'New identity': The annual rebuild driving Panthers to a four-peat

When the Panthers turn up for training at the start of each pre-season, they are told to forget about the premiership they won the year before because it’s a new group of players and a new team.

History suggests it is easier to said than done because Penrith became the first club since the Broncos of 1992-92 to win back-to-back premierships in 2022 and last year achieved the first three peat since the Eels in 1981-82-83.

Yet hooker Mitch Kenny suggested the high turnover of stars after each premiership win may help the Panthers to remain hungry as there are always newcomers to the team who are yet to taste success.

“We've obviously had a turnover of two to three really important guys in our team each year, which changes the whole dynamic of the side,” Kenny said ahead of Saturday night’s preliminary final against the Sharks at Accor Stadium.

“I think a lot of people look at Penrith as like this one like rolling ball, but for us we start each season trying to forget about the last one and rebuild from the ground up again.

We do that with new players and new teams and new styles of play - sort of like a new identity.

Kenny did not play in the 2021 grand final win against South Sydney, was deputy to Api Koroisau in 2022 and took over the hooking role last season.

Centre Izack Tago was also a member of Penrith’s premiership winning teams in 2022 and 2023, while winger Sunia Turuva, second-rower Luke Garner and interchange forward Lindsay Smith played in last year’s grand final.

“We don’t see ourselves as the team from last year trying to defend the premiership, we see ourselves as a new team trying to go out and win this one,” Kenny said.

“We have got guys in our side now like Liam Henry, Brad Schneider and Paul Alamoti who haven’t played finals before so there’s guys who this is a completely new experience for and there’s guys who might be starting who didn’t start in the team last year.

“It’s an altogether new team and this is an altogether new challenge, and we just try to treat it that way.”

A Windsor Wolves junior, Kenny didn’t play in Penrith’s junior representative teams until under 18s but his work ethic and determination to get the best out of himself impressed enough for him to become Jersey Flegg captain in 2018.

With Brian To’o in his team, Kenny led the Panthers to the grand final, where they were beaten by a Cronulla outfit which included Braydon Trindall and Teig Wilton.

“A lot of people in this squad know what it's like to lose a grand final, or know what it's like to not play finals,” Kenny said.

“I can tell you playing finals and winning a grand final is a lot better than not doing it, so if we're putting ourselves in a position like this, we might as well go all the way.

“A lot of us are still quite young and feel like we have got a lot of development left in us and by no means are sort of like at our peak or have exhausted all our footy abilities.

“We are just trying to be the best versions of ourselves, and there’s also other motivating factors, like you want your mates who haven't won a comp who are in the team now to experience that as well.”