- Nathan Cleary’s team will face Storm in the biggest game of the year
- The action will begin at Homebush from 7.30pm on Sunday
The Penrith Panthers are heading into a historic fifth consecutive grand final and are preparing to do something no NRL team has done before – wear pink jerseys in the biggest game of the year.
The three-time premiers have worn their black stripes in their last four deciders but will have to change out of their alternative kits when they play the Storm this Sunday.
Penrith’s home jersey would clash with Melbourne’s deep purple, and as the Storm are minor premiers they have earned the right to wear their traditional jersey.
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 team has played in an all-pink jersey in a grand final.
The news is expected to spark a rush of buyers for pink T-shirts, which have proven to be more popular than expected.
“Every time we use it, it’s amazing how many young fans we have,” Panthers Group CEO Brian Fletcher told Sydney Morning Herald.
“And the little kids love the T-shirt. I hear them asking their parents: ‘can you buy me that pink t-shirt?’ If we run out of stock, we will order more. “It’s a big point of difference for our fans.”
The Penrith Panthers will become the first team in NRL history to wear pink in a grand final
The Storm are minor premiers and have the right to wear their traditional attire for the NRL decider on Sunday.
Over the weekend, coach Ivan Cleary implored the NRL to make bunker changes ahead of Penrith’s grand final against Melbourne, saying he is worried “terrible” obstruction calls could cost his team the top spot. minister.
Ivan Cleary is set to avoid an NRL sanction in this week’s grand final despite his comments sparking concerns about Andrew Abdo branding the bunker umpire “useless”.
Cleary implored the NRL to make bunker changes ahead of Penrith’s title decider against Melbourne, saying he is worried “terrible” obstruction calls could cost his team the premiership.
After the Panthers’ 26-6 preliminary final win over Cronulla on Saturday, Cleary said he was having “a lot of anxiety” about the NRL’s handling of the obstructions.
Frustrated by a no-try call that went against the Panthers, Cleary questioned the performance of bunker referee Chris Butler and said he was concerned about a pattern of questionable calls that had gone on for a year.
The three reigning prime ministers will look very different when they face the Storm
Up 10-2 with 30 minutes left against the Sharks, Penrith thought they had taken a sizeable lead when Sunia Turuva crossed down the left wing.
But the try was called off when the bunker ruled that Luke Garner had taken out Sharks center Siosifa Talakai in the run-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 next week if that bunker official (is there again). I think it was Chris Butler,” Cleary said afterward.
‘That was wrong and it’s been happening all year.
“That was the only time we got our stuff together and executed the play perfectly and ran to his inside shoulder. In fact, Sifa initiated the contact.
“That worries me if next week the same bunker officer (is there) or if he or someone else goes off the same script, then I’m worried.”