Penrith has left close to 2,000 games of first-grade experience on ice for its grudge match with Canterbury as it looks to become the first team from outside the top four to win a premiership in the NRL era.
After successive golden-point defeats to Melbourne and Canberra left the Panthers needing a miracle to claim a top-four finish, coach Ivan Cleary has chosen to make 16 changes to the side which fell to the Raiders in Mudgee.
With players including Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota and Brian To’o rested, coach Cleary has sat out a whopping 1,943 games of NRL experience for Thursday’s game at Stadium Australia.
Brad Schneider, who was named on the bench but did not take the field against Canberra, is the sole survivor and will play halfback in a team which includes four NRL debutants and will start as $8 outsiders.
Austin Dias and Riley Price, the son of Bulldogs great Steve Price, will make their Panthers debuts in a side to be captained by lock Matt Eisenhuth.
Penrith’s top-eight spot is locked in but it needs an unlikely series of results to go its way to fall into the top four.
The Panthers — currently seventh — would not be afforded the luxury of a week off in the finals series if they finish between fifth and eighth.
Since the NRL era began in 1998, no side has won the premiership from outside the top four.
There is clearly some logic to Cleary’s thinking as he looks to defend the Panthers’ four-straight premierships.
By resting his key men on Thursday, Penrith will at least have a freshen-up ahead of next week’s final regular season game against St George Illawarra.
The Panthers should then be recharged and ready to defend their crown in the finals, where they could face four weeks of knockout games.
Word began to trickle out on Monday that Penrith were set to rest their top-line stars, prompting a betting plunge on Canterbury after the Panthers had opened as favourites.
The Bulldogs have shortened to $1.10 despite the fact they will be without Viliame Kikau due to a skin infection, and prop Harry Hayes.
