Penrith forward Scott Sorensen will play in tomorrow night’s Grand Final against Melbourne, coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed.
Sorensen ticked the final boxes today to ensure his inclusion in the 17.
“He’ll be playing tomorrow,” Cleary said.
“He was really devastated [when he got injured] so for him to work so hard and get back and make a contribution tomorrow is really good.
“If he was a risk he wouldn’t be playing. It’s a manageable risk.”
Matt Eisenhuth is likely to be relegated to 18th man for tomorrow night’s decider, but Cleary was remaining tight-lipped at his final press conference ahead of the game.
“That’s the real downer when it comes to this time of year and these sorts of games. You’d love them all to play but they can’t unfortunately,” he said.
“I’ll confirm the final 17 tomorrow.”
Cleary said he’s been pleased with the side’s preparation just 24 hours out from the big game, and the potential to become the best rugby league side in half a century.
“They’re all different. Different circumstances, different teams we’re playing against and all that kind of stuff. But it’s a real pleasure to play and be part of the Grand Final and it’s no different this year,” he said.
“Just to walk into the stadium and get that feeling again – it’s fantastic.”
Cleary said he’d sleep well tonight – especially compared to the injury-plagued 2021 Grand Final line-up – given he’ll field a full-strength side.
“A lot of the work has been done. I’ll try to add value wherever I can, I need to make sure I’m at my best come game time tomorrow night,” he said.
“There’s still decisions to be made, I’ll be fresh-minded and ready to go.”
The Panthers trained on Accor Stadium this afternoon, their final hit-out before the Grand Final.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.