NRL Round 21: Penrith Panthers win 36-2 over Wests Tigers

Eight weeks ago they were coming last on the ladder and many thought the Panthers dynasty was over. Now they’re closing in on the NRL’s top four, beating the Tigers to secure a seventh straight win.

For the first time this year the Panthers are expected to be full strength next weekend when they play the Titans.

Just the thought of that should be a scary proposition for the rest of the competition as the four-time defending premiers start their march towards a fifth title.

Eight rounds ago they were last on the ladder with many pundits predicting their dynasty was over. It isn’t quite done with yet as the Panthers inched towards a top four finish with a seventh straight win after beating the Tigers 36-2 on Saturday night.

The Warriors shock loss to the Titans now has the Panthers believing that they could again finish inside the top four as they sit three points behind New Zealand.

They almost had their full roster available on Saturday night with Kiwi international Scott Sorensen the only player missing. With Sorensen due back to play Gold Coast and the rest of the 17 who played the Tigers coming through unscathed it will be a season-first luxury for Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.

The Panthers have now won seven in a row and their bid for a fifth straight premiership is back on track. Picture: Getty Images

While the Tigers were gallant in the first half they started to lose their way with Penrith’s bench doing a real job on their counterparts.

Liam Martin made his comeback from a hand injury that he suffered in Origin III and started off the interchange. Martin along with fellow forwards Liam Henry and the ever-impressive Luron Patea had a huge impact on the game.

The Panthers will fancy their chances against the Titans and Newcastle before a tougher period where they play Melbourne, Canberra and Canterbury before finishing the season against the Dragons.

Dylan Edwards does a cartwheel after scoring a try. Picture: Getty Images

PANTHERS CLOSE IN ON TOP FOUR AFTER TIGERS THUMPING

—Martin Gabor

While the latest Marvel offering didn’t quite hit the heights we were all hoping for, the Panthers are on track to enter the NRL’s fantastic top four and duly celebrated their thumping win over the Wests Tigers with a couple of uncharacteristic cartwheels.

The four-time defending premiers are now just three points behind the Warriors following their shock loss across the ditch, with Penrith leapfrogging the Broncos into fifth spot with a dominant 36-2 win at home.

The Panthers have now won seven in a row and are breathing down the necks of the all-important top four after they were languishing in last spot only two months ago.

“I’d be happy to make the top eight,” Ivan Cleary said.

“The ladder is getting closer to becoming important, but right now it’s about one step in front of the other and improving each week.

“We can still get better, and that’s what we’re really trying to do. We’ve got the team back together after a couple of months where we weren’t. We’ve got some confidence back and I feel like our best footy in all phases is in front of us.”

The defensive resolve that was the foundation of their grand final success is well and truly back, with Penrith likely to continue their winning ways with matches against bottom-four sides on the horizon.

It took them 23 minutes to crack the Tigers through Lindsay Smith, but they couldn’t be stopped after that with Dylan Edwards backing up a Nathan Cleary break on the stroke of half-time and celebrating by doing cartwheels in the in-goal.

PERFECT GAME

He was spotted bowling strikes earlier in the week, but all Panthers fans care about is seeing Cleary back kicking goals.

The champion halfback hasn’t kicked goals for Penrith since the round 14 win over the Tigers due to a groin injury but you wouldn’t have known as he nailed all six of his attempts to go with three try assists.

“I thought that if I’m practising them (shots at goal), then why not kick them in the game,” Cleary said.

“I had a little bit of a kick last week when I had the week off and didn’t play, and then then groin was feeling really good.

Everything Cleary touched turned to gold with his corkscrew grubber bamboozling the defence for Izack Tago to score even though replays showed what appeared to be separation as he tried to ground it.

Liam Martin also returned from the wrist injury he suffered in the Origin decider, with the back-rower charging onto a Cleary short ball to score in an ominous sign for the rest of the NRL.

Tigers coach Benji Marshall will be disappointed in side’s poor attack. Picture: Getty Images

TOOTHLESS TIGERS

The Tigers aren’t the first team to have been strangled out of the contest by Penrith, but Benji Marshall will be disappointed with his side’s inability to conjure anything in attack.

Taylan May was held up early and Starford Toa scooped up a loose ball, but he had no support on a night they failed to register a single line break.

Their only points came from a penalty goal to open the scoring, with halfback Latu Fainu only running once before he was taken off as Sunia Turuva carted it up 25 times from the back.

They don’t have the squad to match it with Penrith’s grinding tactics which is why fans will be hoping they return to the free-flowing footy that works so well for them.

Last week’s win over the Titans gave them some breathing space in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon, but Gold Coast’s win across the ditch means the Tigers are just two points clear of bottom spot.

“The thing with Penrith is they don’t beat themselves, and we actually wanted to play the way that they play, and we did it for 20 minutes,” Marshall said.

“I thought we got taught a lesson on game management, field positon, kicking game and choking because we got strangled to death by them.

“The thing with Latu is it’s not just a short-term thing. It’s a long-term development of learning and understanding the position, and he’s done a great job of it.

“It was through no fault of his own tonight that I made the decision. I just wanted to create something because we were going nowhere.”

Originally published as NRL Round 21: Penrith Panthers win 36-2 over Wests Tigers