Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin says he believes the injuries that saw the club lose Peta Hiku and Dan Whare in 2016 will benefit the club in the upcoming NRL season.

The Kiwi internationals both suffered ACL injuries but in their absence, Indigenous All Star Tyrone Peachey (pictured) and Waqa Blake established themselves as genuine stars of the game.

With Kangaroos star Josh Mansour expected to miss the entire season after being injured on the Kangaroos tour, Griffin says the club will definitely benefit from the experience gained by Blake and Peachey in the injured players absence.