The NRL and Penrith have spoken publicly as a storm surrounding Panthers star Mitch Kenny continues to swirl.
An image — that appears to be a screenshot — has circulated across the internet after an image was posted on Kenny’s Instagram stories on Tuesday.
The post, which has been deleted, included a photo of Kenny’s face and was captioned: “couple Boxing Day lines have got me in trouble”.
The NRL has responded to media inquiries.
“The NRL is aware of the matter and will be liaising with the club,” the league said in a statement.
The Panthers have also confirmed the club is aware of the image.
Kenny also posted another message on his Instagram stories.
“Happy New Year guys. Enjoy and ignore trolls who grabbed my phone. Happy New Year,” he wrote.
Kenny has been a key piece of Penrith’s premiership dynasty and scored a try in the club’s 2023 Grand Final win over the Broncos.
He was promoted to take the No. 9 jumper after star hooker Api Koroisau moved the Tigers.
The 26-year-old is contracted with the Panthers through to the end of the 2024 season and is a free agent on the open market that can sign with any NRL club.