On the back of four straight NRL premierships, younger Penrith fans are getting pretty used to success at the foot of the mountains.
But things were a little different at the turn of the century.
“No one gave us a chance at the tart of that 2003 season and that was fair enough. In ’01 (2001) we got the wooden spoon and 2002 wasn’t much better,” Panthers centre Ryan Girdler said.
“At the start of the 2003 season, I remember playing the Warriors in a trial and we won quite comfortably.
“Walking off the field that day, I remember thinking, we might actually do something this season. I still didn’t think we’d win the premiership but I knew we were going to get better.
And get better the Panthers did.
After losing their first two matches against Brisbane and Melbourne, Penrith fought back to beat the Roosters 23-22 at the Sydney Football Stadium in a match that swung the underdogs’ fortunes.
Following a bye in round five, Penrith went on to win 13 of their next 14 matches to claim the minor premiership but Girdler’s side still had their doubters.
“Everyone was saying towards the backend of the season that our defence wasn’t good enough to win a premiership but we had belief.
“We beat Brisbane by 10 in the opening week of the finals, then beat a really good Warriors side in the prelim to set up a grand final against the star-studded Roosters.”
Penrith opened the scoring in the 30th minute of the decider when hooker Luke Priddis split the defence on the halfway line to set up winger Luke Rooney.
Roosters’ centre Shannon Hegarty responded shortly after half time to level the scores at 6-a piece before Penrith lock Scott Sattler produced one of the greatest individual moments in NRL grand final history.
“I actually put the grubber through that nearly set up the Roosters try, so it’s best you speak to Scotty Sattler about that one,” Girdler laughed.
As Roosters’ winger Todd Byrne raced away to score what would have likely been a match-defining try, the only player near him was a 33-year old lock.
Sattler somehow chased Byrne down and tackled him into touch, saving a near certain try at a crucial point of the decider.
“I had a really good angle and I was able to get close to him, get really good contact, slide down his legs and go into touch. Then to turn around and see my teammates, it’s a really fond memory,” the humble veteran recalled many years later.
In a Clive Churchill Medal winning performance, Luke Priddis scooted over in the 64th minute to give the Panthers the lead, then through a lovely long ball in the wet to Luke Rooney 10 minutes later to seal an 18-6 victory for Penrith and the club’s first premiership since 1991.
“To be honest with you, I never honestly believed I’d win a premiership. So to do it in the second last year of my career, it was pretty unbelievable,” Girdler added.
“This current group is something else though. I think they’ve got a lot more strut than we had.
“To a degree, we played a similar style of footy but they are just fantastic to watch.”
