James Tamou knows if Penrith fail to live up to the hype, the first person the finger will be pointed at will be the high-profile recruit.

Nathan Cleary's introduction to rugby league was enough to turn most away from the game for life. At a local park in Auckland six years ago, a scrawny 13-year-old son of a gun picked up a football for the first time - taking on bearded men in an open age game that would be the making of a teenage prodigy.

After a massive 2016 season, the Panthers captain has served his apprenticeship and is ready to become one of the game's next superstars.

​Penrith coach Anthony Griffin has backed unlucky prop Sam McKendry to come back from what could be his second knee reconstruction in seven months.

Penrith prop Sam McKendry has suffered a suspected serious knee injury in his comeback from an ACL reconstruction during the Panthers' 18-6 NRL trial win over Parramatta.

Penrith coach Anthony Griffin has told young gun Te Maire Martin to get more physical as he weighs up whether to start the Kiwi international in the opening round.

The Penrith Panthers will be without winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak for the opening two weeks of the NRL season after the Kiwi international suffered a knee injury at training.

There isn't a seat at the NRL table that doesn't come hot with the expectation of success, but perhaps none more so than the premiership favourites.

With 17 days remaining until the start of the 2017 NRL season, Michael Chammas looks at pre-season form and the big questions confronting your club.

Penrith young gun Te Maire Martin has hinted he's ready to fire this season after setting up his side's 20-10 NRL trial win over Canterbury at Belmore Sports Ground.

As he prepares to make his return from two broken vertebrae against the man who inflicted the pain, Reagan Campbell-Gillard has admitted he feared he would never walk again as visions of Alex McKinnon's horrific injury haunted him.

Twelve months after the preseason from hell, the Sydney Roosters have come full circle with an unexpected triumph at the NRL Auckland Nines.

Panthers boss Brian Fletcher has labelled the Auckland Nines pre-season competition an unnecessary risk to players ahead of its fourth edition in New Zealand, starting Saturday.

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The Panthers prop has recovered fully and is raring to go in 2017.

The former girlfriend of Penrith star Bryce Cartwright has been arrested at her Constitution Hill home on Tuesday afternoon after a complaint was made to police on Monday.

The NRL has asked the Penrith Panthers for information over a string of vile social media posts aimed at State of Origin star-in-waiting Bryce Cartwright.

The Panthers have returning New Zealand internationals Peta Hiku and Dean Whare gunning for full fitness next year, but there is one man who doesn't want to shift from the centres to accommodate them.

Penrith supremo Phil Gould has warned a plot to remove Australian Rugby League Commission boss John Grant won't solve the the NRL funding fiasco which has spawned a "toxic and untrusting" relationship between League Central and the clubs.

The Penrith Panthers have parted ways with backrower Chris Grevsmuhl, citing the player's 'personal issues' in a statement on Friday evening.