Wigan spies aiming to ruin Panthers world title feat
If the Panthers are to achieve world domination, they'll have to overcome three men who have previously worn the jersey.
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
Penrith will have to bring down three of their own if they are to win their first ever World Club Challenge in Wigan this weekend.
In the Warriors team are three players who learned their skills at the Panthers - and are desperate to bring their old mates down.
And the trio are certain to pass on tips about the NRL champions to Wigan coach Matt Peet in the lead-up to the game.
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Heading the Wigan charge is aggressive forward Kaide Ellis - a Dubbo boy like Issah Yeo - the pair were actually flat-mates for a time!
Ellis was spotted by the Panthers scouts and joined the club along with Yeo, and won an NYC title in 2015 under Cameron Ciraldo and Gus Gould and went on to play nine games for the club in 2018-19.
His development into a top liner in England hasn't surprise Gould.
"Kaide came from Dubbo via our Panthers Western Academy programs and always showed promise as an edge and middle forward," Gould told WWOS.
"He was mobile. A strong ball runner. Reliable defender. There was obviously a lot of competition in those positions at Panthers at the time. Kaide was caught behind a number of quality forwards. He took up an opportunity to move clubs and play NRL level at the Dragons."
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After 18 games and two seasons at the Dragons, Ellis moved to Wigan where he has become one of the most consistent forwards in Super League.
Second in the ex-Panther brigade is Adam Keighran, a Panthers junior who played for the club in 2017 and was named in the centres in the New South Wales Cup team of the year that season.
But, like Ellis, he found too many good players in front of him and has signed with Wigan this year after stints with the Warriors, Roosters and Catalans.
Former St Marys local junior Willie Isa rounds out the former Panthers trio.
A veteran utility who is now 35, Isa played just one top grade game for the Panthers before moving to Melbourne and comes into the game with over 300 NRL and Super League games to his name.
The two teams have met before in the WCC - in 1991 when the Warriors scored a shock 21-4 win on the hallowed turf of Anfield, home of Liverpool FC.
The Panthers admit they took St Helens lightly last year in another major upset but appear motivated to finally add the one trophy that has eluded them to the cabinet on Sunday.
