“Only thing lacking”: Penrith co-captain expresses disappointment about missing the World Club Challenge…….

Isaah Yeo has expressed his disappointment over Penrith’s decision to forgo the World Club Challenge after the Panthers officially informed the NRL that they would not be able to compete for the only major trophy still missing from their collection.

By beating Melbourne in last Sunday’s grand final, the Panthers secured a historic fourth consecutive premiership and earned a matchup against the winner of the Super League final between Wigan and Hull KR on Sunday (AEDT). However, their upcoming trip to Las Vegas for the first round of the 2025 season has complicated things, as the clash of premiers typically takes place in either England or Australia just before the start of the NRL regular season.

The Panthers are also preparing for disruptions at the start of their pre-season. At least 12 players will postpone their required leave to join Samoa’s tour of England or the Pacific Championships. Internally, the Panthers felt their team was underprepared for the 2024 World Club Challenge after last year’s Pacific Championships, especially with the additional trip to Las Vegas this year.

Penrith anticipates that their last group of players will return from leave in early January, leaving the club with only about six weeks of pre-season before traveling to face Cronulla at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Logistics could become even more challenging if Wigan, as expected, wins the Super League grand final since they are also set to join rugby league’s second venture in Las Vegas.

A senior Panthers official contacted the NRL on Wednesday morning to confirm the club’s stance on not participating in the World Club Challenge. While the club is willing to collaborate with the NRL to find a solution, they currently do not see an opportunity to schedule the match.

Co-captain Yeo expressed disappointment about missing the fixture but acknowledged the club’s situation.

“It’s unfortunate to miss it, but I understand the circumstances,” he said during Wednesday’s official fan celebration for the Panthers’ grand final victory. “As a group, we’d love to play because it’s the only major trophy we haven’t won.

“We’d welcome another chance to rectify that, but it’s just so complicated with Vegas. If we weren’t going to Vegas, I think we’d have a better shot, but that complicates things a lot.”