obstructions.
Frustrated at a no-try call that went against the Panthers, Cleary questioned the performance of bunker referee Chris Butler and said he was concerned over a year-long pattern of debatable calls.
The three-time reigning premiers will look very different when they face the Storm
Up 10-2 with 30 minutes to play against the Sharks, Penrith thought they had taken a sizeable lead when Sunia Turuva crossed on the left wing.
But the try was cancelled when the bunker ruled that Luke Garner had taken out Sharks centre Siosifa Talakai in the lead up.
Replays appeared to show that Talakai had initiated contact, and the Penrith second-rower made a deliberate attempt to run past the Shark’s inside shoulder.
‘That was a terrible decision, and that gives me a lot of anxiety around next week if that bunker official (is there again). I think it was Chris Butler,’ Cleary said afterwards.
‘That was wrong, and it’s been happening all year.
‘That was the one time we sorted our stuff out and ran the play perfectly and ran to his inside shoulder. Sifa actually initiated contact.
‘That worries me about next week if that same bunker official (is there) or, if he or someone else is going off the same script, then I’m concerned.’
