NRL 2021: Penrith Panthers win 38-12 over Sydney Roosters | Match Report
The Panthers got back to their winning ways, but they had a helping hand thanks to a bunker call that even the NRL’s own MRC doesn’t agree with.
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The NRL’s head and neck crackdown was placed firmly in the spotlight on Friday night in Penrith’s commanding 38-12 win over the Roosters at Bluebet Stadium.
Roosters enforcer Siosiua Taukeiaho was sin-binned in the 22nd minute for hitting Penrith and Blues halfback Nathan Cleary in the head.
There is no doubt the contact was forceful from the Tricolours forward, but Cleary slipped into Taukeiaho’s shoulder.
Not even a rain soaked Bluebet Stadium wasn’t enough of a “mitigating factor” for referee Ashley Klein.
The call from Klein raised eyebrows both in the commentary box and among fans.
“There was no mitigating factor, It was high so I’m not going to argue about it,” Klein told Roosters captain James Tedesco.
The NRL Match Review Committee appeared to see the incident in a different light, with Taukeiaho’s tackle graded at the lowest range possible - Grade 1 Careless - meaning the Rooster will escape with just a fine.
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Tedesco objected, went one further and suggested to Klein that if Cleary had immediately played the ball Taukeiaho would still be on the field.
The captain was right to protest.
The contentious sin bin saw the Panthers pile on 14 points against an undermanned Roosters outfit to take the lead for the first time.
It turned the match, Penrith found another gear and Trent Robinson’s men were unable to contain Penrith’s attacking surge.
The Roosters coach was left scratching his after the decision and issued the NRL with a ‘please explain’.
“We went from dominating the ball to not having it all,” Robinson said.
“Where was Taukeiaho supposed to go? Is he supposed to jump out of the way? I’m interested in what he was supposed to do.
“Look, Ashley was fine with it then the Bunker decided to jump in again. We’ve got back to two referees on the field again. Ashley knew, he looked at the reply and said ‘no, you have to send him off’.
“Physically what did you want Taukeiaho to do, what movement would you have liked him to do there.
“I think the NRL needs to explain what happens in those instances. What do they want them to do?
“The clear direction is you have to avoid contact at all times with the head … everybody saw he was slipping and slipping a lot, Siosiua’s arm was right down by his side and he was going to make a tackle … he [Cleary] slips on a wet night.”
TRBOJEVIC INJURY MEANS FREDDY CAN FIT CRICHTON AND MARTIN INTO BLUES
Cleary was the one clobbered in the head last night but it was NSW coach Brad Fittler that left Bluebet Stadium with a headache.
Fittler was supposed to be keeping an eye over proceeding between Penrith and the Sydney Roosters to assess the battle of backrowers Liam Martin and Angus Crichton but Brad Fittler was left with a bigger headache after revealing Manly forward Jake Trbojevic would miss Origin 2.
While Martin did no harm to his chances of retaining his spot in the Blues side with a strong performance, Fittler is now searching for a starting prop after Trbojevic picked up a hip
pointer injury on Friday morning.
“I heard the news this morning that Jake Trbojevic won’t be available for State of Origin. He got an injury at training,” Fittler said.
“One of the hard conversations was speaking to Jake Trbojevic after getting an injury.
“It was just a hip pointer or hip problem. He will be available for the next game so he won’t be out for too long.
“There are a few playing the weekend but Angus did a terrific job for us last year. He’s also played a lot of middle too, so that versatility helps.”
Before Trboejvic’s omission from game two, Fittler was facing a selection headache between Crichton and Martin. Now it appears Crichton will be a straight swap for the reliable Sea Eagles forward. But Fittler could also consider the likes of Dale Finucane Nathan Brown Reagan Campbell Gillard.
MATCH REPORT: They’re back! Panthers snap losing streak in dominant display
—Matt Encarnacion
Nathan Cleary, who has arguably been the best player in the league for the past 18 months, delivered arguably the game of his life on Friday night.
And imagine if he had full use of both eyes.
Still sporting a bloodshot right eye from his heroic State of Origin effort in game one, Cleary made his return to action with another masterful display in a 38-12 romp over the Sydney Roosters.
Cleary even gave the Roosters a 12-point start on Friday night, but that wasn’t nearly enough as Penrith reeled off an unanswered six tries to cruise to victory.
Most of them came after Roosters prop Sio Siua Taukeiaho was dubiously sin-binned in the first half, allowing the Panthers to roar back into the contest with 14 points in his absence.
The resounding triumph, played in front of a crowd of 14,406 at BlueBet Stadium, emphatically snaps a two-game losing streak played without their seven-man Origin contingent.
But a fully fit, fully in-form Penrith side went back to having fun again.
And it was Cleary, who led the Dally M leaderboard by four points on 21 when voting went behind closed doors after round 12, who again proved why he’s the hottest player in the game.
The Panthers co-captain set up two tries, scored one himself, nailed seven from eight looks on goal, and added a successful refereeing challenge later in the match.
“Definitely in terms of confidence, (it is the) highest in his career,” coach and dad Ivan said.
“He’s at that stage where he’s seeing the game clearer and he looked good all week. He was pumped. I was pretty confident he was going to play well.”
Penrith winger and Blues teammate Brian To’o pitched in with two tries and a lazy game-high 199 metres to go with seven tackle breaks and two line breaks.
The heavens opened early and so did the Panthers, who turned the ball over with their first touch when Dylan Edwards spilt his lollies on a kick return.
Rising star Joseph Suaalii soared to tap back for Fletcher Baker to claim first points, and before the home side knew it, they were down two tries when Adam Keighran strolled over soon after.
Penrith finally found their footing when Crichton seized on an audacious play-two Cleary grubber.
GAME-CHANGER
But the game turned on Taukeiaho’s marching orders in the 23rd minute, when he collected a Cleary in the head with the top of his arm as he was slipping to the ground.
They drew level on a left-side shift for To’o’s first soon after, went ahead on a Cleary penalty goal, before To’o banked his second on a salivating round-the-corner ball from Matt Burton.
Their end to the half was flawless, with Cleary and Jarome Luai starving the Roosters of possession for the final ten minutes before the break with six line dropouts combined.
Cleary capped off the half with a penalty goal for a 10-point halftime lead.
The second period fizzled out, with a stunned Roosters barely given a sniff by a clinical Panthers machine that cantered to the finish with tries to Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Charlie Staines.
The defeat for the Roosters, who were brave without eight of their top-line players, caps off an emotional week that included the immediate retirement of captain Boyd Cordner.
Firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was the best in a beaten bunch, making over 120 metres during their dominant opening before finishing with a team-high 146 metres.
BLUES BATTLE
Much of the intrigue heading into the contest was the battle between Blues rookie Liam Martin and Angus Crichton, the latter of whom would’ve been a certain pick for game one if not for suspension.
There was a sense the pair were battling for one spot, however revelations of Jake Trbojevic’s hip injury means Brad Fittler is likely to have room for both when he names his squad on Sunday.
Next stop for Cleary is Suncorp Stadium on Sunday week, where he can help seal a series win, and where he’ll enter the clash as well prepared as he can be.
“(His preparation is) better than it’s ever been before. But it’s a big challenge that one up there. I think that one’s going to be totally different to game one,” Ivan said.
“So it’s a good challenge for him.”
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