NRL 2021: Penrith Panthers win 20-14 over Sydney Roosters | Match Report

He might not be joining them until 2022, but the Bulldogs will be loving what they’ve seen from Matt Burton, after tearing the Roosters apart.

He’s the trump card who Bulldogs fans hope can lead the revolution next year, but for now, Matt Burton is the ace in the pack who can lead Penrith to grand final glory.

They’ve been struggling for fluency in recent weeks, but the Panthers brushed their injuries aside to remind the rest of the competition that they are still a serious threat after they outclassed the Roosters 20-14 in Brisbane.

You could hear Trent Barrett’s cheers from his hotel room as Burton scored two tries and picked apart the Roosters’ makeshift right edge to keep Penrith in the hunt for the minor premiership.

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Burton gave Bulldogs fans a taste of what he will offer next season. Image: NRL Photos

“I thought our middles were outstanding, and I just played off the back of them,” said Burton, who relished his opportunity in the halves.

He opened the scoring with an 80-metre dash down the sideline that saw him step past James Tedesco like he was trying to keep socially distant.

He added another clean break from dummy-half and then scored a stunning solo try from a close-range scrum to make it 20-6 and had 173 metres as his running game drew comparisons to Brad Fittler.

“It was an important win for us,” Ivan Cleary said.

“Matt was terrific. I think that he’ll admit in the past couple of weeks that he’s been a little quiet.

“I’m happy for him. He’s a great kid.”

RIVALRY RENEWED

The Super Saturday hype reels focused on the Battle of Brookvale anniversary, but we’ll be talking about the Skirmish at Suncorp for a while after a fiery clash that should keep the match review officials busy.

Victor Radley’s rematch with Tevita Pangai Junior was put on ice, but fellow firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves picked up the slack and was sent to the sin bin to cap a frantic four-minute period.

The Roosters enforcer started the game on the bench but came on after 30 minutes, was involved in a messy melee and then found himself off the field after referee Gerard Sutton marched him for a professional foul close to the line.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves rode the pine for ten minutes in the first half. Image: NRL Photos

It was a costly penalty that saw Paul Momirovski score from the following set and was reminiscent of the first meeting between the teams when the game turned on its head when Siosiua Taukeiaho was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Nathan Cleary.

Waerea-Hargreaves – who only played 11 minutes – won’t face the ire of the judiciary, but his teammates face a nervous wait after Angus Crichton (crusher) and Egan Butcher (high tackle) were placed on report, while Penrith’s Kurt Capewell was also cited for a lifting tackle.

“We didn’t execute enough, and we weren’t disciplined enough,” Trent Robinson said.

RETURN OF THE KING

Nathan didn’t play on Saturday, but the Panthers can see Cleary now the pain has gone.

The game’s premier halfback hasn’t played since the second Origin encounter due to a shoulder injury, but he should be back for next Friday’s game against the out of sorts Dragons.

He was named in the squad for Saturday’s match but was given an extra week to recover, and he’ll be the touch of class they need to revive their premiership drive.

CHAMPIONSHIP SPIRIT

Most teams would have folded on the back of Burton’s masterclass, but one thing you can’t fault is the Roosters’ resilience.

With a back-rower and a utility half in the centres, the Tricolours defended stoutly and kept the Panthers in sight before they mounted their charge on the back of a textbook Radley tackle on Momirovski.

Joseph Manu had just scored in the right corner before the possession-changing tackle, and fellow winger Daniel Tupou followed suit moments later to bring the Roosters back within six, but they lacked the polish to land the killer blow.

“It felt like we were coming home,” Robinson said.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Penrith Panthers win 20-14 over Sydney Roosters | Match Report