NRL 2020: Penrith v Canberra, Newcastle v Wests Tigers, Storm v Canterbury Bulldogs
One of the most complete first-half performances in recent NRL history paved the way for the impressive Panthers to blow the Raiders off the park and make quite a premiership statement.
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It has been 17 years since the Panthers last recorded eight consecutive wins.
They went on to win the 2003 grand final – setting a club record winning streak in the process.
The current crop of Panthers will have a chance of bettering the record when they play the Warriors on Friday night after producing one of the most complete first half performances in recent memory to blow the Raiders off the park, racing away to win 28-12.
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It was a statement from a team which didn’t need to prove anything even if their second half produced just two penalty goals.
The 2003 Panthers started their streak in round six. As have the Ivan Cleary-coached Panthers.
Cleary said his team deserve praise.
“I’m happy for the team to get some credit,” Cleary said.
“We are just enjoying each week. Enjoying our training and being around each other. It wasn’t perfect but very happy.”
Penrith had a 24-0 lead at half-time but it wasn’t just flashy brilliance.
It was the defensive work of unsung heroes such as Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo which laid the platform.
Penrith didn’t touch the ball for the opening seven minutes but turned last year’s grand finalists away with ease.
And when they touched the ball the combination of Nathan Cleary and Api Koroisau is proving unstoppable. Their speedy outside back take advantage of the space their inside men provide.
None highlighted better by a bullet Tyrone May pass to Brent Naden who tip-toed the sideline to score out-reached in the final play of the opening half.
Canberra could be out of the top four by the end of the weekend if Cronulla shock Parramatta on Sunday.
CLEARY’S COMMENT
Despite being happy with his team’s performance, Ivan Cleary wasn’t sharing the same love for the match officials.
Canberra’s first try to Nicoll-Klokstad was controversial with the bunker not overruling the live decision despite replays not showing the ball hitting the try-line. While a successful review by the Raiders also irritated Cleary whose team had dragged Jordan Rapana into touch.
“It felt like they were being managed back into the game,” Cleary said.
“Some really strange calls. It gave us the opportunity to continue through the 80 minutes which we had to. It will serve us well down the track.
“A sign of maturity and confidence. Things are going to go against us.”
HOLDING STRONG
Canberra did everything but score in the opening exchanges.
Penrith didn’t touch the ball for the first seven minutes after the Raiders controlled the ball.
Jack Wighton kicked a 40/20 in the first set of the game, before the Raiders received two line drop-outs, a set restart and a penalty before the Panthers received a possession.
The Panthers dropped the ball with their first set via Kikau.
But Kikau redeemed himself with the opening try in the 11th minute after Cleary exposed a poor defensive read by John Bateman.
Coach Ricky Stuart said poor defensive reads cost his side.
“You’re going to keep giving good field possession by not executing your defence correctly,” Stuart said.
“My mood was ok at half-time. I spoke about what the situation was. No good going in there off my head.
“I never doubt our character. I’m disappointed how the first 25 minutes panned out. We are better than that.”
Ponga stars as Knights humiliate Tigers
Kalyn Ponga produced a masterclass performance while Blake Green’s arrival at Newcastle inspired the Knights to a 44-4 win against the Wests Tigers at McDonald Jones Stadium.
A week after wearing Warriors colours, Green had a hand in two early tries to lead his new side to a much-needed victory – his second win against the Tigers in the space of nine days.
Playing for his seventh NRL club, the veteran five-eighth is now combining with Mitchell Pearce and Ponga in a bid to lead the Knights back to the finals for the first time in seven years.
It took him just 10 minutes to have an immediate impact as he assisted Ponga for the opening try of the game.
“It’s going to take a little while to find the best balance for the team … I am going to support Mitch (Pearce) and Kalyn (Ponga) as much as I can,” Green said.
“I’m probably going to play a different role (for Newcastle). The three years I had at the Warriors, I played on the ball a bit.
“It’s not what I had planned. Things have panned out differently than I expected. Each club I’ve gone to, I’ve gone there for a purpose and they’ve bought me for a reason. I like to think I’ve played my role pretty well. This one (at Newcastle) is just for the rest of the season and obviously there are only eight rounds to go. I’ll just do the best I can to support this footy team.”
PONGA STARS
Ponga was at his brilliant best as he scored two tries in a stunning performance on Saturday night.
The crafty Newcastle fullback was electrifying with ball in hand as he ran for 194 metres and recorded three line-breaks and six tackle-breaks.
As well as scoring a brace, he assisted tries for Starford To’a and Gehamat Shibasaki, as well as having a hand in Hymel Hunt’s first half four-pointer.
“All week we spoke about getting off to a good start. I thought Blake (Green), Mitchell (Pearce) and Kalyn (Ponga) all set a good platform for us,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.
“They looked really neat and tidy out there and I thought Kalyn was outstanding.”
SLUMPING TIGERS
With their season on the line, the Wests Tigers produced one of their worst performances of the season.
With club legends Benji Marshall and Chris Lawrence celebrating 250 NRL games, the Tigers players would’ve been embarrassed by the effort they dished out on Saturday night.
