Wests Brisbane under 13 boys feature on Today
The West Brisbane Panthers under 13 Division 2 side have capped off a memorable weekend with their first victory of the season, just hours after receiving a special gift from the Queensland Maroons and a huge national shout-out on the Today Show.
The team, who had fought hard all year without tasting success, appeared live on Sunday’s Today Show, with coach Max Giaroli and player Buddy Lander joining hosts Clint Stanaway and Alison Piotrowski to share their story and inspire rugby league fans across the country.
While the scoreboard hadn’t been in their favour across 10 straight losses, the Panthers were determined to stay positive and keep improving each week.
“The boys show up week in, week out at training,” Giaroli said.
“They’re always positive, they’re always having fun, and they’ve shown incredible resilience throughout the season.”
For Buddy, the motivation has been simple…enjoying the game and sticking together.
“Even with a loss, we just come back trying to improve every day, every week, every training. We just like to have fun, play together, and enjoy ourselves,” said Buddy, whose father Keiron Lander led the Ipswich Jets to the 2015 premiership.
In a moment that lifted spirits even higher, the Today Show team surprised the Panthers with a signed 2025 Queensland Maroons jersey for their clubhouse, courtesy of the QRL.
“I’m putting this up in my bedroom,” Lander laughed as he held up the jersey.
The national TV spotlight and show of support clearly did the trick. Inspired and fired up, the team headed into their final home game of the season and produced their best performance yet, pouring on the points, 56-6.
It was a fitting reward for a group that had never stopped believing.
The jersey will now take pride of place at the Panthers clubhouse, serving as a reminder of what’s possible when a team sticks together.
