THE Penrith Panthers have an added incentive to turn Sportingbet Stadium into a ground that other teams fear.
The last time the Panthers had a winning record at home they made the finals.
The year was 2010 and the Panthers won nine out of their 12 home games on their way to a second place finish.
Over the past three years they have only won 16 out of their 36 games at home.
New recruit Jamie Soward said the players have talked about turning Sportingbet Stadium into a fortress for other teams.
"Making your home ground a hard place to win for opposition teams is definitely a priority for us," Soward said. "If you can win the majority of your games at home, it is a good start to making the top eight."
The Panthers have a perfect record at home in 2014.
In round one, they outlasted the Knights in the heat 30-8. In round two, Matt Moylan held his nerve to snatch a 18-16 win against the Bulldogs.
Their 100 per cent record goes on the line on Saturday night against the Canberra Raiders.
The Panthers have beaten the Raiders four of the last five times they have visited the foot of the mountains, at an average margin of 22.
"The Panthers' fans have been great and I always enjoy playing at home and getting a lift from the crowd," Soward said.
Skipper Kevin Kingston said his team members are looking forward to three straight home games.
"We can't wait to get back at home and play in front of the home fans," he said.
"We talked about it all pre-season, we wanted to play well in front of our home fans and it is a great opportunity to put last week's loss against Parramatta behind us with a good win."
Centre Dean Whare summed up the Panthers sentiments perfectly: "We haven't lost a game a home yet, so hopefully we can keep it that way."
