PENRITH journalist Peter Vlang, of the Western Weekender newspaper in Penrith, has claimed that some Panthers players admitted to him that they didn’t take last year’s World Club Challenge against St Helens “as seriously as they should.”Of course, St Helens stunned the world with a 13-12 win over Penrith in their own back yard this time last year, with Lewis Dodd sealing the deal with a Golden Point drop goal after Jack Welsby and Curtis Sironen had registered tries.
This year’s World Club Challenge will see Penrith travelling to the DW Stadium – the home of the Wigan Warriors – with over 21,000 tickets sold for what promises to be a superb clash.
But, Vlang has hinted that the Warriors should be wary after the Panthers’ mistake last year.
Vlang posted on X: “Some Panthers players have admitted they probably took the match not as seriously as they should have last year against St Helens, who turned up ready to play and subsequently won the game 13-12.
“Nathan Cleary has already said they won’t make the same mistake this year.”
Of course, it could be another way for those Down Under to try and mitigate the effects of Saints’ victory, with the Panthers still waiting for their first World Club Challenge success despite being involved in the competition three times.
