Penrith Panthers’ awards evening was held at the rugby club’s Winters Park on Saturday.
Club president David Snaith, was guest of honour, Craig Price was master of ceremonies and Sara Dench was stage manager.
The head coach’s report was delivered by Panthers co-captains Caz Davidson, Caitlin Wood and Heather Grainger.
By the end of season 2024-25, Panthers had discovered what it feels like to be part of a squad for whom winning is habitual. This is important because winning breeds confidence and confidence fuels improvement.
When training began, in June, 2024, the players were reminded of principles outlined in the original Panthers strategy plan of 2019. This advocated a “Panthers way to play”, utilising what was known about the effective coaching of female players.
During the first half of 2024-25, skills-heavy training sessions, based on a back to basics principle, offered clarity, enjoyment and an avenue to progress.
Recommendations were that the Panthers should aim to carry more aggressively, “boss” contact, stay “up” for longer; always look to get behind the defender; buy time and trust support.
Knowing how to ruck is essential in the modern game, but the existing automatic “resort to ruck” mindset as a reaction to being tackled was far too passive, impeded smooth continuity, made static contact inevitable and created catastrophic levels of penalty concession and jackle turnovers.
Panthers looked like poor players, rather than what they really were: good players playing the wrong game.
Squad members were offered a more varied set of ideas, based very much on their own untapped natural skills. A coaching team, designed to provide the broad brush, was assembled.
This consisted of Docker Reid, Paul Newton, Simon Veitch and Craig Price. Later, when Craig resigned, Tom Dawson stepped in. Coaching team members hammered the basics from day one, and, pushing an open door, players discovered skills and the confidence to use them.
Panthers hit the ground running. When it clicked, the offload game produced faster plays with far fewer chaotic rucks, and try bonus points in every match. Panthers’ coaches should take a bow. They supported the strategy, developed skills with players old and new, and have perpetually fed the squad with new ideas and better ways to play.
So with top marks all round, and an ensemble achievement worthy of celebration, the end-of-season presentation party, organised by Panthers’ senior players’ group, was a fantastic event.
Captain Caz Davidson is an exemplary leader, role model, and her contribution, on and off the field, cannot be overestimated.
All good teams contain “go-to” players who are consistent performers, excelling in the spectacular and unexpected. Penrith have two of these in the team — Rachel Byers and Lexi Hodgson.
Rachel’s 27 tries were mostly long range “spectaculars” and soon were a regular feature of team victories.
Lexi, the second highest try scorer, is as spontaneous as it gets. Her movement is sublime; she swerves and changes pace, and supporting Panthers are better now at guestimating where she might go next.
Gana Walker, Sian Peet, Heather “2” Hills, Caroline Meldrum, Sian Laud, Becca Grierson, Emma Kellett, Kristy Hodgson and Elizabeth Jackson are the backs most regularly providing the orthodox option. Caitlin Wood is a playmaking 10 with a brain full of ideas, an eye for a break and complete mastery of the appropriate pass.
Panthers’ “tight five” forwards were challenged to become more pro-active members of the second phase attack. The breakdown had become a minefield of chaos, misunderstanding, and misapplication, where the loss of possession was regarded as part of the game. Players were asked firstly to develop greater confidence in their pre-contact pass, avoid static contact, abandon inefficient practice, and seek a more realistic approach to the ruck in training, and during matches.
During the season there was growing awareness of the link between static contact, poor presentation and loss of ball. Panthers’ pack should be proud of their massive progress in this area.
Di Hetherington and Sarah Jenkins were confident ball-playing props, hitherto underused as specialist carriers. Both showed their ability to run beyond the contact, and offload behind the tackler. This opened doors for Ella Purdy, Strandy, Emily Wilson, Bernie Willetts, Taz Dawson, Lauren Oates, Pippa Shay, Rachel Woods, Liz Brook, Jenny Brown, Emma Adams and Tash Molloy — fellow forwards seeking more critical involvement.
Heather Grainger and Emma Birkett both made their transition from backs to forwards look easy. As a pair, they demonstrated the value to a side of flankers who revel in exposure, share responsibility for the first-up tackle, show bottle to win 50-50s and, whether attacking or defending, arrive at rucks via the direct route.
Like captain Caz, Emma and Heather have regularly been played out of position — indicative of their loyalty, sense of duty and versatility.
The players’ player shield went to Heather Grainger, the progress and development award to Lauren Oates, and the coaches’ award to Emma Kellett. Rachel Byers won the top try scorer award and Lexi Hodgson was named young player of the season.
