Penrith are unfazed by the prospect inclement Sydney weather could hurt their chances of progressing to another NRL grand final as data reveals their struggles in the wet.
It comes as coach Ivan Cleary indicates second-rower Scott Sorensen is not expected to overcome a persistent hamstring issue and line up against Cronulla in their grand final qualifier.
The Panthers have won only two of six games played in wet conditions across the past two premiership seasons for a 33 per cent winning record - well down on their overall 75 per cent strike rate in that time.
The record slips to 2-5 if the World Club Challenge loss to St Helens from the 2023 pre-season is added to their wet-weather record for the past two years.
Penrith's shock loss to eventual wooden spooners Wests Tigers in Bathurst last year, and a State of Origin-affected loss to St George Illawarra stand out as two of their most memorable defeats in that time.
Both came in the kind of rain that teemed down in Sydney on Thursday.
The Panthers have played only one finals game in the wet since surging to premiership dominance in 2020, losing a slippery decider to Melbourne that year.
But ahead of Saturday night's preliminary final, coach Cleary said the possibility for more bad weather would not prevent Penrith playing their trademark high-completion, high-discipline style of football.
"I don't think so," he said on Thursday.
"It's a bit of a challenge for everyone from Sydney in particular because we haven't had much rain around but it's kind of a bonus that we get to train in it today.
"I think our style suits any type of conditions. That's what you like to think anyway. It'll be the same for both teams."
Cleary indicated Penrith would make any adjustments on game day should rain persist.
"We'll assess that on the night of the game," he said.
Cleary named Sorensen in his squad on Tuesday, but two days later, was unsure the forward would make a second appearance since tweaking his hamstring against Parramatta in round 23.
"I don’t expect (him to play) as yet, but I’m hoping," Cleary said.
"He’s still going through various stages but there’s a fair bit tonight that he’ll need to do.
"At this stage we feel like he can, but doing it is another thing. If he’s going to play then he’s got to be able to play."
The Panthers had expected Sorensen could line up against the Sydney Roosters in the first week of the finals series but replaced him with in-form Luke Garner on the day of their 30-10 win.
A cruel run of leg injuries has restricted Sorensen to only 16 appearances this season - his fewest total since relocating from the Sharks for the 2021 campaign.
"He’s had a pretty frustrating year," Cleary said.
"He’s very important for us and we’d love to have him out there so we’ll see what we can do."
