- Panthers went into the game as slight underdogs
- Telltale sign showed players were supremely confident
The bookies made the Panthers underdogs for Sunday night’s grand final – but telltale signs from the team’s wild celebrations prove that their stars were always supremely confident of a win.
Just minutes after the siren sounded on Penrith’s 14-6 win over Melbourne, stars like Jarome Luai, Moses Leota, Izack Tago and Brian To’o were posing for photos wearing all four of their premiership rings.
Later on in the dressing room, other Panthers like Scott Sorensen were also snapped while wearing four examples of the most sought-after jewellery in rugby league.
It’s obvious that the stars didn’t send a team staffer back to their houses to fetch the rings – they brought them with them to Accor Stadium in anticipation of the victory.
Premiership rings are among any footy star’s most treasured possessions, with stars who lose them – such as Newcastle Knights great Marc Glanville – left devastated when they go missing.
In 2014, ex-Souths star Dylan Walker was a shattered man after he lost his ring on Sydney Harbour while celebrating on a boat trip with teammates.
Jarome Luai (left) and Brian To’o pose with all four of their premiership rings after their 14-6 win over Melbourne on Sunday night
Moses Leota (left) and Izack Tago (right) also showed off their extensive footy jewellery collections in a telling sign that the team were sure of victory
No footy star in their right mind would risk misplacing every one they own by taking them all out in public unless they had a very good reason – so Penrith’s now legendary stars must have been convinced they’d get the opportunity to show them all off for the camera once the decider was over.
This year’s premiership mementos are worth $10,000 each and were partly designed by Souths and Roosters icon Ron Coote, who was inducted as the NRL’s newest Immortal earlier this year.
Unavailable for purchase by the public, each ring features two carats of diamonds, a silhouette of Coote in action, and the player’s number engraved on the side.
The design is changed for every grand final, with Anthony Albanese, Johnathan Thurston and iconic commentator Ray Warren contributing to the look of the jewellery in previous years.
Penrith players are now keen to win another grand final so they can sport a ring on every finger of one hand.
‘We’re not finished yet. That’s one thing we said about our legacy,’ Clive Churchill Medal winner Liam Martin said amid the celebrations.
Scott Sorensen (pictured left with coach Ivan Cleary) was also showing off a fistful of diamonds after the team’s fourth straight premiership
‘We’re not finished, we want more and we’ll keep going. It’s really special what we’ve done so far.
‘I want five (premierships). There are still plenty of fingers left for the ring.
‘This feeling is addictive. This is why we play footy, why we do it and turn up day in and day out. We are definitely hungrier and can’t wait to go again.’
Next year will theoretically pose the biggest challenge to Penrith since this group first made the NRL grand final in 2020, with Luai and Fisher-Harris at the core of their success.
The pair will join the likes of Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, Kurt Capewell and Viliame Kikau as stars to have left the club during their run.