Peter Wallace assures there's a dry sense of humour buried somewhere within Anthony Griffin, which is good when all anyone wanted to ask the Panthers coach about on the eve of his back-to-Brisbane homecoming was the man who made him redundant for a season.

"We should have had Wayne [Bennett] at this press conference," Griffin quipped. "There's a lot of questions about Wayne."

Homecoming: Anthony Griffin and Peter Wallace would enjoy nothing more than to send the Broncos packing from the finals. Credit:AAP

For a man known to preach a hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners coaching style, Griffin's Penrith resurrection – from an early season low point against Bennett's Broncos when they slumped to their fifth straight loss – has been largely glossed over.

But perhaps there will be no coach who will sit back with as much satisfaction at the end of the season if the Panthers can sneak into a preliminary final.