It is “disappointing” to lose the opportunity to check off the one box the Penrith players have missed in their four years of dominance, but premiership-winning Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo claims it is simply too difficult to include the World Club Challenge in their preseason.
For a number of reasons, including the heavy player workload, Penrith officials confirmed that the four-time Premiership team would not play the victor of Sunday’s Super League final between Wigan and Hull KR.
With players not expected to return to training until January, the Panthers do not want to add a February matchup with the UK Super League winners to their already packed schedule for round one of the 2025 season in Las Vegas.
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The Panthers have lost to St Helens and Wigan in their two tries to win the WCC during their incredible run of NRL premiership victories.
Yeo, who won Penrith’s player of the year award, is aware of this, but they are unable to overcome the fixture’s realities and workloads.
At the Panthers’ official fan party on Wednesday after their grand final victory, he remarked, “You’d love to get it on, but I just don’t know you could work it, to be fair.”
Since that’s something we’ve overlooked—basically the only item lacking from the resume—we would obviously love to do it as a group. You would adore another chance to try to make things right.for that.
“Vegas is just so difficult. I believe we would have a shot if we weren’t doing Vegas, but it just makes things a little more difficult.
Players are required by NRL regulations to take ten weeks off following the season, and as up to twelve Penrith players are scheduled to compete in the Pacific Championships or Samoa’s tour of England, that return date will be extended.
With only six or eight weeks of training before the first round in Las Vegas, players like superstar Nathan Cleary may be on a long list of players who also require post-season surgery.