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Luke Sommerton will make just his third NRL appearance on Friday night when he lines up at hooker for the Penrith Panthers.

With regular dummy-half Mitch Kenny serving a ban after breaching the league’s code of conduct with an Instagram post, Sommerton has been given the nod for the match against the Melbourne Storm.

Soni Luke – who can also play at hooker – is currently listed in the reserve spots.

There were reports in the offseason that Sommerton had signed a new deal with Penrith, but as it stands, he is not officially part of the club’s top 30 squad.

He is expected to earn a contract upgrade in the near future as the Panthers continue life without Api

Sommerton made his NRL debut for Penrith in Round 24 last year, becoming the club’s 617th first grade player.

He has progressed through the lower grades over the past few years at the foot of the Mountains and is reaping the rewards.

The 23-year-old played SG Ball for the Roosters, before toiling away in Ron Massey Cup for St Mary’s for a number of years before pushing his way into NSW Cup for the Panthers.