Who are the greatest Penrith Panthers players of all time? From Nathan Cleary, Greg Alexander and Craig Gower to Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards, The Sporting Base ranks the top 25 Penrith Panthers players from 1967 to now.
Penrith has won six premierships — 1991, 2003, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 — according to the NRL honour roll and the club’s own history. The modern dynasty under Ivan Cleary delivered four straight titles and five consecutive grand finals from 2020 to 2024, as the club later recapped. With NRL free agency approaching on 1 November and Panthers names again dominating off-season talk, it is a good time to settle the debate over the club’s greatest players.
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How we ranked them
This list is TSB’s opinion, weighed on longevity, premierships, individual and representative honours, peak form and lasting impact in the black, white, teal and orange. Games, tries and points are first-grade NRL figures for Penrith only (finals included). Retired greats are drawn primarily from the club’s official records (accurate as at 16 September 2025), the Panthers Hall of Fame and the February 2026 Panthers Legends induction. Figures for current players are as they stand to the end of the 2026 NRL season, per NRL.com and club profiles. Multi-club careers count only the Panthers years.
25. Grahame Moran (1967-1973)
Panthers games: 122 (25 tries)
Premierships: None
Key honours: Panthers Hall of Fame; first Panther to 100 games; first NSW representative from the club (1970)
Moran was part of the inaugural 1967 side and became the club’s first 100-game man. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, he set the early standard for what a Penrith footballer looked like.
24. Trent Waterhouse (2002-2011)
Panthers games: 186 (39 tries)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Panthers Legend (2026); Merv Cartwright Medal 2009; Australia (12 Tests)
Waterhouse was a workhorse second-rower through the 2003 premiership era and beyond. Elevated as a Panthers Legend in February 2026, he also won the 2009 club player-of-the-year award.
23. Scott Sattler (1999-2003)
Panthers games: 118
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Famous try-saving tackle on Todd Byrne in the 2003 grand final
Sattler’s cover tackle on Todd Byrne in the 2003 grand final remains one of NRL folklore’s most replayed moments, as NRL.com has retold. One play, one premiership, permanent Panthers lore.
22. Josh Mansour (2012-2020)
Panthers games: 158 (74 tries)
Premierships: None
Key honours: Sixth on club try list (as at Sep 2025); NSW and Lebanon
Mansour scored 74 Panthers tries — sixth on the club list per the records page — and was a metre-eating wing through the rebuild years before the dynasty.
21. Michael Jennings (2007-2012)
Panthers games: 122 (71 tries)
Premierships: None
Key honours: Eighth on club try list; NSW and Australia while at Penrith
Jennings scored 71 tries in 122 Panthers games, eighth on the club list. Later Roosters and Parramatta chapters sit outside this ranking; only the Penrith years count.
Read more: Top 25 Newcastle Knights Players of All Time
20. Preston Campbell (2001-2006)
Panthers games: 96 (613 points)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Fifth on club points list; creative foil to Craig Gower in 2003
Campbell’s 613 points rank fifth in club history. Undersized but electric, he was the perfect foil for Gower in the 2003 fairytale premiership run.
19. Viliame Kikau (2017-2022)
Panthers games: 123 (38 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022
Key honours: Dual premiership edge forward; Fiji international
Kikau was the destructive left-edge weapon of the early dynasty years: 123 games, 38 tries and the first two of Penrith’s four-peat before moving to Canterbury.
18. Luke Priddis (2002-2008)
Panthers games: 162 (34 tries)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Clive Churchill Medal 2003; Panthers Legend (2026); Merv Cartwright Medal 2005 (shared)
Priddis produced the game of his life in the 2003 grand final — a try, two try assists and the Clive Churchill Medal — as NRL.com recalls. Named a Panthers Legend in 2026.
17. Liam Martin (2019-present)
Panthers games: 165 (38 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Four-time premiership second-rower; NSW and Australia
Martin has been the hitman of the dynasty pack across 165 games and four titles, per his NRL.com profile. Origin and Test selection followed the same tough-as-nails brand.
16. Brad Izzard (1982-1992)
Panthers games: 209 (73 tries)
Premierships: 1991
Key honours: Seventh on club games list; key figure in Phil Gould era
Izzard’s 209 games and 73 tries place him among the club’s all-time appearance and try leaders on the records page. His second-half work in the 1991 grand final helped deliver Penrith’s first title.
15. Tony Puletua (1997-2008)
Panthers games: 211
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Sixth on club games list; New Zealand and Samoa
Puletua’s 211 Panthers games rank sixth all-time. A converted centre turned rampaging forward, he was a pillar of the 2003 premiership pack.
14. Moses Leota (2016-present)
Panthers games: 227 (16 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Four-time premiership prop; 200-game milestone in 2025
Leota has quietly stacked 227 Panthers games and four premierships, per NRL.com. The St Marys junior remains the middle’s metronome of the modern era.
13. Steve Carter (1988-2001)
Panthers games: 243 (65 tries)
Premierships: 1991
Key honours: Panthers Legend (2026); second-most games (as at Sep 2025); Merv Cartwright Medal 1991, 1995
Carter’s 243 games stood as the club record until Yeo passed him. A 1991 premiership winner and dual club medallist, he was elevated as a Panthers Legend in February 2026.
Read more: Top 25 Sydney Roosters Players of All Time
12. Rhys Wesser (1998-2008)
Panthers games: 177 (113 tries)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Club record try-scorer (113); 25 tries in 2003 season
Wesser’s 113 tries remain the club record on the official records page, including a 25-try season in the 2003 premiership year. The livewire fullback defined Penrith’s attacking identity for a decade.
