‘Act like rat mugs’: Panthers stars swipe back at TV commentator

Panthers stars have been accused of “lacking class” during wild premiership celebrations. Players have now hit back.

The Penrith Panthers have celebrated their NRL Grand Final triumph in style, dousing themselves in champagne showers after Sunday evening’s comprehensive 28-12 victory over the Parramatta Eels.

The Penrith Panthers have been called out for “lacking class” during the club’s premiership celebrations by former Roosters star Braith Anasta and Fox League commentator Paul Kent.

Panthers stars responded to the criticism in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Viliame Kikau, who is joining the Bulldogs next season, responded to a video of NRL 360 co-host Kent on Instagram by commenting: “Uck up Kenty”.

Star halfback Nathan Cleary also commented: “Grateful. Love my bruddas”.

Those responses came after Kent said players had acted like “16-year-old school boys”.

The celebrations continue to roll on for Panthers players after they secured their second consecutive premiership, dominating rivals Parramatta 28-12.

Watch every match of the Rugby League World Cup LIVE & Exclusive to Fox Sports, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Ivan Cleary’s men celebrated the historic triumph in style in the dressing sheds and then continued the good times with more than 3000 fans at Blue Bet Stadium on Monday.

For the second-consecutive year, the club’s celebrations are attracting headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Jarome Luai shared an offensive image to Instagram of himself celebrating in the dressing rooms alongside Penrith teammate Jaeman Salmon, captioning the post: “My n****.”

The 25-year-old five-eighth deleted the post seven hours later.

The NRL integrity unit is aware of the controversial social media post while league management has not launched an investigation, The Daily Telegraph reported.

In a separate Instagram post, Luai posed alongside the coveted Provan-Summons Trophy with the caption “daddy loves you” — a jab at the Eels following his earlier comments directed at Parramatta and their western Sydney rivalry.

The club has also attracted criticism for the way players conducted themselves at the fan event in Penrith where star forward James Fisher-Harris told the crowd Parramatta were Penrith’s “sons”.

He also described the current team as the “greatest Penrith team ever”.

“I just want to say: Parra are our sons. Right here, right now, that’s just a fact,” Fisher-Harris said.

The crowd responded with repeated chants of, “We hate Parra”. A video posted on social media showed several Panthers players joining in on the chant.

Api Koroisau has also been criticised for an apparent crack at the Wests Tigers — the team he is joining next season.

It comes after the club was also blasted 12 months ago for its wild premiership celebrations which resulted in the Provan-Summons trophy being broken and several players being hit with breach notices by the NRL.

Jarome Luai shared several posts to Instagram after the victory.

It all caught up with the players on Monday night when Kent and Anasta said on Fox League’s NRL 360 the players were out of line.

“I love the fact that they’re having a good time and they’ve had a big night and having a drink, I’ve been there, it’s the best, you’re on top of the world,” Anasta on NRL 360.

“But it was a bit tasteless and probably unnecessary. Just a couple of remarks there, probably unnecessary, but under the influence so cut them a bit of slack but probably not the best idea from Koroisau when he’s going there next year.”

Paul Kent said players had acted like “rat mugs”.

The Penrith Panthers have celebrated their NRL Grand Final triumph in style, dousing themselves in champagne showers after Sunday evening’s comprehensive 28-12 victory over the Parramatta Eels.

“It’s dumb, it’s really stupid to be honest. I just think Penrith are really bad winners, they are bad winners,” Kent said.

“There’s a smugness and they piss in their own party, Penrith. Because they should be celebrated, this is going to be one of the great teams and they should be celebrated and remembered that way but they’re just mugs the way they carry on after a game.

“Koroisau the mickey out of the Tigers who he’s about to join next year, where is the support and acceptance and acknowledgment of the previous Penrith teams.

“Fancy James Fisher-Harris coming out and saying we’re the best Penrith team ever. That’s the height of arrogance.

“Once the dust has settled and the result is in, weapons are down, show some humility and grace towards your opponents.”

Kent believes only skipper Isaah Yeo and fullback Dylan Edwards conduct themselves with any grace.

“Someone at Penrith, whether it’s Ivan Cleary or Brian Fletcher the CEO, they have to call these guys in and say ‘guys show a bit of class, just a little bit, show some grace and humility’... because not one shred has been shown so far.

“Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards are the only ones you’d look at and can say can walk away with some kind of integrity from what they say.

“The rest just act like rat mugs.”