Marshall and Lawrence led their side out onto the field to a standing ovation, but it was an unhappy night for the next 80 minutes.
“It’s always disappointing when you can’t celebrate milestone games with a win … those two have been the fabric of our club” Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire said.
“We played against a team that was better than us. We didn’t give ourselves a chance in the first half and it was a snowball effect. It was not a good night for us.
“We need to get together and look at what we can fix up because our performance was out of character.”
The Tigers also suffered a big blow with utility Billy Walters leaving the field in the second half with a suspected medial ligament injury.
Returning playmaker Luke Brooks, who spent the past three weeks on the bench, struggled to fire his side’s attack and is in danger of being dropped from the starting side again.
The Tigers have now suffered five losses in the past six weeks to slump four points outside the top eight.
With seven rounds remaining, the joint venture will struggle to make the finals however they still have time to make a late charge.
NUMBER NINES
Both sides were missing their regular hookers, but it was Newcastle’s Kurt Mann who won the battle of the makeshift dummy-halves.
The Knights have had a horror season with their hookers, losing Jayden Brailey, Andrew McCullough and Connor Watson to season-long injuries, however Mann showed he is up to the task.
The Knights utility made 31 tackles in an 80-minute performance, as well as assisting Saifiti for a try on the stroke of half-time.
The Tigers looked lost without cult figure Harry Grant, who will miss a month of footy due to a knee injury.
Moses Mbye, who trained at dummy-half throughout the pre-season, wore the number nine on his back but struggled throughout the match.
Tigers club legend Steve Roach even labelled Michael Maguire’s decision to play Mbye at hooker as a “bit dodgy”.
Young gun Jacob Liddle will be a contender for the role next week against the Bulldogs after recovering from a ruptured ACL.
Munster injury blow as Storm take Bulldogs apart
Melbourne’s hopes of repeating their match of the year win over the Roosters have taken a battering with Cameron Munster ruled out of the grudge match after Melbourne mauled the Bulldogs.
In an injury blow that comes just a week after the Storm lost Cameron Smith, Melbourne could be missing more than $2m worth of playmaking talent for their blockbuster against the Roosters after Munster went down during the Storm’s 41-10 win over the Bulldogs.
Munster re-injured the same knee that saw him sidelined earlier this year as the Storm scored six tries to send the Bulldogs crashing to a new low.
“I am probably looking at about two or three weeks,” Munster said.
“It’s the same knee. I feel awkward but that’s football. I am a bit disappointed because we are playing the Roosters next week and I really wanted to test myself.”
The injury and a slow start were the only blight on Melbourne’s day with the Storm running in six tries to put the Bulldogs another step closer to become the worst Canterbury team since 1964.
A DOG OF A DAY
The Bulldogs must win four of their remaining seven games to avoid becoming the club’s worst side in 56 years after being struck down by the Storm on the Sunshine Coast.
On another dark day for the Bulldogs, Melbourne went on a first-half blitz to keep the Bulldogs buried on the bottom of the table with just two wins.
Only two Bulldogs teams have failed to win five games or more since the worst ever Canterbury side recorded just one win in 1964.
Jake Averillo also suffered an injury in a blow that will further toughen the task.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Facing a Storm side with-out Cameron Smith, Dale Finucane and Ryan Papenhuyzen, the Bulldogs missed an early penalty goal when Jake Averillo shanked a shot but troubled Melbourne with a series of probing sets.
And then it all went to hell.
Starting with a 90m intercept try to Josh Addo Carr, the Storm went on a rampage to score three tries in five minutes.
Opening the Bulldogs up at will after Addo Carr went the length, Nico Hynes scored in the 12th minute before Olam joined the party to make it 16-0.
Only the video referee spared the Bulldogs from more pain when the Storm were denied after Olam was ruled to have held a Bulldog back.
The reprieve was short lived.
Kenny Bromwich stormed through Ofahiki Ogden in the 22nd minute to continue the pain.
“We needed to be clinical,” Munster said.
“We knew we needed to start well and we did tonight.”
FRUITLESS FIGHTBACK
Tim Lafai (28th) and Remis Smith (43rd) scored to give the Bulldogs a glimmer of hope – but it was a case of damage done.
Vunivalu finished the Bulldogs off when he pounced on a Josh Jackson error to make it 29-10. Addo Carr scored in the 78th minute to make it a 41-10 mauling.
THE SAVIOUR
The jury is still on Luke Thompson.
While no doubt a solid player, Thompson has so far done nothing to suggest he is the player that can save the Bulldogs.
Touted as the best prop in the world before arriving at Belmore, Thompson has not replicated the feats of his highlight real.
We are yet to see the devastating prop who scored tries and broke the line at will in the Super League.
In fact, heading into the Storm clash, Thompson had not even broken a tackle in the NRL let alone made a line-break.
Thompson is proving to be an NRL quality workhorse with almost 100 running meters per game but the last thing the Bulldogs need is another Aiden Tolman.
MUNSTER MASH
Giving the Storm a scare on an otherwise freight-free day, Munster left the field in the 55th minute clutching at his knee after going down in the second half.
Smith is racing the clock to be fit for next week after missing the clash with a shoulder injury.