John Singleton’s huge punt on Penrith for the NRL Grand Final

The high-profile businessman and renowned punter has a whole lot of reasons to want Penrith to get up on Sunday.

John Singleton and the Penrith Panthers. Photos: Getty Images/NRL Photos

Advertising guru John Singleton has 400,000 more reasons than most to cheer on the Panthers in Sunday’s NRL Grand Final.

Penrith is facing Melbourne in one of the most highly anticipated deciders in recent memory.

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The Panthers are chasing a stunning fourth straight premiership, while the minor premier Storm can secure their first title since 2020 and end Penrith’s dominance.

Most punters are struggling to find a winner, with the Victorian club slightly favoured in betting markets at the time of writing.

But high profile businessman and renowned punter Singleton felt confident in Ivan Cleary’s side when he dropped a cool $100,000 on their title hopes back in March, as Phil “Buzz” Rothfield reported in The Daily Telegraph.

John Singleton with Neil Paine at Rosehill Gardens earlier this year. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

Singleton hopes the Panthers will be smiling again on Sunday. Picture: NewsWire/Damian Shaw

“Singo” placed the bet at $4 odds, meaning he will win $400,000 if the Panthers can defy history and snatch a fourth straight crown.

“Penrith is the best side I’ve ever seen,” Singleton told the newspaper. “They’re like an orchestra, the rest are like bands. They’re in a different league.

“If I had any brains, I’d lay off now and pocket $200,000. But that’s not much fun, is it? I want to win the lot.”

Singleton, 82, who is worth in excess of $800 million, has had a diverse range of investments across his career, including property, horse breeding and racing and the media.

Rothfield asked him if he gets nervous over this level of bet and he replied: “Of course. That’s why I do it.

Singleton, a renowned punter, pictured with Colin Scotts and Dawn Fraser.

“I haven’t had a bet on any games this year. Just this one.

“(Bookmaker) Lloyd (Merlehan) is so much in front from all my punting over the years. I’m just trying to get some back.”

In August this year, Singleton listed his $16 million Central Coast property for sale.

It came after a tragic period for the well known Aussie, whose 25-year-old daughter Dawn was one of the six people killed in the Bondi Junction massacre on April 13.

That came less than a month after he had split from wife No. 7 Sarah Warry, a woman almost half his age who fell for his “wicked” sense of humour and romantic text messaging.

The radio mogul then “packed himself off” to a Californian wellness resort in a bid to “find inner peace”, according to a report in the Telegraph.

Singo will be desperate for Nathan Cleary to get his hands back on the trophy. Picture: Richard Dobson

Singleton said he will be watching this year’s finale from his Central Coast home, rather than going to the game at Homebush Bay, which he said is “too hard to get to”.

He will also be keeping an eye on his beloved Newtown Jets, who are taking on Brisbane’s North Devils in the State Cup final in the curtain-raiser to grand final day at Accor Stadium.

He plans to watch that game, which is kicking off at 1.20pm AEDT, from his own Railway Hotel in Gosford.

“I’ll shout the whole bar if Newtown win … free drinks for one hour,” he said.

So a Newtown-Penrith double would cap off a perfect day for the Octogenarian.