The Penrith Panthers booked their place in another preliminary final, but it was their jersey choice on Friday night that surprised many.
As the Panthers raced to a 24-0 lead to crush the Sydney Roosters in their final game at Bluebet Stadium before it was demolished, fans noticed the players were wearing the same jersey that debuted in Round 3 of the Heritage Round.
The Pasifika jersey, which former players Frank Puletua and Joe Galuvao helped design, was launched earlier this year as the club’s round three multicultural jersey.
And the club has decided to use it during the final to honour outgoing stars Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris, who are heading to Wests and New Zealand Warriors respectively.
“It means a lot,” Luai said.
“The fact that Ivan (Cleary) did that adds excitement to the whole thing. Culture means a lot to me and Fish.
“It’s a very special and thoughtful addition by the manager. By doing so, he shows how much his players mean to him and we are very grateful.”
Luai says Penrith could only ‘laugh’ as critics questioned their premiership credentials before a resounding win in the qualifying final following Nathan Cleary’s return from a shoulder injury.
The Panthers are now just one win away from a chance to play for a historic fourth consecutive title after Cleary laid the groundwork for Friday’s 30-10 victory over the Sydney Roosters.
The Penrith Panthers wore their Pasifika jersey in their NRL final against the Sydney Roosters
The jersey was chosen to honour outgoing stars Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris.
Penrith’s return to their disciplined, uncompromising best came after their ability to maintain premiership dominance was questioned in a patchy month without Cleary before the finals.
But despite the loss to Canberra and an unconvincing six-point defeat to Gold Coast, Cleary’s midfield partner Luai said the Panthers never doubted his ability to rediscover top speed.
“People should know us by now. We are a team that has confidence,” Luai said.
“When the big occasion comes, we’ll be ready for it. There’s been a bit of talk that we’re not really ready for this final series. Now they’ll be looking down on us.
“Doubt makes us laugh more than anything. We can never write ourselves off, even when we’re losing.”
Man of the moment Cleary admitted he was “embarrassed” by his poor injury luck after his first game since aggravating a shoulder injury originally sustained in pre-season.
The 26-year-old’s regular season campaigns have been severely hampered by injuries in recent years but he has since returned and helped lead the Panthers to three consecutive NRL championships.
Before suffering a shoulder injury a month before the final, Cleary missed the State of Origin series with a hamstring problem.
Luai is off to Wests Tigers next season but is looking to secure a record fourth title with the Panthers before he leaves.
But now the playmaker is desperate to make up for lost time and lead the Panthers to a fourth consecutive NRL grand final victory.
“It’s been a frustrating year. The times I’ve been injured I feel bad for not being able to go out and fight alongside my brothers,” Cleary said.
‘Sometimes it’s almost embarrassing to suffer these injuries and have to take time off again.
‘It’s been an up-and-down year, but I had my sights set on this game and just had to get through it.
‘There was no point in getting down on myself, I had to be a positive influence on the team even if I wasn’t playing and then, in the background, work hard to do my best.
“I’m very happy with how tonight went but obviously there’s more to come and I have to keep working hard.”
Cleary’s side will not know who they will face in their preliminary final until a week from now and that quarter-final clash could potentially be the scrum-half’s last chance of securing a title alongside Luai.
Luai, who is fifth in the table, will move to Wests Tigers at the end of this year, ending a half-back combination that has produced titles in three consecutive seasons for the Panthers.
“I just want to enjoy the time we have left together, obviously we’ve been playing together since we were 16,” Cleary said.
“Obviously it will be a sad moment when it comes to an end, but that is not the case yet.”