NRL head coach Ivan Cleary knows how necessary it is to have a quality side like The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup premiership-winning Panthers team as part of the club’s set-up.
While Cleary is directing the traffic for his NRL side in Sunday’s Grand Final, he will be keeping close tabs on the 2022 State Championship match between the NSWRL’s Penrith Panthers and the QRL’s Norths Devils.
The Panthers earned their right to play for the State Championship after beating the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs 29-22 last weekend at CommBank Stadium.
“I believe a winning and healthy NSW Cup team is invaluable for your club,” Cleary told nswrl.com.au
“But some clubs choose to focus more on just the NRL squad, which at the end of the day is what pays the bills of any club.
“Our philosophy is a little different at the Panthers because we like to win as well as develop.”
Cleary has so much trust in his NSW Cup players that he had no hesitation in calling them up to first grade for the Round 25 game against the North Queensland Cowboys so he could rest his NRL stars.
Twelve players from The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup winning team played the Cowboys – four were on debut in Eddie Blacker, Jack Cole, Liam Henry and Tom Jenkins. Three of them will be playing the Devils on Sunday as Jenkins is out injured.
“It’s going to get even more important as the years go on, and the calendar fills up along with our success over the past couple of years, means more of our players are called up to rep duties at Origin level, mid-year and end-of-year Tests,” Cleary said.
“We’re always keen to use our NSW Cup players more as we look at resting more of our NRL side.
“That exposure and experience we gave them this year has given them confidence I hope for Sunday.“
"As a club we want to compete well and win as many trophies as we can. We’ll be as proud a punch if they can do it again this weekend against the Devils.”
There is some cross-pollination with the two clubs, which is often the case in Rugby League.
Bench prop Blacker is a Norths Devils junior, while Panthers captain J’maine Hopgood is a Queenslander having played his junior footy with the Hervey Bay Seagulls.
Norths hooker Kierran Moseley is a former Panther playing an NRL game in 2014 under Cleary as coach.
Broncos half Tyson Gamble will wear the Devils’ No.7 jersey and would have come up against old Brisbane teammate in Sean O’Sullivan.
But the Panthers No.7 has been called into Cleary’s extended NRL bench, leaving Cole and Kurt Falls as the Penrith halves.
Falls topped The Knock-One Effect NSW Cup competition this year as leading goal-kicker and points scorer (164).
Hopgood made the most offloads (46) and hooker Soni Luke had the most receipts and dummy-half runs. Winger Sunia Turuva was the best in kick-return metres for the NSW Cup in 2022.
Falls, Hopgood, Luke, and Turuva all played NRL games this season.
This is the third time, the Panthers have played in the State Championship, which began in 2014 although it wasn’t held in 2020-2021 due to COVID.
The Panthers beat the PNG Hunters in 2017 and lost to the Northern Pride in 2014.
The Norths Devils are making their State Championship debut.
From the six previous State Championship finals, NSW Cup sides have won four: Newtown Jets (in 2019), Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs (2018), Panthers (2017), and St George Illawarra Dragons (2016).
