Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed a massive inclusion for the 2024 NRL Grand Final, with second-rower Scott Sorensen confirmed to take the field on Sunday night.
Yet to play in the 2024 NRL Finals due to injury, Sorensen has been a key factor in all three of their NRL premierships and the New Zealand international will be looking to become a four-time winner on Sunday after returning from a hamstring injury.
Likely to force his way into the starting side, which will see Luke Garner pushed to the interchange bench, Cleary has yet to provide any indication on who will drop out of the squad - Brad Schneider and Matthew Eisenhuth loom as the obvious omissions.
“He'll be playing tomorrow,'' Cleary said.
“Yeah it's awesome. Sorro's been a big part of our team the last three years. He's a real soldier in our team. He's like an old man out there as well, a bit of experience and all-round good guy.
“Everyone was pretty bummed when he got injured a few weeks ago and it looked like that was the end of him this year and he was really devastated.
“For him to work so hard and get back and for him to be able to make a contribution tomorrow, it's really good. I'll confirm the 17 tomorrow."
RELATED >> Eisenhuth opens up on heartbreak of missing out on Grand Finals
Although he has yet to feature in an NRL Grand Final with the Panthers over the past four years, Eisenhuth has been an integral part of the club's success in the regular home-and-away season since arriving at the start of the 2021 season.
Eisenhuth spoke to Zero Tackle at length earlier this season on how hard it has been not to be named in the Grand Final teams in 2021, 2022, and 2023 against the Rabbitohs, Eels, and Brisbane Broncos.
While it was hard to miss out on the 2021 Grand Final in particular, he understands that his perspective has changed over the past four seasons.
"The first one - I was playing a lot that year - probably hurt the most but once you have a little bit of time to reflect on it, my perspective is that you don't get to be a part of teams like this too often," he added.
"After that one you sit back, reflect and since then we've gone on and won two more and I've played big parts in all three years.
"I don't know how many NRL games I've played across those three years and we've won comps. As much as you'd want to be a part of them, I feel like I've played my part in helping the boys getting them there.
"I still party like I've played in it anyway. The memories will be there for a lifetime.
"I can tell my kids, my grandkids that I was part of something special so it's something I'll look back on at the end of my career and be pretty stocked that I was part of it."