Panthers winger Paul Alamoti has vowed to repay coach Ivan Cleary after earning a shock recall for the finals series.
The 21-year-old's name made an unexpected appearance on the team sheet for last week's elimination final against the Warriors and Cleary has again picked the youngster ahead of Tom Jenkins for Sunday's semi-final against the Bulldogs.
While Jenkins has impressed throughout the season, Alamoti boasts plenty of big-game experience and was one of the Panthers' best in last year's grand final victory.
Most watched NRL tries of 2024: 14
Alamoti repaid the faith with a standout performance in the win over the Warriors and he's determined to produce a similar showing in front of a bumper crowd at Accor Stadium this weekend.
"It's been a crazy year," Alamoti said. "It's been a roller coaster of a year and I'm very fortunate to get back into the finals arena.
"There was a lot of joy, I honestly didn't expect it. [Jenkins'] been playing amazingly since he came in, every game he's almost been the best player on the ground. When Ivan did tell me, I just didn't want to let him down. I wanted to go out there and do a job for him and the boys."
Match: Bulldogs v Panthers
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Bulldogs
3rd Position
away Team
Panthers
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Inconsistent form and Jenkins' unexpected rise saw Alamoti relegated to reserve grade and he played in just two NRL matches between Round 17 and Round 26.
That was the night Cleary rested 16 players for a Thursday-night clash with the Bulldogs. Origin winger Brian To'o also sat out the following week, allowing Alamoti to feature in the last two games of the regular season.
Cleary's decision to rest almost his entire team was criticised by many fans but it came with a silver lining for Alamoti.
Paul Alamoti Try
The 21-year-old viewed the Round 26 match as an opportunity to prove he belonged in the NRL team and took the chance with both hands.
While Penrith lost the game, Alamoti scored a try and helped an inexperienced Panthers side frustrate the Bulldogs.
"Every game I get to play in the NRL since I've come back in the side is an opportunity to play well and prove a point," Alamoti said. "It's a chance to showcase what I'm capable of doing and that Bulldogs game was no different.
"I just wanted to play well. We had a lot of debutants and I wanted to lead from the front and do the best I could for the boys."
Sunday's clash carries a bit of added feeling for Alamoti, with the youngster beginning his career at Belmore before moving to Penrith.
Burton's grubber finds Paul Alamoti
The outside back made his NRL debut for the Bulldogs in 2023 however the arrival of former Panthers star Stephen Crichton left his future uncertain.
Cleary was quick to pounce and Alamoti enjoyed a rapid rise in 2024. While this year has not gone exactly as planned, the winger is determined to help Penrith take another step towards a fifth-straight premiership with a victory over his former club.
Bulldogs v Panthers: Finals Week 2
"At the end of [2023] Ivan contacted me, I was able to sit down with him and the rest is history," Alamoti said. "Everything happened pretty quickly and you'd be silly not to jump at the opportunity here.
"At the time they had just come off three premierships, it was an incredible opportunity and I took it with both hands.
"It's always a bit weird coming up against the old club but it's no different to any other week. It's a finals game, it's do or die and I'm here to win, we're playing to win. They're in the same position so it's no different to other finals games."
