After being admitted into the NSWRL competition in 1967, the Penrith Panthers quickly established a reputation as the perennial strugglers as they were unable to attract high profile players and relied heavily on the development of their junior talent.
The club from the foot of the mountains would have to wait almost 20 years before their first taste of finals football, when in 1985 they finished fifth to make it to the qualifying final where Parramatta ended their run. This season was the beginning of a successful era at Penrith, which saw them unearth a host of local talent who would develop into some of the greats of the game including the likes of Greg Alexander, Brad Fittler, Mark Geyer and John Cartwright.
In 1990 the Panthers finished third on the ladder and made a strong charge through the finals series to make their first Grand Final appearance. Unfortunately for fans of the “Chocolate Soldiers”, a formidable Canberra Raiders side, who were the defending Premiers at the time, proved too strong and won the match 18-14. The Panthers were determined to put things right the following year however and were given that opportunity when they faced the Raiders again in the 1991 Grand Final. This time around the Penrith community were able to rejoice as an inspired performance from local and club captain Royce Simmons led the side to a 19-12 victory, handing Penrith their first ever Premiership.
Their reign at top of the rugby league world was short lived however as over the following years, many of the players from the premiership winning side retired or moved on to different clubs. The late 1990’s were lean years for Penrith as they made the finals only twice between 1993-2000 before claiming the wooden spoon in 2001.
Following the club’s appointment of John Lang as coach in 2002, the tide began to turn however and the Penrith faithful had renewed optimism. After finishing the previous season in 12th, new signing Preston Campbell led the Panthers to the minor premiership in 2003 and the club secured their second Premiership after overcoming the Sydney Roosters in a memorable Grand Final.
Results have been mixed for the club since the success of the 2003 season. In 2011 it was announced that former coach and TV personality Phil Gould would assume the role of General Manager of the club, which provides him direct involvement in all aspects of the Panthers coaching and development office.
Penrith continues to boast one of the biggest junior rugby league catchments in the country and with the fifth largest membership base in the competition, the game continues to prosper in the Western Sydney region.
