The Penrith Panthers have fired back at critics of their Premiership-winning celebrations, particularly taking aim at NRL analyst Paul Kent.
The players let loose during their Grand Final celebrations following an emphatic victory over rivals Parramatta Eels.
However, their antics following the matchup and at the fan day on Monday morning (October 3) ‘lacked class’ according to Paul Kent who didn’t hold back on NRL 360.
Kent said the players acted like ‘16-year-old school boys’.
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And well, the Penrith boys weren’t having any of it.
Viliame Kikau commented on a video showing Kent’s rant, saying: “Uck up Kenty.”
Star player Nathan Cleary also responded, saying: “Grateful. Love my bruddas.”
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The grilling from the Panthers got worse for Kent when The Betoota Advocate shared a satirical article taking aim at the rugby league commentator.
The article was titled: “Visibly Hungover Paul Kent Disgusted By Youthful Polynesians Enjoying The Fruits Of Hard Work And Talent.”
Screenshots of the article were shared by the likes of Brian To’o, James Fisher-Harris, and Jarome Luai.
Luai copped flack from Kent for a now-deleted Instagram post he made with teammate Jaeman Salmon.
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The five-eighth had captioned the image: “My N****.:”
Kent slammed the post, saying: “It’s a well-known racial term which Penrith claim is a term of endearment, which is ridiculous.
“Honestly, at some point these blokes have got to be asked to act like men.”
Fisher-Harris also found himself at the centre of Kent’s ire after the Penrith player claimed the 2022 squad was the ‘best ever’ Panthers team.
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He then rubbed salt into the Eels wounds.
He added: “I just want to say Parra are our sons. Right here right now that's just a fact.”
Of course, Kenty wasn’t too happy with those particular comments either.
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He said: “Fancy James Fisher-Harris coming out and saying we're the best Penrith team ever. That's the height of arrogance.
“Once the dust has settled and the result is in, weapons are down, show some humility and grace towards your opponents.”
Fisher-Harris responded to the criticism on Instagram, saying: “I'm cool with the players and the area isn't bad, just tryna keep the rivalry alive.
“I hold the up most respect for the players gone before me/us. So don't get it twisted.”
Topics: Australia, NRL, Rugby League
Jayden Collins