Penrith Panthers sweat on fitness of key forward ahead of Grand Final

Ruth John

Penrith Panthers sweat on fitness of key forward ahead of Grand Final image

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Penrith Panthers enforcer Scott Sorensen’s availability for Sunday’s Grand Final is yet to be confirmed. 

Part of the Panthers’ three-time Premiership winning squads, Sorensen has not played in over a month, missing Penrith’s run to the final against Melbourne Storm due to a hamstring. 

Scott Sorensen’s friend and former teammate at the Sharks, Aaron Woods offered some insight into the forward recovery. 

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“The last I spoke to him, he had to get through captains run. He was progressing really well,” Woods said on Triple M. 

“They’re gonna see how he pulls up Sunday morning leading up to the grand final. He’s still got to get through one more session and we’ll see how we go from there.

Although the forward is confident of his return, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary revealed that the club is being very conscious of Sorensen’s inclusion in the team for the final. 

“We’ll give him every chance but we’re not going to take a risk there either,” Cleary said on Thursday. 

One of the many reasons why Scott Sorensen is desperate to play on Sunday is to give a proper send off to his left-edge buddy Jarome Luai, who is set to join the Wests Tigers next season.

“He’s been one of the originals here for quite some time,” Sorensen said.

“As well as his playing ability, his leadership has gone through the roof in the last 12 months.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play outside him and I love the bloke on and off the field. I’ve been out for a few weeks this year, but I’ve been able to watch him grow and develop and take on more responsibility.

“It’s going to hurt when he leaves, but we’ve got one more week with him, so we’re not going to push him away that easily.”

Ruth John

Ruth John Photo

Ruth John is a content producer for The Sporting News.