Just over a decade ago, the Panthers were “bleeding money” under the weight of enormous debt. Now, they’re Australian sport’s most successful club.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.In 2013, Penrith recruitment manager Jim Jones stood in front of 80 teenage rugby league players at Carrington Park in Bathurst in the NSW Central Tablelands.
Fast-forward a decade and the change in Penrith is reflected in the change of colour in the talented kids who attend their camps in Bathurst. Not that long ago, the Panthers Group – which manages a suite of licensed clubs and the football team – was $112 million in debt. “Ten years ago, we were bleeding money and giving away tickets to watch the footy,” Panthers Group chief executive Brian Fletcher says.This season, BlueBet Stadium had an average home attendance of about 19,000 – in a 22,500-seat stadium. More than 10,000 attended a fan day earlier this week ahead of Sunday’s grand final against Brisbane.
Cameron would never look at it that way, but he quickly realised when he came to Penrith that the children really were their future.“Gus was bringing in journeyman players who could do what was needed to win first grade games,” Cameron explains. “But Jimmy and I were trying to build a team underneath it. The plan was for those two lines to eventually meet. It came together quicker than we thought it would.
He spotted lock Isaah Yeo playing at a Catholic Colleges schoolboys tournament in Parkes. While other officials didn’t see much in him when picking teams for selections trials, Jones insisted “the big No.14” take the field. Yeo’s now the game’s premier lock-forward. Cleary’s return also torpedoed Gould’s negotiations with Wayne Bennett, who might have landed a premiership at Penrith but then likely exited within three years as he did at St George Illawarra, Newcastle and South Sydney.
Teams race to the top of the pole with haste, usually by buying the best players on the market. Some will reach the top but eventually shed talent and slide back down the pole. Stay near the top too long and fans will suspect you’re using a helicopter.
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