Penrith Panthers forced to abandon pre-season World Club Challenge amid fears of player burnout

The World Club Challenge will remain the only trophy unclaimed by the all-conquering Panthers, with Penrith’s management telling the NRL there’s ‘no way in the world’ the club can play the prestigious annual match.

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Penrith have been forced to abandon playing the prestigious World Club Challenge amid fears of player burnout.

Panthers management have told the NRL that there was “no way in the world” the annual pre-season game, pitting the NRL premiers against Super League champions, could be played given the club’s Las Vegas venture and the amount of players contesting end-of-season internationals and undergoing off-season surgery.

The World Club Challenge remains the only major trophy yet to be claimed by the all-conquering Panthers.

Penrith’s football and high performance departments were vehemently against players contesting another game in mid-February.

The NRL was exploring the World Club Challenge being played in Australia before Penrith travel to Las Vegas but Panthers group chief executive Brian Fletcher vetoed the proposal.

The plan would have meant the WCC being played on either Friday, February 14, Saturday, February 15, or Sunday, February 16 – an incredibly early start to the season given that so many players are representing their nations at the Pacific Championships.

Wigan beat the Panthers in the last World Club Challenge in February. Picture: Lewis Storey/Getty Images

The Panthers were to play the winner of this Sunday morning’s Super League grand final between Wigan and Hull Kingston Rovers at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Penrith play the Vegas extravaganza against Cronulla on Sunday, March 2 (Australian time) next year with the club wanting to be in America around 10 to 14 days early to promote the game and acclimatise.

The NRL Collective Bargaining Agreement states all players must have an eight-week break over the off-season.

The two finals of the Pacific Championships will be played on November 10 at Parramatta with Samoa to engage in an end-of-season tour to England with Test matches scheduled for October 28 and November 3.

Panthers players to play post-season rep footy include Dylan Edwards, Isaah Yeo, Lindsay Smith, Liam Martin (Australia), Paul Alamoti, Soni Luke (Tonga), Casey McLean, Scott Sorensen, Trent Toelau (New Zealand) with Izack Tago and Brian To’o expected on Samoa’s tour.

Between post-season rep footy and Vegas commitments, the Panthers are worried about player workload. Picture: Lewis Storey/Getty Images

“You couldn’t put the players through it. We can’t play it, we don’t have the time span,” Fletcher said. “It’s impractical. There’s no way in the world we could fit it into the schedule. Our coaches and football department have said the players couldn’t stand up to it.

“The amount of football that they’ve played and then a World Club Challenge before we go to Vegas – it becomes too much. Player welfare is the biggest problem. We have 20-odd players in the Pacific Test matches as well and we have a lot of surgery to be done on players over the off-season.

“We’re playing away from home all season as well. You wouldn’t be able to get them ready for an early game in early February. We’d have a job to put together a team by then because they wouldn’t be physically fit. And we’d need them fit for Vegas.

“There wouldn’t be a hope in Hades and we have told the NRL.”

Penrith has never won the WCC trophy, losing to Wigan and St Helens in the past two seasons with the 2022 game against St Helens cancelled through Covid. The Panthers were defeated by Bradford in 2004 and Wigan in 1991.

Adding to a challenging 2025, Penrith will move to Parramatta’s CommBank from next season with the club also playing home games in Bathurst, Mudgee and Brisbane.

The Panthers will be away from their home of BlueBet Stadium in 2025. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

There is no suggestion that another NRL side would replace Penrith for the match.

Wigan may also withdraw from the WCC if they win their grand final due to player welfare. The Warriors – who play Warrington in Vegas – would need to arrive in Australia early February for the WCC – a virtually impossible task.

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys paid tribute to the mighty Panthers, nominating them the finest side of rugby league’s modern era.

“To consider the players they’ve lost over the past few years – (Matt) Burton, (Api) Koroisau, (Stephen) Crichton and (Viliame) Kikau – it’s an extraordinary performance from a great club,” he said. “I think they are probably the best modern day team.”

The WCC was first played back in 1976 when Easts beat St Helens 25-2 at the SCG.