2022 NRL Grand Final: Penrith Panthers Squad Breakdown

One of the most highly-anticipated Grand Finals of the NRL era will ignite on Sunday night between Western Sydney rivals Penrith and Parramatta. Both sides have endured vastly different journeys to get to where they are now: on the cusp of premiership immortality. Here is Penrith’s 22-man Grand Final squad and a breakdown of how they got here.

1. Dylan Edwards | 104 games for Penrith

Born in Albury and raised in the small Northern Tablelands town of Dorrigo, Edwards played his juniors with the Bellingen Dorrigo Magpies before being spotted by the Panthers as a 16-year-old. He was a member of Penrith’s premiership-winning under-20s side in 2015 before making his NRL debut in 2016. He led the premiership in average run metres this season and was named the club’s best and fairest.

2. Charlie Staines | 38 games for Penrith

Staines finds himself starting on the left wing this Sunday night after boom rookie Taylan May suffered a hamstring injury in their qualifying final win over Parramatta. Hailing from Forbes, Staines played his juniors with the Forbes Magpies before being identified by the Panthers as a 17-year-old. He famously debuted for Penrith in Round 9, 2020 scoring four tries against Cronulla.

3. Izack Tago | 31 games for Penrith

A part of Penrith’s strong Sāmoan contingent, Tago played his juniors with the St. Mary’s Saints and progressed his way through the Penrith system before making his debut as a 19-year-old last year. Following the departures of last year’s premiership-winning centres Matt Burton and Paul Momirovski, Tago solidified himself as one of Penrith’s first-choice centres this preseason and made his international debut for Sāmoa in June.

4. Stephen Crichton | 75 games for Penrith

Born in Apia, the Sāmoan capital, Crichton made the move to Western Sydney at a young age and played his juniors with the St. Clair Comets. After progressing through the Penrith system, he made his NRL debut in 2019 as an 18-year-old and was named in the NRL’s Team of the Year the following year. He made his Origin debut earlier this year and is set to make his international debut for Sāmoa at the World Cup later this year.

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5. Brian To’o | 69 games for Penrith

Born in Westmead to Sāmoan parents, To’o grew up in Mount Druitt and played his juniors with the St. Mary’s Saints. Like so many of his teammates, To’o came through Penrith’s vaunted pathways system and made his NRL debut in 2019 a few months before making his international debut with Sāmoa. His ascension among the world’s elite wingers earnt him an Origin debut in 2021 to go along with an NRL Team of the Year nod.

6. Jarome Luai | 84 games for Penrith

Another of the Sāmoan contingent, Luai grew up in Western Sydney and played his juniors with the St. Mary’s Saints before entering the Panthers system as a teenager where he played alongside the likes of Edwards, Leota, and Fisher-Harris in the 2015 under-20s Grand Final. He made his international debut for Sāmoa at the 2017 World Cup and his Origin debut for NSW in 2021.

7. Nathan Cleary (c) | 136 games for Penrith

The son of head coach Ivan, Cleary was born in Sydney and spent time growing up in Auckland and Penrith. Whilst his father was head coach of the Warriors, he played juniors with the Mount Albert Lions before moving back to Sydney to play with Penrith Brothers. Another graduate of the Panthers pathways system, Cleary missed the 2015 under-20s Grand Final due to Australian Schoolboys commitments before making his NRL debut in 2016 at just 18. He has since earnt an Origin jersey, NRL Team of the Year nods, and is the reigning-Clive Churchill Medallist.

8. Moses Leota | 122 games for Penrith

Born in Auckland to Sāmoan parents, Leota moved to Western Sydney as a 13-year-old. Another St. Mary’s Saints junior, he was named Player of the Year for Penrith’s 2015 premiership-winning under-20s side and made his NRL debut in 2016. He has represented Sāmoa and New Zealand internationally and is set to be a part of the Kiwis’ World Cup campaign later this year.

9. Apisai Koroisau | 78 games for Penrith

Born in Sydney, Koroisau played his juniors with the Berala Bears in the Canterbury-Bankstown district before being spotted by the Rabbitohs as a teenager. He made his international debut for Fiji at the 2013 World Cup and his NRL debut for South Sydney the following year where he would win a premiership as Issac Luke’s understudy. He spent the 2015 season with Penrith before linking up with Manly for four seasons. He made his way back to Penrith ahead of the 2020 season where he has proven to be one of the most influential signings in club history helping lead the Panthers to three-straight Grand Finals. He will link up with the Wests Tigers next season on a three-year deal.

