Liam Henry may not be entirely comfortable abseiling down the side of a cliff on a team bonding camp, but he does feel right at home running into an opposition at top speed and cutting players in half.
Following his breakout season last year, the 23-year-old is ready to do it all over again when the 2025 NRL season officially arrives next week.
The boy from Blayney played a whopping 24 games with the Panthers last year, only missing a handful of matches in his first full season in the top grade.
Speaking with the Weekender, Henry said he spent some time in the recent off-season reflecting on his incredible 2024 campaign, which concluded with his first NRL Premiership ring.
“It was a surreal year,” Henry admitted.
“Plenty of ups and downs and learnings along the way – I still can’t believe it!
“I got a couple of weeks after the season to reflect, and yes it was definitely something special.”
With 27 NRL appearances in total under his belt, the interchange forward’s career is only just getting started. Last year, Henry scored two tries, averaged 88 running metres per game, racked up 26 tackle breaks, and had a tackle efficiency rate of 96.72 per cent – a strong season indeed.
Ever wanting to improve, Henry said he has own list of goals and targets that he’s set himself ahead of season 2025.
“You’re constantly trying to grow and get better,” he said.
“There’s plenty of areas that I need to grow and get better in from last year – that’s what I’ve been trying to work on over the pre-season.
“I want to evolve as a person and as a player.
“I love the opportunity to grow and there’s no better place to do it than here. I’m very lucky.”
Meanwhile, it’s been revealed that Henry is in some doubt for Penrith’s season opener in Las Vegas next week. The big man had off-season surgery to repair a rotator-cuff, and it might not be quite ready for the March 2 fixture. Regardless of his playing status, Henry said he’s looking forward to heading over to Sin City for the first time.
“I’ve never been there before. It’s a bit exciting and one to look forward to,” he said.
“We saw the games last year, and watching those games, it looked awesome! I can’t wait to see what all the hype is about.”
With scores of Panthers fans all making the trip across the Pacific in the coming days, Henry said he’s very appreciative of their dedication and support.
“We have a massive supporter base at Penrith, and to anyone heading over, we really appreciate it,” Henry said.
Nathan Taylor
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.