Panthers ready to fight after stalemate with Parramatta Eels

PENRITH Panthers players showed there will be plenty of fight this season after a draw with the Parramatta Eels in the annual Battle of the West.

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PENRITH Panthers players showed there will be plenty of fight in them this season after a 10-10 draw with the Parramatta Eels in the annual Battle of the West trial on Saturday.

Played in wet conditions at Centrebet Stadium, a late try to David Simmons squared the game up, with Wes Naiqama missing the conversion.

But it was a scuffle between props Tim Grant and Tim Mannah on the 60 minute mark which brought the game alive.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitted his team lacked fluency but did well in the wet conditions.

"It was a pretty slow old game, obviously the weather didn't help'," Cleary said.

"I thought the play-the-ball was very slow, you could see the referees getting a bit frustrated in the second half.

"We just struggled to get any kind of fluency or momentum in attack, and they were probably the same."

The result completed an undefeated pre-season for the Panthers. Penrith play Canberra in the season opener at Centrebet Stadium on March 10.