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Mitch Kenny admits he had his doubts earlier in the season whether Penrith could make the play-offs. But the rugged hooker now believes they can beat “anyone, anywhere, any time” as they home in on a fifth successive premiership.
The Panthers inexplicably slumped to five successive defeats between rounds two and five and were last on the competition ladder mid-season, before embarking on a nine-game winning streak that reminded everyone why they are the reigning four-time champions.
But their belated revival was not enough to secure a top-four berth. Instead, their seventh-place finish requires them to negotiate a sudden-death minefield that kicks off on Saturday when they take on the Warriors in Auckland.
No team in the NRL era has won from outside the top four, but Kenny insists the Panthers are capable of defying the odds stacked against them.
“It kind of feels as if we’ve been playing without a home game all year anyway,” he said, pointing to the fact the Panthers have hosted games at CommBank Stadium this season while a new facility is being built at Penrith.
“If there was a time to do it this way, it would be now. I’m confident we can beat anyone, anywhere, anytime. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Nathan Cleary and the Panthers are chasing a fifth successive premiership.Credit: Getty Images
The 27-year-old concedes he was not so bullish halfway through the season, when Penrith spent several weeks encamped in the competition cellar.
“For sure, there were doubts when we were sitting last,” he said. “I always thought we were going to be able to turn it around, but thinking it rather than actually doing it are two different things. I always had belief, but for sure that was plagued with doubts at times.”
The turning point in Penrith’s campaign, in hindsight, was their round-16 clash with the Warriors in Auckland, when Kenny stepped in as acting captain in the absence of NSW Origin stars Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin and Brian To’o.
The depleted Panthers ground out a 28-18 win against a Warriors team who at the time were flying high in third position, and returned from their trans-Tasman assignment with two crucial competition points in the bank and a huge psychological boost.
A second-string Penrith upset the Warriors in Auckland without their Origin stars.Credit: Getty Images
“I’d like to think it was a pretty significant turning point for us,” Kenny said. “We went over there and we won that game with a pretty inexperienced squad, based off all the things that we knew we needed to do better to turn our season around.
“That was just competing hard, holding each other accountable and just ripping in. I feel like that was a bit of a catalyst for change for us. That was a great win.”
Kenny was hopeful a victory at the same venue on Saturday would have a similar impact on Penrith’s finals campaign.
“We have to win it,” he said. “We don’t have any other choice. But, yeah, for sure I think we can get a lot of confidence out of this game. We’ll be looking to build into that.”
Having played in three of Penrith’s four grand final triumphs, Kenny said each season had unique challenges, and this year there had been some “struggles” that took time to overcome.
“I try to think about them [seasons] all individually,” he said. “They all have their own story. This year’s story is one where we had to fight back from being at the bottom of the ladder.
“But I’m not dreaming about winning the grand final yet. We’re still playing the elimination final this week. There’s so much more in front of us before we even get there. We’ll see what happens.”
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To advance beyond week one of the play-offs, the Panthers will have to topple one of the pillars of their dynasty, Warriors skipper James Fisher Harris, who left Penrith at the end of last season to return to his homeland.
“I’ve had to have him run at me for years at training,” Kenny said. “It wasn’t anything new, but it was pretty strange coming up against him and him wearing that [Warriors] jersey [in round 16].
“We all love ‘Fish’. He’s going to be a mate for life. He was a very important part of this club for a long time. I just wish him and his family all the best.
“It’s great to see him over there growing as a leader and helping that club. I know he’s doing a great job for them. I think he’ll be up for the challenge this weekend.”
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