Manchester: The three-time NRL premiers were hosted by European and English champions Manchester City on Monday night (AEDT) prior to their match against Wigan. Although they have long been regarded as the NRL leaders in terms of training facilities, even Penrith were astounded when global sporting royalty rolled out the blue carpet for them before their World Club Challenge bid.
Upon receiving an all-access pass to the $380 million facility, Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, and Dylan Edwards took the place of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Rodri.
Nathan Cleary, a devoted supporter of Manchester United and halfback for the Panthers, called it “madness.” “Compared to what we’re used to back home, it’s a whole other universe and magnitude. We were quite fortunate to be able to train there and be surrounded by that.
Manchester City and the Panthers have a tight relationship as of late. The Sky Blues even conducted interviews with Panthers players on Etihad Stadium prior to their 1-1 tie with Chelsea this past weekend. Both teams are vying for a fourth consecutive title in their home leagues.
The team was invited by City to the vital Premier League encounter, in which Pep Guardiola’s team dropped to four points behind Liverpool in the standings despite still having a game remaining.
Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai stated, “You know it’s a place of greatness, and it was a little bit eerie.” We all had a terrific time, and we want to do it again in the future.
According to hooker Mitch Kenny, “It was really astounding.” Whether you’re a fan of football or soccer, Man City is a well-known and esteemed organization. Just being there is still a little bit of a fanboy moment for me. They do everything so grandiose and it’s so aristocratic over here.
When the Panthers opened their $22 million academy in 2016, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was invited to the ribbon-cutting event by then-general manager Phil Gould, who set a precedent for the team.
NRL teams frequently work with some of the largest football clubs in the world. Prior to their 2020 World Club Challenge matchup with St Helens, the Roosters had a tour of Barcelona’s facilities.