10. James Fisher-Harris | 156 games for Penrith

A native of Rawene, a small town on the south side of the Hokianga harbour in Far North New Zealand, Fisher-Harris played his juniors with the Whangārei Marist Brothers. He was scouted by the Panthers as a 17-year-old and started in the back-row for their 2015 under-20s Grand Final side. He made his NRL debut and international debut the following year before being named in the NRL’s Team of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

11. Viliame Kikau | 122 games for Penrith

Born in Nausori, Fiji and raised on the small island of Bau, Kikau grew up playing union before being scouted by the Cowboys at a schoolboys match. He spent the 2014 and 2015 under-20s seasons with North Queensland where he made his international debut for Fiji. He linked up with Penrith the following year and debuted in 2017. He was named in the NRL’s Team of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and will join the Bulldogs next season on a four-year deal.

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12. Liam Martin | 85 games for Penrith

Hailing from Temora, Martin played his juniors with the Temora Dragons before entering the Panthers system as a teenager. The cousin of rugby league legend Trent Barrett, Martin debuted for Penrith in 2019 and was rewarded with an Origin debut in 2021.

13. Isaah Yeo (c) | 195 games for Penrith

Born in Dubbo, Yeo played his juniors with St. John’s Dubbo before being spotted by Penrith as a teenager. He was a premiership-winner with the club’s 2013 under-20s side and made his NRL debut in Round 1 the following year. He made his Origin debut in 2020 and is set to make his Kangaroos debut at the World Cup later this year. Yeo has ascended to become one of the great locks of the modern era and will be eager to captain his Panthers to back-to-back premierships this Sunday.

14. Mitch Kenny | 59 games for Penrith

Another local product, Kenny played his juniors with the Windsor Wolves before entering the Panthers pathways system. He debuted for Penrith in 2019 and will play in his first Grand Final this Sunday night. A respected member of the squad, Kenny captained the club for the first time in their Round 25 meeting with North Queensland.

15. Scott Sorensen | 42 games for Penrith

A Cronulla junior from a rich rugby league family, Sorensen played his juniors with the Cronulla-Caringbah Sharks before debuting with the Sharks in 2014. After stints at South Sydney and Canberra, he made his way back to Cronulla where he spent three more seasons before linking up with Penrith in 2021. He remains a chance of travelling with the Kiwis to World Cup later this year after a strong season with the Panthers.

16. Spencer Leniu | 60 games for Penrith

Born in Auckland to Sāmoan parents and raised in Western Sydney, Leniu played his juniors with the Minchinbury Jets before entering the Penrith system. He debuted for the club in 2019 as an 18-year-old and made his international debut for Sāmoa earlier this year. A gifted athlete, he leads all interchange players in tries this season and bagged one in the side’s preliminary finals win over South Sydney.

17. Jaeman Salmon | 26 games for Penrith

Hailing from the Sutherland Shire, Salmon played his juniors with De La Salle Caringbah before entering the Sharks system. He linked up with Parramatta in 2017 before making his NRL debut the following year. He joined Penrith in 2021 and has proven himself as a regular contributor off the interchange this season.

18. Sean O’Sullivan | 11 games for Penrith

Born in Sydney, O’Sullivan played his juniors with the Glenmore Park Brumbies before linking up with the Roosters where he made his NRL debut in 2018. He spent the next two seasons in Brisbane before joining the Warriors in 2021 and eventually the Panthers prior to this season. A valuable depth piece this season for Penrith, he will link up with the Dolphins next season where his father Peter is a recruitment officer.

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19. Matt Eisenhuth | 35 games for Penrith

The cousin of former-NSW skipper Paul Gallen, Eisenhuth was born in Auburn and played his juniors with the Wentworthville Magpies. A schoolboys star, he spent three seasons playing under-20s at Parramatta before joining the Panthers midway through 2013. After an unfortunate run of injuries and years labouring away in the lower grades, he made his NRL debut with the Wests Tigers in 2017 at age 24 and spent four seasons with the club before moving back to Penrith at the start of 2021.

20. J’maine Hopgood | 10 games for Penrith

Born in Hervey Bay, Hopgood played his juniors with the Hervey Bay Seagulls and the Caloundra Sharks. He entered the Penrith system at age 17 and represented Queensland in under-18s and under-20s Origin before making his NRL debut in 2021. He will join Parramatta on a two-year deal next season.

21. Sunia Turuva | 3 games for Penrith

Born in Sydney to Fijian parents, Turuva played his juniors with the Berala Bears in the Canterbury-Bankstown district before entering the Panthers system. He starred in his international debut for Fiji earlier this year and made his NRL debut shorty after.

22. Chris Smith | 7 games from Penrith

A native of Darwin, Smith played his juniors with the Nightcliff Dragons before entering the Cowboys system as a 15-year-old. He linked up with Penrith two years later and spent three seasons with their under-20s side. He made his NRL debut with Penrith in 2015 before spending the next two seasons with the Roosters and then four years with the Bulldogs. He returned to the Panthers prior to this season and has appeared in six games.

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