Issuu

FRI 04 SEP 2015 Issue 27 PROUDLY INDEPENDENT

NSW CUP FINALS BEGIN Title defence gets serious as Panthers take on Wyong

2015â€™S BIG MOMENTS We look back on the highs and lows

NATHAN SMITH The forgotten man of Penrith to hang his boots up this weekend

Battle for the wooden spoon

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PANTHERS V KNIGHTS

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31 Brought to you by…

PANTHERS 1

Will Smith

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Josh Mansour Waqa Blake Lewis Brown David Simmons Apisai Koroisau Jamie Soward Sam McKendry James Segeyaro Reagan Campbell-Gillard Bryce Cartwright Tyrone Peachey Isaah Yeo Tupou Sopoaga Jeremy Latimore Leilani Latu Sika Manu

KNIGHTS

FACT CHECK Ê Ivan Cleary has never been involved with a wooden spoon side, either as a player or a coach Ê David Simmons plays his 200th NRL game Ê Newcastle have a good record at Penrith Stadium, winning nine from 13 games since 1998 Tyrone Peachey in action. Photo: Andrew Farrell / 77 Media

Jake Mamo

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Nathan Ross Sione Mata’utia Dane Gagai Akuila Uate Kurt Gidley Tyrone Roberts Kade Snowden Adam Clydsdale Korbin Sims Beau Scott Tariq Sims Chris Houston Tyler Randall Joseph Tapine Clint Newton Sam Mataora

Desperate to avoid the spoon TROY DODDS @troydodds

lot has been made of Penrith’s injury crisis in season 2015. Many believe it is the sole reason the club could finish with their fifth wooden spoon in history should they lose to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon at Pepper Stadium. But while it is true that injuries put the Panthers in a corner, they cannot be an excuse for the team’s inability to fight itself out of it. Two moments in Penrith’s 34-18 loss to Canberra on Monday stuck out for me. The first was an extremely poor pass from James Segeyaro at dummy half to Bryce Cartwright when the Panthers were attacking Canberra’s line, resulting in a dropped ball and a missed opportunity for points. The second came just minutes later when Josh Mansour fumbled a play-the-ball and

surrendered possession, again taking away a point-scoring opportunity. Two of Penrith’s most experienced players, two schoolboy errors. It is a reflection of not just an injury list that has ravaged the club, but a level of confidence and enthusiasm that is about as low as it can get at the moment. The Panthers looked asleep for the first 20 minutes of the game. The lack of commitment in defence, soft tries conceded and a wayward attack spoke of a football team that simply didn’t want to be there. No professional sporting team wants to lose, obviously, but at times it looked like Penrith didn’t want to win, either. So, what will change in the five days between the disappointment of the performance against Canberra and the wooden spoon battle against the Knights on Saturday? Obviously, the Panthers are back in comfortable surroundings at Pepper Stadium and know that there’s no second chances – they must win to avoid being part of a dreaded statistic that will never leave rugby league’s history books. Ivan

PANTHERS V KNIGHTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 • 3PM PEPPER STADIUM REFEREES: GAVIN REYNOLDS AND ADAM GEE TV: FOX SPORTS LIVE 3PM RADIO: TRIPLE M LIVE 3PM Cleary and his team do not want to spend the next six months being remembered as wooden spooners. Cleary has never won the wooden spoon as a coach or a player and does not want to start now. The Knights have a similar desire, however, and are in much better form than Penrith. They did the impossible by beating Melbourne at AAMI Park a fortnight ago and came within a whisker of getting over the Bulldogs last weekend – all in the

midst of their own problems surrounding the coaching structure for next season. Penrith will certainly have to lift a gear to match the Knights’ current form and enthusiasm, and the job will be made tougher with Jamie Soward and Bryce Cartwright unlikely to play. Saturday’s game will be a farewell-a-thon with the Knights saying goodbye to NRL veterans Kurt Gidley and Clint Newton, and a host of players taking part in their last game for the Panthers including Lewis Brown, Apisai Koroisau, Sika Manu and David Simmons, who will play his 200th NRL game. So it all comes down to this: the final 80 minutes of the season. Six months ago, we couldn’t have imagined that Penrith would be in the position they find themselves in now. The rugby league gods have been very unkind. Forget the injuries, forget the excuses. Play with some heart, and the Panthers may just give their long-suffering fans something to smile about on Saturday.

