Scott Sorensen has been in and around the NRL for almost 10 years now, but the 29-year-old has never come across something as special as what is building at the foot of the mountains.
“Honestly, I can’t put it into words,” Sorensen told foxsports.com.au, pausing.
“I’m just so grateful, so extremely grateful to this club for this opportunity. This playing group is so special, so unique.”
Unique. It is a word that came up a lot in the sheds on Sunday night as Penrith celebrated their second-straight premiership, this one coming over arch-rivals Parramatta.
“It’s a unique team, a unique club and a very unique culture and I absolutely love it,” added Sorensen.
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This was Penrith’s third-straight season winning 85 per cent or more of their games, becoming the first team to do so since St George almost 70 years ago. That is not the only piece of history these Panthers have after this weekend though.
With grand final wins in the SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup competitions, Penrith also became the first team in history to take out the title in all four grades.
Phil Gould played a large role in setting up the elite pathway system that powered Penrith’s success in recent years and the now Bulldogs supremo warned his old club’s dominance is far from over.
Rather, according to Gould, this is just the beginning.
“I think they’ve probably got half a dozen of the most outstanding junior players in the country at the moment,” Gould said on Channel 9.
“And that’s a frightful thing, you really don’t know what’s coming and that’s what I said this is only starting.
“The success they’ve had the last two or three years is only the beginning of something bigger.
“They’re a long, long way in front of every club at the moment.”
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Although the departures of Apisai Koroisau and Viliame Kikau could bring the Panthers back to the pack according to club legend Scott Sattler.
“The loss of Api and (Viliame) Kikau are enormous,” he told foxsports.com.au.
“To lose them is huge and they haven’t replaced them with like-for-like players.”
Even Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitted on Sunday night that the Panthers “won’t be able to replace” Koroisau.
Earlier on Sunday though, Penrith fans got another glimpse at the promising junior who could be the key to filling the Koroisau void — Soni Luke.
Described as a “miniature Api” by teammate Spencer Leniu, Luke finished the Panthers’ 44-10 win over North Devils in the State Championship with a try, three assists and four tackle busts.
Of course, Luke won’t have as much time playing in the NRL and may struggle for consistency early as he looks to develop his passing game and find his feet in the top grade.
But Mitch Kenny has already proven himself a capable starter for the Panthers in the hooking role and with Luke providing spark off the bench, Penrith could very well be already onto a winning combination.
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“They lost a few players and I know Api’s gone but I watched a bloke in reserve grade, Soni Luke who looks very similar,” Blues coach Brad Fittler said on Channel 9.
“They’re well on their way, when you look at their depth tonight we watched their second grade team convincingly beat Norths Devils. The under-21s the other day won their comp and the 19’s won their comp and the under-17s actually got beat in the semi final to go into the final.
“You’re talking about kids from the age of 16 all the way out to the captains here are all committed to the club and work hard.
“It’s got to go to the coach Ivan Cleary there’s a humility about this club where it showed this year there’s just no ego, no one got ahead of themselves and their football improved. They’re a machine at the moment.”
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A machine that just keeps pumping out young talent and even if they don’t get their shot in first grade, some of them end up back at the foot of the mountains anyway.
Like Sean O’Sullivan, who started his rugby league journey at the Panthers and later returned to Penrith after short stints with the Warriors and Broncos, chasing a regular first-grade spot.
O’Sullivan was never going to find that at Penrith, stuck behind State of Origin halves Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary.
But the opportunity to play under and learn from the game’s best halfback has now readied O’Sullivan for the next step in his career as he makes that leap with the Dolphins.
“You look at Nathan and they give players a reason to stay, plenty of blokes at Melbourne would’ve stayed for Cameron and Billy just to play with them and get that level of excellence,” Fittler added.
“You’ve got these young kids that go you know what I might just hang around.”
“It’s only the salary cap that’s forcing players out, it’s not because they want to go anywhere,” added Gould.
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The same goes for Kikau, who is linking up with Gould next year at the Bulldogs.
J’Maine Hopgood was one contender to replace the Fijian second rower but is on the move himself, stuck behind Isaah Yeo in his preferred position at lock.
“It’s just opportunity-based, that’s pretty much all it was,” Hopgood told foxsports.com.au of the decision to leave for Parramatta.
“Just sitting behind Yeoy here, who is the best lock in the game, it has sort of been a blessing in disguise having him and sitting behind him and being able to learn off him and watch things that he does in training and in games, putting a couple of things in my kit bag which I think I can take with me.
“You never want to leave a successful club but at the end of the day you want to play first grade because your career is only so long.”
Even as Kikau and Hopgood move on, more reinforcements are on their way with Luke Garner and Zac Hosking adding to Penrith’s second row depth.
Add in Chris Smith (2023) and Mavrik Geyer (2023) and things are hardly looking dire for the defending premiers, who will be looking to become the first team to win three-straight in the NRL era.
“I think Luke Garner’s going to the Panthers next year and he’ll certainly fill into that system and play a great role for them so they’re in good shape,” Fittler said.
LIKELY PANTHERS STARTING 17 FOR 2023
1. Dylan Edwards
2. Brian To’o
3. Izack Tago
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Taylan May
6. Jarome Luai
7. Nathan Cleary
8. James Fisher-Harris
9. Mitch Kenny
10. Moses Leota
11. Luke Garner
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Soni Luke
15. Scott Sorensen
16. Spencer Leniu
17. Jaeman Salmon (off-contract)
