James Maloney is adamant Penrith’s litter of cubs can overcome their inexperience with exuberance and take the club to the NRL finals.

Maloney will make a return for Friday’s pivotal clash with Brisbane after last week serving his one-game ban for tripping.

He replaces teenager Matt Burton, however, 18-year-old pair Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu are likely to be retained for the Suncorp Stadium clash.

Maloney admits he was initially shocked at how, with three debutants in tow, the Panthers were able to stun a vastly-experienced Cronulla teamon Friday.

“A little bit surprised. The hardest thing is we’ve used, especially on the weekend, so many together,” Maloney said on Monday.

“Ideally you’d love to be able to trickle through a couple at a time but Ivan said we had seven blokes out there in their rookie year, and six of them starting.”

Even without Burton, the inclusion of Crichton and Leniu means the Panthers are set to field six rookies for the crucial encounter against the Broncos.

Penrith are precariously placed in seventh spot on 22 points, one point ahead of Brisbane and two clear of Cronulla and the Wests Tigers.

It means any slip-up could prove fatal in the race for the finals, however, Maloney has every confidence in the club’s continual supply of young talent.

“There’s no reason they can’t (do the job),” he said.

“We’ve got a really good squad here; they did a really good job there (last week).

“The one thing the young guys bring, they bring a lot of energy.

“Even if a few things aren’t perfect and technically correct, you can cover it up with energy and working for each other.

“That’s where we need to be.”

Suncorp Stadium will act as the ideal litmus test with the Broncos averaging crowds of almost 30,000 a game this season.

The venue has proven to be a graveyard for the Panthers, who have won just one of their past eight games there dating back to 2011.

“Obviously they get a good crowd there. That’s what you want to play in front of, a really good atmosphere,” Maloney said.

“It’s a really good surface, and Broncos normally play really well up there.

“It becomes a really good challenge.

“I’ve had a little bit of success up there, and been on the end of a few hidings as well at different times.”