Penrith have taken a massive step in their hunt for the premiership, with the NRL granting the Panthers permission to play their opening home finals at Panthers Stadium, per The Sydney Morning Herald.
The club feared that their season-long success would be unfairly welcomed by hosting finals matches at ANZ Stadium or Bankwest Stadium, with the league contemplating the decision to maximise ticket sales at larger venues.
Last season a policy was formed to allow clubs to play home finals at suburban venues, with the ARL Commission set to hold up the by-law.
With the Panthers favoured for the minor premiership and likely to face Parramatta, South Sydney or Canberra in the first week, fans will be able to attend Panthers Stadium as they open their finals campaign.
Closely behind the Panthers are Melbourne, who will also be granted a home final at Sunshine Coast Stadium for their opening finals bout.
The NRL is expected to release week one venues in the coming days, while weeks two and three remain unclear.
