Panthers forward Luke Garner is determined to use his side's finals bye as an opportunity to further his quest to finish the year with two rings as he chases an NRL premiership and plans a wedding.
Penrith booked a week off with a dominant 30-10 victory over the Roosters last Friday night, progressing straight through to next week's preliminary final.
There they will host the winner of this weekend's clash between Cronulla and North Queensland as they seek a fifth-straight grand final.
With no game this week and a bit of extra time on their hands, Garner will use the opportunity to complete some university assignments and put the finishing touches on his wedding preparations.
Luke Garner Try
The wedding planning has taken a back seat as the forward has focused on Penrith's premiership quest but now with it just weeks away, Garner has his sights on securing two rings in the space of two weeks.
"I'm pretty busy at the moment with uni and trying to finalise my wedding," Garner said. "Every spare moment I get I'm putting into that so it's good to have the week off.
"My partner has done 99.9% of the wedding planning, the 0.1% that I'm doing is stressing me out so I'm just trying to do my best.
"If I could get two rings this year, I'd be very happy."
Luke Garner 2nd Try
Garner has found form in recent weeks after enduring a frustrating battle with hamstring injuries throughout much of the season. Since returning in Round 25, he has scored four tries and provided a dominant presence with ball in hand.
The forward missed 10 games and suffered three separate strains in a struggle that challenged him both mentally and physically.
Garner has not been alone in battling hamstring injuries with teammates Nathan Cleary and Scott Sorensen also spending time on the sidelines throughout the year.
Luke Garner Try
It was Sorensen's own struggles that saw Garner promoted to the starting side for last week's final and the 29-year-old made the most of it, crossing for a double in the commanding win.
While disappointed to see his teammate miss a final, Garner said the players have supported each other to overcome their injury battles.
"We all bounce off each other and help each other where we can," he said. "We're all around a similar age, we've played a similar number of games and we help each other when we can.
"We've all got love for each other and we try and do what's best for the team. We're always picking up each other whenever we're down and helping out when we can."
Luke Garner gets a double
Garner is in his second season at the Panthers, having joined the club from the Wests Tigers at the start of 2023.
A hard-working edge forward who flies under the radar in a star-studded side, the 29-year-old is contracted through to the end of 2026 and likely to play a big role in leading the team forward amid the looming off-season departure of a host of players.
Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris headline a group that also includes Sunia Turuva and Isaiah Iongi.
While disappointed to see their teammates move on, the situation has provided added motivation for a side seeking a fourth-straight title.
"We always like sending our players out on a high," Garner said. "If we can do that again for all the boys that are leaving, that would be so special.
"They've been here forever so it would mean the world to us as friends and teammates."
