Panthers legend says current team’s ‘arrogance' is right on the money

The Panthers have been slammed for their post-grand final shenanigans but their “arrogance” is nothing if not earned.

3/10/22: James Fisher-Harris? Penrith Panthers fan day at BlueBet Stadium after winning the 2022 premiership. John Feder/The Daily Telegraph

The Penrith Panthers grand final celebrations have raised eyebrows for many in the league but club legend Mark Geyer has no problems with what he’s seen.

The Panthers became just the second team in the NRL era to win back-to-back titles and will be hot favourites to match the 1981-83 Eels as three-peat champions in 2023.

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After winning the 2021 premiership in Brisbane as a result of Covid precautions, the Panthers were back in Sydney for 2022 — and the celebrations were considerably looser.

The celebrations started in the sheds and then spread onto social media as Jarome Luai was slammed for sharing an offensive racial slur on Instagram alongside teammate Jaeman Salmon, captioning the post: “My n****.”

Luai also 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.

On Monday as the side celebrated with fans, Penrith 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.

Jarome Luai was in his element. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

But for Panthers club legend Geyer, it was all part of a historic season where the club became the first 115 years to win the top four grades in one season — and the players should be allowed to let loose.

“What we are witnessing is very special – Penrith, for the first time in rugby league history, won the SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup and first grade,” Geyer said on Triple M’s Breakfast with MG, Jess and Pagey.

“This club is a juggernaut at the moment and I expect people from the outside to take barbs, it’s only natural.

“This is a team that were on the field until 1.30am and then they got back to the Panthers at 2.30am to their adoring fans and then straight into a press conference at BlueBet Stadium yesterday at 10am.

“You can forgive a couple of players if they’ve said something that they would maybe take back ordinarily. I’m not holding any grudges against anything they say and I know that there is some stuff said about them this morning – that’s natural.

“With victory, you’re going to have people saying disparaging things about this team. Whatever they say, they can’t take the competition back from them.”

Geyer, who played in the 1991 Grand Final win, the first in Panthers history, didn’t even have a problem with Fisher-Harris claiming the current team is the best the club has ever had.

“Well they are – they have won back-to-back premierships … no other Penrith has team has ever done it,” he said.

“I’m not going to hold someone accountable who hasn’t slept and they’ve got a microphone put in front of them. If something is said down the track that is disrespectful to anybody, something will be said.

“But I don’t think anyone from the 1991 or 2003 grand final-winning teams would take it seriously.

“Statistically, this team is the best – they have won back-to-back grand finals. We beat a red-hot Canberra team, 2003 beat a red-hot Roosters team, but we didn’t do it back-to-back and this team did.

“What he said is true.”

MG’s all for it.

“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 said.

“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”.

“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 taking 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.”

If anyone deserves to be arrogant it’s the Panthers. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The Panthers have been the dominant force in the past three seasons, having claimed two premierships, two minor premierships and 67 wins from 78 matches.

Geyer said he was glad the players were able to let their hair down and have a wild celebration as their incredible era continues.

“The thing is, if they said nothing post-game we would say ‘we need characters in the game’ and then they say something and we say ‘oh no, they’re grubs,” Geyer said.

“Come on – the kids have just won a grand final, they have been out celebrating all night with no sleep. Don’t hold them to the sword by what they say the next day.

“Even Api Koroisau about what he said about the Tigers … the outrage is outrageous as per usual.

“I’m not just saying this because I'm a Panther, honestly the whole game needs to be celebrated because we’ve had a fantastic season.”

Originally published as Panthers legend says current team’s ‘arrogance' is right on the money