Penrith players at the centre of Canberra's criticism last year insist they don't set out to provoke the Raiders and it won't change their approach in Sunday's NRL grudge match.
The Raiders made no secret of their dislike of the Panthers last April, labelling them arrogant after Stephen Crichton dragged Raiders foward Joe Tapine into a post-try celebration from over the sideline.
Crichton made clear to AAP this week that there would be no repeat action from him in the first return meeting of the teams, aware it reflected poorly on him.
Penrith officials noted at the time Crichton was not the only target of the fallout.
The club and its players were labelled "mug lairs" by Canberra CEO Don Furner, who claimed Penrith lacked humility while coach Ricky Stuart also expressed anger.
"That's just me always mucking around, I definitely didn't think it was bad as everyone put it," Crichton told AAP of the Tapine incident.
"I didn't mean to do it as an arrogant way
"I think everyone is just trying to find a way to kick us boys down. Especially because we're succeeding so much.
"Any little thing, (they jump on).
"And I guess it was my fault, I put it on myself by doing something stupid like that."
Not that Crichton was fussed, or had any interest in the subsequent comments.
"I try not to listen to what the haters out there say," he said.
"They try to put us down. I just try to play my own game, and if that's the way I play, that's the way I play."
Tapine played down the matter this week, saying his frustration was long gone.
But the incident was only the most recent in a line of issues between the clubs.
AAP has been told ill-feeling was sparked when Penrith's Jarome Luai ran into a melee between the two teams in 2019 and took John Bateman high.
That's the matter it's believed Furner referred to in his criticism of the club last April, when he accused the five-eighth of regularly being a third-man in.
Luai says he does not remember that incident, which came in Penrith's last loss at Bluebet Stadium way back in July 2019.
And nor does he believe the Panthers make a point of aggravating the Raiders.
"We don't plan to (get under their skin), it's just the heat of the battle," Luai said.
"There's a lot of alphas in their team, but I think we have built a pretty big fortress here in Penrith so we'll be coming to win.
"That (claims of arrogance) is outside noise, that's their opinions. Footy is a tough sport, when you're playing, you're playing to win.
"(Brisbane lock) Kobe (Hetherington) pulled my hair (last Friday night), and that's in the heat of the game. I didn't care afterwards."
