Panthers fans Viking clap mockery ignites heated NRL feud with Raiders

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has a long memory from slights against his side so Panthers fans will be firmly in Canberra’s crosshairs.

The Panthers are perfect in 2021.

Life is good at the foot of the mountains with Penrith fans absolutely lapping it up and enjoying their teams’ success to the max.

While a 30-10 victory over the Canberra Raiders may appear to be a one-sided affair, it was a bruising, hard-fought match, and while somewhat scrappy, saw two of the best teams in the NRL deliver an enticing match up.

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And with Penrith celebrating its 1991 Premiership — unsurprisingly a 19-12 victory over the Raiders — it was a party atmosphere at BlueBet Stadium.

With just over a minute remaining, and the Panthers ahead by 20, the 20,890 strong crowd was feeling good, and decided to rub salt in the wounds of the Raiders.

After Canberra sent up a captain’s challenge over an obstruction, the crowd got into it, starting a Viking clap.

Panthers fans are loving life.

The Viking clap started after the UEFA Euro 2016 when the Icelandic team performed the chant during their charge to the quarterfinals of the competition and fit in perfectly to the idea the Raiders bosses has been search for after a trip to the US the year before.

The Raiders supporters and the team took notice of Iceland’s and the clap made the cheer their own in early 2017, even when on the Grand Final stage in 2019.

The Panthers fans weren’t about to let the chance slip, with the challenge also coming back unsuccessful.

“Did you hear the Viking clap?” Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane asked. “The Penrith fans are really lapping it up.”

#Panthers#VikingClap Panthers fans showing they know the Viking Clap to ... lol #cheeky#nrl#nrlpanthersraiderspic.twitter.com/NdjlBusz9F

— The BlackHolePanther (@BlackHolePanthe) April 9, 2021

It was just before the sides clashed once more.

“When do these two sides go at it again?” Ginnane asked. “Not in the regular season unfortunately. Lets hope they clash in the finals at some stage. There are scores to be settled.”

In a match that didn’t need any more spice with players breaking into melees throughout, the Viking clap slight might just add a bit more spice to the next clash.

Post-match, Panthers centre Paul Momirovski told the ABC that he was blown away by the atmosphere.

“It’s a lot louder than I thought here,” he said. “Earlier in the rounds the crowds were really good but I really felt it tonight. It’s a great atmosphere. A little cheeky jab at the end there with a Viking clap.”

While it largely escaped the commentators mention, social media was quick to react all for it.

The Riff fans doing the Viking clap is something else #NRLPanthersRaiders

— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) April 9, 2021

Panthers fans with the piss-take Viking clap 😂😂😂😂 #NRLpanthersraiders

— James Smith (@JamesSmith1001) April 9, 2021

However, plenty of Raiders fans were far from happy, calling it an act of “disrespect”, “arrogant” and even “bad sportsmanship”.

Panthers fans are on the list.

And the Fox League panel believed it would take the rivalry between the teams to the next level.

“Don’t forget, the Viking Clap from the Panthers fans, all the stuff that happened tonight will all be brought up next time the Panthers play the Raiders in the finals,” Cooper Cronk said.

Yvonne Sampson asked: “What’s Ricky’s equivalent of the book of feuds where he writes down everything that irritates him and uses it against them next time they see each other?”

Mal Meninga said: “He has a long memory.”

Sampson said: “He has a long memory, that’s right. Ricky never forgets.”

Originally published as Panthers fans Viking clap mockery ignites heated NRL feud with Raiders