TIP: PANTHERS BY 4

the western weekender • extra time » Friday 4 September 2015

MATCH PREVIEW

Friday 4 September 2015 « the western weekender • extra time

PANTHER RUMBLINGS

SEND YOUR PANTHERS GOSSIP AT NEWS@WESTERNWEEKENDER.COM.AU

with the

Masked Panther

» The end has arrived for Panthers

winger David Simmons, who confirmed this week that Saturday’s clash against Newcastle will be his final NRL game. Ironically, it also falls on what is his 200th first grade match. Simmons has been a great servant for the Panthers and in the last couple of years has been a sensational influence on the club’s young talent that is coming through. The 30-year-old made his first grade debut in 2003 at Cronulla, and went on to notch up more than 100 appearances for the club, before joining Penrith in 2010.

» Rumours about Ivan Cleary’s future

SIMMO PULLS THE PIN ON LONG CAREER

at Penrith being in doubt are way off the mark. Cleary is contracted to the Panthers for next year but some have suggested that he could be headed back to the New Zealand Warriors. It would be rugby league’s most unlikely story, but still, the rumours persist. I can tell you that it simply won’t be happening. As tough as 2015 has been on Cleary, he is determined to complete the job at hand and in fact, is likely to be given a contract extension.

» The Sydney Morning Herald reported

on Tuesday that Panthers Head of Rugby League Justin Pascoe could be bound for the Wests Tigers in what would be a huge blow for Penrith. However, I’m told the story is not accurate and Pascoe will be staying put. Whether I’ve been told the truth or not is yet to be seen.

» Jamie Soward and Bryce Cartwright

have been added to Penrith’s evergrowing injury list after an awful night in Canberra on Monday. Soward suffered concussion following a heavy collision with Jack Wighton in the 39th minute and was admitted to Canberra Hospital as a precautionary measure. Cartwright suffered a small laceration to his kidney, that was only discovered when he started urinating blood after the match. It will not require surgery however Cartwright was hospitalised for several days this week.

» If you needed any further proof that

the NRL referees are in crisis, it came at 11.30am on Tuesday when the NRL charged Jack Wighton with a grade two careless high tackle for his hit on Jamie Soward. Incredibly, the incident was not even penalised on Monday night, with the referees allowing play to resume once a clearly sick Soward was assisted from the field. The referees and video referees

David Simmons will play his final NRL game on Saturday had several minutes to view replays, but deemed there was no need to penalise Wighton or put him on report. It shows NRL officials are nowhere near on the same page if the incident is not even penalised with the benefit of clear replays, yet the player is charged the very next morning. What is going on?

» The Panthers have announced that

Piazza D’Oro has signed on as the club’s membership partner through to the end of the 2016 NRL season. Piazza D’Oro was launched in Australia in 1998 and has become a leading espresso brand throughout the country.

REVOLUTIONS H E A LT H & F I T N E S S C E N T R E

» There’s plenty of people who think

journalists should be locked up but it almost happened for real last weekend, when a reporter covering the NSW Cup was locked in Pepper Stadium and needed to make an urgent call to be let out. The reporter in question had found his way back into the media area some time after the game, and was the sole person left in the stadium when everyone else, including the players, went home. We hear he was scoping out Ivan Cleary’s office as a possible spot to sleep for the night, but thankfully help arrived.

» That’s it for me. See you next year.

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Forgotten Panther to retire After 128 first grade games, injury and a new direction forced Nathan Smith to the NSW Cup. Now, his rugby league career has come to its conclusion...

