Mitch Kenny will be suspended for the first game of Penrith’s premiership defence after the NRL finalised its investigation into his Boxing Day social media post.
Kenny was handed a breach notice by the NRL earlier this month after posting to his Instagram story on Dec. 27 that a “couple of Boxing Day lines have got me in troubleeee (sic)”.
The dual premiership-winning hooker promptly deleted the post and uploaded a second image that read “Happy New Year guys. Enjoy and ignore trolls who grabbed my phone.”
The NRL is expected to confirm Kenny’s sanction later this week but AAP has been told he will not be available for next Friday’s (March 8) round-one clash against perennial heavyweights Melbourne.
Soni Luke, Penrith’s back-up hooker last season, is the likeliest candidate to start against the Storm, with rookie Luke Sommerton another option.
Luke played 20 games for the Panthers last season, all from the bench, while Sommerton made his NRL debut late in the year and finished the campaign with two appearances to his name.
Kenny could also receive a monetary penalty from the NRL, which handed North Queensland centre Valentine Holmes both a $25,000 fine and one-game ban for a similar-type post made in September.
In Holmes’s post, he held a small bag containing a white powder in his mouth. The 2016 premiership winner later apologised for it.
Kenny will return for the Panthers’ round-two clash against traditional rivals Parramatta.
