Panthers Withdraw from Trial Match Following Storm’s Unexpected Decision

The fierce rivalry between last season’s grand finalists, the Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm, has flared up once again before the kick-off of the new season, particularly surrounding a pre-season trial for the reigning champions.

Penrith initially planned to face Melbourne’s feeder club, the North Sydney Bears, prior to their trip to Las Vegas for round one.

However, the Storm have opted to withdraw several players from the NSW Cup squad to participate in their trial match in New Zealand.

The clash between the Panthers and Bears was set for last Saturday, but the premiers have now backed out.

Players such as Morgan Harper, Ben Talty, Tui Katoa, and Nathaniel Roache will be heading to New Zealand instead of participating in the Bears match.

“We were aiming for a strong quality team, and Norths seemed the best choice,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.

“However, we didn’t quite receive what we anticipated.”

Cleary then labelled the prospective Bears side as resembling a “Ron Massey team,” despite their impressive run to the NSW Cup grand final last year.

The Panthers will face Manly in a trial match on Friday, although their squad will be significantly weakened as top players head to Las Vegas.