NATHAN TAYLOR natetaylor87

e hasn’t played in the NRL since 2013 but Penrith’s longest serving player will officially hang up the boots this weekend after 128 first grade games. Joining the club in 2007, Nathan Smith has been a Panther longer than any other current player, with the next longest serving member being Sam McKendry, who started his NRL career back in 2008. Unable to get any first grade time for a number of years, the 32-year-old has been a valuable member of Penrith’s reserve grade team in the NSW Cup. However, after tearing his bicep twice already this season and not playing since the early rounds, the former Raider has finally decided to call it a day. “I tore my bicep in the Parramatta trial and then I returned for two games before tearing it again… that was my season pretty much done,” Smith told Extra Time. “I always told myself I’d play as long as I could because once I give it up, I know I’ll miss it. “It’s the best job in the world but my body told me enough was enough.”

Nathan Smith has confirmed he’s retiring. Photo: Melinda Jane Smith, one of the nice guys of rugby league, has seen a lot of change at Penrith during his nine year tenure including three different first grade coaches, a raft of new faces and even a brand new logo. But one of the moments Smith looks back fondly on was in 2010 when the Panthers shocked the rugby league world to finish second on the ladder. “2010 was an unbelievable year. We had the best bunch of guys playing like Gavin

Cooper, Luke Lewis, Trent Waterhouse and Michael Gordon, and that’s why we went so well,” he said. “I’d also have to say the NSW Cup premiership last year was great too. We had a very good run and that was a really fun year as well.” After debuting for Canberra in 2004, Smith joined the Panthers in 2007 after being thrown a lifeline by then coach Matt Elliott, who also joined the club from the Raiders that very same year. “Matty was moving up here and he asked if I wanted to come up too, so I moved as well,” Smith said. “There ended up being a few injuries at Penrith and one thing lead to another and I ended up getting a few games. I can’t thank the club enough for giving me a start.” Smith hasn’t quite decided what he’ll do post football. In December he’ll finish his four year electrical apprenticeship with the HIX Group, but also hasn’t ruled out sticking around rugby league for a little while longer. “I’m keeping my options open. I’ve got the electrical work to fall back on but I’d love to stay in footy, maybe doing something with the Panthers,” Smith said.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday 4 September 2015

FEATURE STORY

Friday 4 September 2015 « the western weekender • extra time

KEV’S KORNER

WITH KEVIN KINGSTON

LET’S GO OUT WITH A BANG!

Suspension-Brakes-Servicing

learly our injury-ravaged season hasn’t gone to plan but that doesn’t mean we can’t go out with a bang on Saturday. There is no shortage of motivation for our patched-up Panthers. The boys want to put on a good show for the loyal members and fans who have stuck with us on this rollercoaster ride of a year. They also want to farewell our departing players with a win because blokes like David Simmons, Nigel Plum, Brent Kite and Nathan Smith deserve nothing less. For the last time this season I call on all you Penrith fans to get to the game and show your Panther Pride. It’s going to be a huge day with all three grades in action, including our NSW Cup side playing week one of their finals campaign against Wyong Roos. All the departing Panthers will be at the Big Aussie Barbie in West Bar after full-time – one last chance to get a photo and say goodbye. If you’re a member, there’s even more to look forward to. Enjoy a free BBQ at TC’s Sports Bar before the game before joining the ‘Wild Panther’ Mark Geyer and Nigel Plum on MG’s Members March to Pepper Stadium. Don’t forget all

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The retiring David Simmons members can bring a mate to the game for free – you just have to register on the club website. And just in case you needed any more incentive, someone in the crowd on Saturday will be driving away in a brand new 2015 Ford Fiesta. How good is that! We are a proud club with a determined playing group and we will put everything on the line to avoid that dreaded wooden spoon on Saturday. Help us finish our season in style, in front of a big home crowd, and we promise to give you plenty to cheer about. Go the Mighty Panthers!

