Kurt Capewell will be driven by the memory of a last-minute grand final omission when he steps up in Viliame Kikau’s absence and tries to help Penrith qualify for the NRL decider.
Capewell is tipped to return to the Panthers’ starting side for their preliminary final against Parramatta or South Sydney next Saturday, after Kikau was banned at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
A starter in the second row when he arrived at Penrith this year, Capewell had his season ruined by a knee injury in June before only returning off the bench last month.
Next weekend will mark his third grand final qualifier, having appeared for Cronulla in both 2016 and 2018.
But while the Sharks fell a week short two years ago, Capewell watched their 2016 grand final success as 18th man.
After starring as a rookie Mr. Fix It earlier in the finals series for the Sharks, he was left off the bench hours before kick-off when Sam Tagataese was cleared to return from a shoulder injury.
“It would’ve been my fifth first grade game in the grand final if I had of played,” Capewell said.
“But Sam Tagataese was back from the shoulder injury and it was obviously the right decision because they won it.
“100 per cent it was hard to take, but it makes me even hungrier this year.
“Hopefully I’m in this one.”
One of Penrith’s best in the first two rounds after the NRL’s restart, Capewell returned in round 17 from the bench with Liam Martin having taken his starting second-row spot.
He played a full 80 minutes against Canterbury in the last round when Kikau was rested, but was only needed for 19 minutes against the Sydney Roosters on Friday.
But he was confident he was getting back to full match fitness, and would be ready to step up again in Kikau’s absence if called upon by coach Ivan Cleary.
“I’m slowly getting back, it obviously takes a bit of work with training during the week,” Capewell said after last week’s qualifying final win.
“We’ve got two weeks now so I’ll get a bit of work down during the week as well.
“I’ll just do whatever Ivan wants me to do.
“We’ve got plenty of blokes who are more than capable to slip into any position. We’re in a really good position at the moment as a club.”
