It has been just over 30 years since someone in the Geyer household was able to pull on a Penrith jersey in a Grand Final but that hasn’t stopped Mavrik asking plenty of questions of dad and True Blues legend Mark Geyer.
“He just told me to keep it cool on the weekend and do my thing,” 21-year-old Mavrik said ahead of the Panthers meeting the Newcastle Knights in Sunday’s NSWRL Jersey Flegg Cup Grand Final.
“He said, ‘Make players want to play with you’ and keep it simple.”
Mavrik is doing just that – following in his father’s footsteps as a front-rower who gains plenty of metres with each run, breaks quite a few tackles, is a good support player and has an off-load.
With the two-year upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mavrik has waited patiently for the chance to play in a decider.
“The past two years have been COVID-dominated so I’m at that sort of age where finals have been so disrupted,” he said.
“This is my first grand final and I’m so excited.”
Hence why he wanted to ask his 1990-1991 NRL Grand Final playing-dad what it’s all about.
Mavrik Geyer receives advice from his old man ahead of Grand Final
“The way I feel is the way he felt and Dad played Origin and stuff where the pressure and nerves must have gone through the roof too,” Mavrik said.
“I just can’t wait.”
Neither can the Knights. They finished in second spot on the Jersey Flegg ladder with 15 wins from 22 games and they have the added bonus of having played the Panthers three times already – twice in the regular season and in first week of the NSWRL finals – for three wins.
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“Winning three times before means nothing now,” Knights back-rower and goalkicker Tom Cant said.
“It all comes down to this weekend – this is the one that matters, not the other three games.
“Back end of the season we’ve kept the same squad so combinations are working well – halves, edges, middles.
“It’s been good to have some consistency.”
His shots at goal to convert tries and penalties have been impressive – 52 goals since he took over the kicking in Round Six, and a 100 per cent strike rate in eight of those 17 games.
He gladly takes on the pressure and responsibility of those much-needed two-pointers, which can make or break a premiership run.
“A hundred per cent, I love having the role and I’m confident in my kicking,” Cant said.
Tom Cant is pumped to take out Grand Final win on Sunday
“But I’m definitely not your field goal guy. It will be our halves or (Fletcher) Sharpe at the back.”
Sharpe at fullback is one of the Knights strike weapons along with centres Krystian Mapapalangi and James Johnson.
“We’ve got a great back five, who give us good go-forward to start our sets,” Cant said.
“It’s made even stronger having ‘Maps’ back from the NRL.
“We’ve got a very tough pack of forwards and I feel very safe and confident that they’ve got my back.”
Panthers also have a trump card in lock and captain Hohepa Puru returning after a one-game suspension served in the Preliminary Final, where Penrith downed Minor Premiers, the Sydney Roosters.
“He’s a great leader and it’s been mad to play with him – he’s so fit and just goes all day,” Geyer said.
The Panthers success is often attributed to the players coming through the grades together.
“I’ve played with (prop) Brad Fearnely for most of my juniors – Harold Matts, SG Ball, Flegg,’ Geyer said.
“We’re good mates so I love playing with him, and also with ‘Pep’ (Puru) my captain and Ryley Smith our hooker.
Road to the Jersey Flegg Cup Grand Final | Newcastle Knights
“In fact everyone in the forward pack works hard for each other.”
Geyer is also a big fan of Panthers goalkicker – Puru’s brother Niwhai Puru, who has been practising with the NRL kickers.
“He did a pre-season with Nathan Cleary and Stephen Crichton so learnt a heap off them too,” he said. “He’s a cool, calm, collected figure like them and any kick he does, he’ll nail.”
