The Cairns Post

Brandy backs Penrith prop’s grand claims

- MICHAEL CARAYANNIS

JAMES Fisher-Harris has defended his declaratio­ns that “Parra sucks” and that the current Penrith side is the greatest in the club’s history following back-toback premiershi­ps.

Fisher-Harris took to centre stage at Penrith’s fan day at BlueBet Stadium on Monday, telling Panthers fans: “Parra sucks. Right here, right now, that’s fact.”

The crowd responded by chanting “we hate Parra” as Fisher-Harris waved them on.

In the same speech, he elevated the current roster above the premiershi­p-winning sides of 1991 and 2003.

“Everyone gone before us – much respect – but we are the greatest Panthers team ever,” Fisher-Harris said.

But on Tuesday, Fisher-Harris took to social media to clarify his statements.

While his claims about the current team’s greatness have drawn the ire of some pundits, 1991 premiershi­p-winning Penrith captain Greg Alexander is not among them.

He backed Fisher-Harris and declared the current group of Panthers as the club’s greatest team. Alexander is also on the club’s board and took no offence to Fisher-Harris’s comments.

“The fact they’ve made three grand finals and they’ve done something no other Penrith side has done in winning back-to-back grand finals,” Alexander said. “I would say yes they are. I don’t find anything disrespect­ful about what James Fisher-Harris said.

“That is not being arrogant (from Fisher-Harris). If I rang a former Penrith player that played in grand finals and said ‘did you hear what James Fisher-Harris said?’. If someone got offended by that I’d be stunned. James FisherHarr­is after 30 beers and no sleep has every right to say that.”

 ?? ?? James Fisher-Harris (left) addresses the Panthers fans.
James Fisher-Harris (left) addresses the Panthers fans.

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