NRL must punish Penrith Panthers for series of shocking off-field indiscretions

The Brent Naden cocaine saga follows a horror 18 months of serious indiscretions at Penrith and it’s time the NRL took serious action against the club.

Brent Naden is being investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

For much of last season the Penrith Panthers were the pride of the league.

There was so much to love about their 17-straight wins, the spectacular style of football they produced and the exuberance of youngsters such as Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai.

Throw in the power and incredible strength of big men James Fisher-Harris and Billy Kikau.

They were the story of the year and we couldn’t get enough of them.

We’d forgiven them for the sex-tape scandal, the TikTok biosecurity breach and the lies that were told with it.

Nathan Cleary became a pin-up boy and the best player in the competition, at least until the finals.

Brent Naden is being investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

And then it all fell over again.

On the night before the grand final we had a very serious biosecurity breach and a player on cocaine.

Yes, the night before the grand final. What a disgrace.

This is an extraordinary story that raises serious and legitimate questions about the Panthers’ culture and their management’s ability to deal with it.

There is a risk you take by having such a youthful squad without standout leaders, with the possible exception of lock forward Isaah Yeo.

Youngsters will be youngsters and are never perfect.

Yet at Penrith it appears there was no one who could keep them on the straight and narrow.

Who was ramming home the importance of off-field discipline and responsibility?

Nathan Cleary was banned for his infamous TikTok incident.

To make it worse, the Panthers have released their two best leaders, James Tamou and Josh Mansour.

The irony is that the Panthers once had the toughest disciplinarian in the competition.

Former coach Anthony Griffin was as tough as they come but they inexplicably got rid of him.

Players bagged him to Phil Gould and management behind his back because he set high standards and they didn’t tolerate mugs. Matt Moylan left for this reason.

If this latest Naden indiscretion was a one-off it would be forgivable but not on the back of other scandals that have engulfed the club over the past 18 months since Griffin left.

What’s of most concern is the inaction of the club’s officials.

Penrith Panthers utility Tyrone May leaves Parramatta Local Court. Picture: AAP/Peter Rae

They refuse to explain exactly what happened with Naden and why he went on a bender the night before the biggest game of the season.

They think a three-week stint in rehab will get the critics off their case.

Penrith’s members and fans deserve a full explanation.

Football clubs are not just about the scoreboard.

This Penrith side is a western Sydney power force.

It is also a huge community asset.

Every player who wears a Panthers jersey is a role model to thousands of young fans in the biggest junior nursery in rugby league, whether they like it or not.

This is where the NRL has to step in. Its notoriously slow integrity unit has still yet to even interview coach Ivan Cleary about speculation that he played Naden in the grand final knowing he had gone off the rails the night before.

Penrith has lost captain James Tamou. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The club’s CEO, Brian Fletcher, has questions to answer as well.

When The Daily Telegraph broke the story, Naden had admitted himself into a northern beaches rehab unit. Fletcher said Naden was addressing an alcohol problem.

In an interview with this newspaper, Fletcher left out the fact Naden had already admitted to taking cocaine before the grand final.

The NRL has come down hard on individual players in the past.

The $50,000 fines, half suspended. A two-week suspension.

Sometimes this doesn’t work.

On this occasion, after so many repeated offences, it’s time to take action against the club.

A hefty fine would send a powerful message to its management to lift its game.

We all want a Penrith outfit that is as impressive off the field as it is on it.