Nearly two months after Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo hoisted the Provan-Summons Trophy at Suncorp Stadium, Panthers fans will finally get the chance to cheer on their Grand Final heroes this Saturday morning in Penrith.
The celebrations will officially get underway with a street parade through the CBD, immediately followed by a ticketed event at BlueBet Stadium.
The street parade will begin at 10am, with the open-top bus to start its journey to the stadium from the corner of High and Evan streets, next to the Fire Station.
Fans are encouraged to line the CBD streets as the bus travels down High Street before turning left at Station Street and finishing at BlueBet Stadium.
The route and timing will allow members and fans to participate in the parade before heading over to BlueBet Stadium for the Stadium Celebration.
The Premiers Stadium Celebration will kick off at approximately 11am as the Panthers make their highly-anticipated return to home turf.
Accompanied by the coveted Provan-Summons Trophy, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary and the players – including some that have since moved on to other NRL clubs – will relive the memorable Grand Final moments and share some insights from their history-making campaign.
Limited tickets have been available to fans over the past week, with a strong crowd expected to be in attendance for the historic event.
One man who has been involved in a parade or two during his career is Panthers legend and 1991 Premiership-winning captain Greg Alexander.
Speaking with the Weekender, Alexander said tomorrow’s event will be an opportunity for supporters to celebrate the 2021 NRL champions in-person.
“Because of the unique situation this year’s Grand Final was played under – the players were away for four months and didn’t get to play at their home ground – the one regret I felt for them is that they didn’t get to go on a bus from ANZ Stadium and travel out to Penrith and come back to the club, which would have been surrounded by 10,000 people,” he said.
“This Saturday’s street parade is a chance for the players to capture a little bit of what they missed on Grand Final night and for the people of Penrith to get out and show their appreciation for the season that the Panthers had.
“Yes the players had their own unique celebrations up in Queensland, but this is an opportunity for them to lap it up and enjoy their feats one last time.”
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
