The Penrith Panthers have once again demonstrated their dominance with a fifth straight preliminary final appearance, consistently performing at a high level despite changes in their playing roster.
In 2022, they made history as the first club to win back-to-back premierships since the Sydney Roosters in 2018-19, who were the first team to do it since the Brisbane Broncos in the early 1990s, and last year, they achieved a remarkable three-peat, the first since the Parramatta Eels in 1981-83.
As each new pre-season begins, the Panthers emphasise the importance of starting fresh, reminding players to focus on the upcoming challenges and let go of past successes due to the new dynamics within the team.
Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny is committed to instilling passion and determination in the newcomers, ensuring they remain driven to uphold the team's tradition of 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 to NRL Media.
“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.”
Kenny stepped into the hooker role in 2022 when Api Koroisau left to join the West Tigers, having not played in the 2021 Grand Final when the Panthers defeated the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“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.
“It's an altogether new team and this is an altogether new challenge, and we just try to treat it that way.”
At just 26 years old, Kenny has already celebrated two premierships with the Panthers in 2022 and 2023. His relentless hunger and determination remain key driving forces as he strives to help the team secure yet another Grand Final victory.