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Mansour’s “toughest year” After Penrith’s season from hell, winger Josh Mansour admits he needs to get away from football and refresh over the summer break

NATHAN TAYLOR natetaylor87

n about a month’s time Josh Mansour will be sitting poolside at a resort in Fiji relaxing and hopefully forgetting about everything that occurred over the last six months. Not only has the 25-year-old winger endured a horror run with injuries, resulting in just 11 games played all year, but his team are on the cusp of receiving their first wooden spoon since 2007. “Thank God for that,” a relieved Mansour said of this Saturday’s final game of the year. “Personally it’s the toughest year I’ve ever had to endure and also from the team’s perspective as well. “No one predicted for us to have a season like this, we’ve got to learn from this year and hopefully get one last win for our fans and also for ourselves because it’s certainly been frustrating.” 12 months ago the Panthers were locked into the NRL’s top four preparing for the finals, now they can only dream of what could have been. “It was disappointing we didn’t succeed in our ambitions… we just weren’t good

Josh Mansour enough and the table reflects that,” Mansour said. “The injuries we sustained were just terrible luck and it took a heavy toll

mentally and physically on us. It’s like someone was poking a voodoo doll. We’re cursed.” This Saturday afternoon’s final game of the year will be a battle for the wooden spoon with the last-placed Newcastle Knights also in contention. A Penrith win will see them avoid the unwanted honour but a loss would be the salt in an already ugly wound. “No one wants that dreaded spoon but we’ve got to come out with a positive mindset,” Mansour said. “We owe it to our fans and members who stuck by us through thick and thin this year. We also owe it to ourselves because it’s been a tough season.” But as the old saying goes, “the only way is up”, and once Mansour returns from his long-awaited trip to the South Pacific, he’ll be refreshed and ready to give it another crack next season. “I can’t wait to get out of Sydney, forget footy and refresh my mind,” he said. “I owe my partner a trip to Fiji because last year we had to cancel after I was selected in the Four Nations. “I just need to get away, rejuvenate the body and relax.” No doubt many Panthers fans would be wishing they could join him on that trip.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday 4 September 2015

FEATURE STORY

Friday 4 September 2015 « the western weekender • extra time

PANTHERS IN PICTURES

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It’s been a year of mixed fortunes at the Penrith Panthers. Our photographers have captured the big moments...

Waqa Blake made his NRL debut

Matt Moylan suffered a season-ending leg injury against the Eels. Photo: Melinda Jane

Jess Gilarte won the Cheerl

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37 the western weekender • extra time » Friday 4 September 2015

Jamie Soward had a mixed season. Photo: 77 Media

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Nigel Plum called it quits

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HART TO HART

39 WITH STEVE HART

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THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR he long and winding road to the NRL finals is almost complete and for those that remain the real excitement begins. For the rest? Well there’s always next year. Sadly this season’s biggest disappointment for me is Penrith. So much reason to hope coming into 2015. They had us all believing they were ready to deliver on an exciting brand of footy with a roster that had the right mix of talent, youth and experience. So what happened? “INJURIES” I hear you shout back. OK fair enough and maybe that’s true, but I for one am still left disillusioned. The Panthers, just like the Wests Tigers, are the type of team that give you hope that predictable structured footy could be combatted with a more cavalier style. Sadly for both the Tigers and the Panthers they have been battling to avoid the wooden spoon. As it turns out Saturday’s game at Pepper Stadium will be the wooden spoon grand final against Newcastle

with the loser being this year’s winner! But let’s look at the positive for next season and beyond, the Panthers still have some of the most exciting young talent on the rise with the likes of Matt Moylan and Bryce Cartwright. Hopefully they can be injury-free and fulfil their potential as superstars of the game. So how did my top eight crystal ball predictions recently stand up? Yes the Roosters are still the team to beat, despite their injuries to key big names. The Broncos keep surprising me but must now be taken seriously. The Dragons were the only team not in my predicted top eight but surely they’ll be the first team out if recent form is anything to go by. The Bulldogs look to be the team ready to upset many in September. While Souths, Melbourne and the Cowboys all look on the slide. The Sharks will be everybody’s sentimental favourite but I’m not sure they can go far. Bring on the finals!

