“Yeah I was, I’m not going to lie, I was definitely. But then again I didn’t want to have that mindset. I didn’t want to point the finger at him,” Mansour said.

“You do hold a bit of anger for that person because he contributed to the injury. But I didn’t want to think like that at all.”

Mansour starred for the Penrith Panthers last season, but almost left the club for Canberra Raiders. Eventually, the downsides of moving to Canberra proved decisive.

“I just think there’s not much to do in Canberra and the travel as well. In saying that they’re a good club and a proud club,” he said.

“They’ve got so much history, but in the end I just had to make a decision and it was Penrith.” 

Josh Mansour: The Stack Report / Source: 20FOUR.

Mansour’s now hoping for a better season at the Panthers this year, while trying not to succumb to the hype.

“I kind of fell victim to the hype as well, I’m not gonna lie,” he said.

“I was feeling so good about what the season was going to be, but unfortunately wasn’t. I think it did effect us a little bit.

“Being a very young squad the guys would’ve hyped themselves up reading about Penrith this and Penrith that. It’s kind of natural in a way.”