NRL minor premiership a major achievement for Panthers
George Clarke |
Penrith have pipped the Warriors to the NRL’s minor premiership as the Panthers welcomed back co-captain Isaah Yeo in a 38-10 defeat of Wests Tigers.
In a warning sign to the rest of the competition on the eve of the finals, Yeo barely hit top gear in a 55-minute hit-out at CommBank Stadium after a month-long lay-off with a pectoral injury.
The Panthers also gave Mitch Kenny his first run since April, the hooker churning through close to an hour on his return from a broken foot as Penrith booked a home qualifying final against the Sydney Roosters next Sunday.
“We’re not talking about two average players, not just really good players in our team, but important players and great leaders,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.
Penrith entered Sunday’s game needing to beat the Tigers by two points to leapfrog the Warriors into first spot and claim their fourth minor premiership since the start of their dynasty in 2020.
It took Cleary’s men all of six minutes to hit the front through Brian To’o, and from there they never looked back.
“There’s the big one that everyone wants to win and thinks more about,” Cleary said after his side claimed the JJ Giltinan Shield for winning the minor premiership.
“But it’s still so cool to get a trophy after a long season to be sitting at the top, feels really good.”
To’o’s fellow winger Thomas Jenkins bagged a double to go level with South Sydney’s Alex Johnston as the top try-scorer for the regular season with 30 tries.
Jenkins couldn’t get a run at Newcastle in 2024 and was mercilessly dropped by Cleary heading into last year’s finals series.
“They were special finishes, left hand, right hand, he (Jenkins) is just a finisher and he’s even more than that, he’s really improved his yardage game this year,” Cleary said.
Jenkins’ yardage, ability to break tackles and his freakish finishing ability make him one of the Panthers’ most lethal weapons over the next month.
To’o brushed Jahream Bula aside for Penrith’s opener, before Casey McLean caught the Tigers napping at marker and scooted over on a short-side in the 15th minute.
Jenkins then produced two spectacular finishes in the corner to level with Johnston, and fullback Dylan Edwards weaved his way over to make it 26-0 in the Panthers’ favour at halftime.
The Tigers hooked co-captain Jarome Luai at the break, bringing an end to a relationship that promised to revitalise one of the NRL’s sleeping giants, whose finals drought will stretch into a 16th consecutive season.
Instead, it will end on a sour note after Luai announced midway through this season that he had signed to join the PNG Chiefs in 2028.
The Tigers have won just three of 17 games since Luai signed with the Chiefs, and he will leave for Parramatta next season.
His replacement Latu Fainu gave Benji Marshall’s side an immediate boost after the break as Solomone Saukuru and Jeral Skelton hit back for the Tigers.
But any hint of a comeback was halted by a double from McLean.
Penrith back-rower Isaiah Papali’i was placed on report in the dying stages for a hip-drop tackle on Bula.
AAP