Except this time they will do so as the defending premiers.

The pressure of playing as a curtain-raiser for an NRL clash is intense but doing so as the team with the target on your back ramps up the difficulty.

That's not to mention the Panthers will be facing the Blayney Bears this Saturday night minus player-coach Doug Hewitt who is expected to miss three matches with a knee injury.

However, Panthers' new recruits have been committed throughout the pre-season according Hewitt and he's excited to see how they fare.

He would have joined them on the park if not for his knee injury, brought about from a horse's kick during Gold Tiara heats.

"The knee was feeling good and then just the other day I had some trouble with it. I went to get scans and I've done another tear through my medial meniscus and unfortunately I can't play on it," Hewitt said.

"Max [Gay], from out Boorowa way, has impressed us in the first couple of trials. He'll be playing at lock for us.

"There's a couple of blokes from out west [Louis Murphy and Kevin Murray] who have been impressive out wide and they're very exciting players - fast and fit. We've got a bit of depth all around the team at the moment, which is handy."

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Very handy indeed when your starting halfback is out.

Trent Hotham played plenty of first grade last season and he's ready again to fill the spot left by Hewitt alongside five-eighth Willie Wright.

The Bears are desperate to make a mark in premier league having won just two matches in as many seasons.

Hewitt said those previous results count for little to nothing in the face of a new year.

"They've got a whole new playing list as well so you can never be too sure what you're going to get," he said.

"You can't take any game lightly, especially in front of a big crowd. Last year pretty much doesn't matter know. All it does is make us a bit more of a target, but every other team's got their shot now.

"Last year we blooded a lot of younger blokes and that's played into our hands because they've all got the feel for it and are ready to go. Those junior blokes coming through are loving it."

Seven of the starting Panthers team were part of the grand final's run-on 13.

Kick off is 5pm.