Penrith will field an under-strength side against the last placed Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed he’ll rest all seven players due to play for New South Wales against Queensland in the Origin decider tomorrow night.
It’s the perfect time to rest players ahead of the run to the Finals, particularly given Penrith have a six point gap at the top of the Premiership.
“None of them are playing,” Cleary said.
“They’ve all been told to stay away for a week. I don’t want to see them.
“We made the decision about a month ago.
“They won’t get another chance to have a break, so they’ll be having it this week.”
Cleary said he didn’t think it was worth resting players during the Origin period given the tight schedule, preferring to give them a break at the conclusion of the series.
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.