Seven in a row keeps Penrith’s top-four dream alive
Jasper Bruce |
Penrith’s top-four dream is alive and kicking thanks to a 36-2 belting of Wests Tigers that denied Jarome Luai the chance for revenge against his old firm.
Hours after Penrith’s two biggest rivals for fourth spot suffered shock losses, Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards helped the Panthers into fifth place on the NRL ladder with a seventh-straight win.
Saturday’s victory at CommBank Stadium was the most convincing on that run, with the Panthers seemingly recovering their four-time premiership-winning brand of football at just the right time.
“There were definitely periods of that today, though I reckon we can still get better,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.
To take fourth spot, Penrith will need the Warriors to lose at least twice on the run home but nothing appears off the table after that side’s loss to Gold Coast earlier on Saturday.
A top-four spot, and double chance in finals, will have the Panthers’ rivals quivering in their boots given it is their clearest path to a fifth consecutive premiership.
The situation is a far cry from a 1-5 start to the season that had pundits eulogising Penrith’s premiership dynasty.
“I’ll be happy to make the top eight, really,” said coach Cleary.
“I’m very proud of the boys, the whole club really, the way we’ve just sort of hung in there and essentially just trusted what we do.
“It’s funny how things fall your way a little bit when you’re winning and it’s probably the opposite when you’re not. We can reflect more on that later on.”
The Tigers were already highly unlikely to play finals football in 2025 but the loss makes their top-eight dream almost impossible.
Former favourite son Luai came within a whisker of bragging rights in the sides’ round-14 clash but Penrith had effectively ended the rematch by half-time with three tries in 15 minutes.
The Tigers hung in the fight with some gallant defence in the opening 20 minutes but fell behind after Isaah Yeo put Lindsay Smith in for first points.
Fullback Sunia Turuva (266 metres) worked hard but Tigers halfback Latu Fainu was benched in the second half as the visitors searched fruitlessly for points.
“I thought we got taught a lesson on game management, field position, kicking game and choking – we got strangled to death by them tonight,” said Tigers coach Benji Marshall.
“They were outstanding.”
After Smith’s try, a Jeral Skelton knock-on gave the Panthers a chance to attack the line again and Edwards found teenager Casey McLean on the short side.
Edwards was superb with 322 metres and made it a three-score game with an 80-metre team try in the shadows of half-time.
Cleary shifted left and McLean stretched a hand back inside to his halfback, who had fullback Edwards in support.
One of the NRL’s most reserved characters, Edwards celebrated his try with uncharacteristic flamboyance, cartwheeling twice as a nod to his young daughters.
“My two girls are doing cartwheels all the time and I just said, I’ll do a couple of cartwheels if I get over,” he told AAP.
On return from a wrist injury, Liam Martin put the result beyond doubt with a try in the final 15 minutes before a winding Cleary kick sat up for Izack Tago to touch the ball down.
Halfback Cleary kicked a perfect six from six goals on his first night taking the kicking tee since suffering a groin injury in mid-June.
AAP