11. James Fisher-Harris (2016-2024)
Panthers games: 203
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Tenth on club games list at departure; four-time premiership prop
Fisher-Harris left for the Warriors after the 2024 grand final with 203 Panthers games and four rings, as the club confirmed on his release. Few props have been more central to a dynasty.
10. Jarome Luai (2018-2024)
Panthers games: 131 (25 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Four-time premiership five-eighth; NSW Origin; Samoa
Luai played 131 Panthers games and started in all four straight grand final wins beside Cleary. Only the Penrith chapter counts here — the halves partnership that built a dynasty.
9. Brian To’o (2019-present)
Panthers games: 157 (104 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Climbing club try list; Dally M Winger awards; NSW Brad Fittler Medal 2025
To’o has 104 Panthers tries from 157 games to the end of 2026, per NRL.com — already among the club’s all-time try leaders and still rising. Four premierships and Origin stardom seal a top-10 place.
8. Dylan Edwards (2016-present)
Panthers games: 194 (70 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Clive Churchill Medal 2022; Merv Cartwright Medal 2022
Edwards has been the fullback of four premierships across 194 games and 70 tries, per his club profile. Man of the match in the 2022 grand final, he became the third Panther to win the Clive Churchill Medal.
7. Luke Lewis (2001-2012)
Panthers games: 208 (89 tries)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Panthers Legend (2026); Merv Cartwright Medal 2010; Dally M Lock of the Year 2010
Lewis scored 89 Panthers tries — fourth on the club list — across 208 games. A 2003 premiership winner and 2026 Legend, he later won another title at Cronulla; only Penrith facts count here.
6. Ryan Girdler (1993-2004)
Panthers games: 204 (101 tries, 1,572 points)
Premierships: 2003
Key honours: Long-time club points record before Cleary; equal-second on try list
Girdler’s 1,572 points stood as the club record for years and his 101 tries share second on the list with Alexander, per club records. The 2003 premiership centre-goalkicker remains a mountain to climb.
5. Isaah Yeo (2014-present)
Panthers games: 286 (34 tries)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 (co-captain)
Key honours: Most-capped Panther; IRL Golden Boot 2024; multiple Dally M Lock awards; three Merv Cartwright Medals
Yeo is Penrith’s most-capped player with 286 games to the end of 2026, per his club profile. Co-captain of four straight titles, he won the 2024 Golden Boot and has rewritten the club games record, as the club marked on his road to 250.
4. Royce Simmons (1980-1991)
Panthers games: 237
Premierships: 1991
Key honours: Panthers Hall of Fame; first Panther Kangaroo; later head coach
Simmons played 237 games, won the 1991 premiership and became the first Panther to wear the green and gold. A Hall of Fame inductee, he later coached the club and remains woven into its identity.
3. Craig Gower (1996-2007)
Panthers games: 238 (55 tries)
Premierships: 2003 (captain)
Key honours: Panthers Hall of Fame; Dally M Hooker of the Year 2000; RLPA Players’ Player 2003; Australia captain
Gower captained the 2003 fairytale and played 238 Panthers games. Hall of Fame inductee, Australian captain and the heartbeat of the club’s second premiership era.
2. Greg Alexander (1984-1994, 1997-1999)
Panthers games: 228 (101 tries, 1,104 points)
Premierships: 1991 (captain)
Key honours: Panthers Hall of Fame; Dally M Medal 1985; Dally M Halfback of the Year 1985, 1989, 1991
‘Brandy’ captained Penrith to its first premiership in 1991, kicking the field goal that edged Canberra. A Hall of Fame halfback with 228 games, 101 tries and 1,104 points, he was the club’s first 100-try, 1,000-point man.
1. Nathan Cleary (2016-present)
Panthers games: 217 (73 tries, 1,941 points)
Premierships: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Key honours: Dally M Medal 2026; Clive Churchill Medals 2021, 2023; club points record; RLPA Players’ Champion 2026; Wally Lewis and Brad Fittler Medals 2026
There is no serious debate at No.1 after 2026. Cleary has 217 Panthers games, 1,941 points and four premierships to the end of the season, per NRL.com. He won his first Dally M Medal in 2026, added the RLPA Players’ Champion and Origin series medals, and remains the club’s all-time points leader after passing Girdler in 2025, as his season snapshot records. Two Clive Churchill Medals and the four-peat put him alone at the summit.
Honourable mentions
Luke Rooney (2001-2008): 140 games, 65 tries, 2003 premiership and a 2026 Panthers Legend.
Mark Geyer and John Cartwright: steel and skill of the 1991 title side.
Brad Fittler: Penrith junior and early-career star before his Roosters peak — only Panthers years would count, and they sit just outside this 25.
Stephen Crichton: 100 Panthers games and three straight premierships (2021-23) before Canterbury.
James Maloney: 44 Panthers games as Cleary’s 2018-19 organiser — huge influence, short stay.
Matt Moylan: early-2010s fullback captain of the rebuild.
Petero Civoniceva and Apisai Koroisau: quality Panthers chapters within wider careers.
Panthers’ place in NRL history
From the 1967 foundation side to six premierships and a historic four-peat, Penrith has grown into one of the NRL’s defining clubs. Cleary, Yeo, Edwards and To’o keep the modern standard high even as free agency reshapes the roster. Compare this list with our top 25 Newcastle Knights players, top 25 Sydney Roosters players and top 25 Melbourne Storm players, or the top 10 greatest NRL grand finals.
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