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Friday 4 September 2015 « the western weekender • extra time

NRL LADDER & FIXTURES CLUB

23 17

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2 Broncos

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3 Cowboys

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4 Sharks

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5 Storm

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340

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6 Bulldogs

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7 Rabbitohs

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8 Dragons

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9 Sea Eagles

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10 Raiders

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11 Eels

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12 Warriors

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13 Titans

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Extra Time Issue Number 027 PRINTED BY Spotpress Pty Ltd / PRODUCED BY The Western Weekender EDITOR Troy Dodds / 4722 2998 / troy.dodds@westernweekender.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Nathan Taylor / Kevin Kingston / Steve Hart / Stew Moses SALES MANAGER Simon Gould / 4722 2998 simon.gould@westernweekender.com.au

ROUND 26 Broncos v Storm Thursday, Sept 3, 7.45pm Suncorp Stadium Roosters v Rabbitohs Friday, Sept 4, 7.45pm Allianz Stadium Panthers v Knights Saturday, Sept 5, 3pm Pepper Stadium Dragons v Tigers Saturday, Sept 5, 5.30pm ANZ Stadium Cowboys v Titans Saturday, Sept 5, 7.30pm 1300 Smiles Stadium Eels v Raiders Sunday, Sept 6, 2pm Pirtek Stadium Sharks v Sea Eagles Sunday, Sept 6, 4pm Remondis Stadium Bulldogs v Warriors Sunday, Sept 6, 6.30pm ANZ Stadium

FAN OF THE WEEK Years supporting the Panthers? 19 years. Favourite current Panther and exPanther? Sam McKendry and Nathan Smith/Sandor Earl. Springwood Why do you support the Panthers? I love the game of rugby league and they are my local team. What’s your best Panthers memory? The 2003 Grand Final. What’s your prized piece of Panthers memorabilia that you’d Brought to you by… never sell? My signed 2003 Panthers jersey. Would you ever get a Panthers tattoo and where would you get it? No.

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NSW CUP

BY STEW MOSES

@TheRiffMarn

PANTHERS THRASH RAIDERS AND CONFIRM TOP TWO FINISH AHEAD OF FINAL ROUND BATTLE

NOW IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS: NSW CUP FINALS KICK OFF WITH PANTHERS TAKING ON WYONG

The Penrith Panthers have secured a top two finish heading into the final round of the Holden Cup competition following a 38-8 belting of the Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium on Monday night. Penrith kept their minor premiership hopes alive with the 30 point win but will need to overcome the Knights on Saturday and have the Titans upset the competition-leading Cowboys later that afternoon for that to happen. It was a spectacular first half performance for the Panthers against the eighth-placed Raiders on Monday night, jumping out to a 32-0 lead at half-time. Penrith completely dominated the home side in all aspects of the opening 40 with Moses Leota, Oliver Clark, Brent Naden, Tyrone May, Corey Harawira and Christian Chrichton all crossing over for tries. Halfback Nathan Cleary was solid with the boot in the first half, kicking four from six. When players hit the field for the second half, it was the Panthers who once again kept the scoreboard ticking over. 52 minutes in, James Fisher-Harris found Maliko Filino with a suspect pass which saw the speedy centre break the

Penrith’s Ray Lesoa made his NSW Cup debut one to remember, scoring three tries and setting up the match winner for Tom Eisenhuth that enabled Penrith to record a thrilling come-from-behind 34-28 win over a gallant Illawarra side at Pepper Stadium. Illawarra, through a powerhouse performance from ex-Panther Eto Nabuli, led 28-22 with seven minutes remaining before Lesoa scored his and set up another to allow Penrith to record their fourth win in a row and finishing level on 36 points with Wyong and Mounties but third on for and against. Apart from Lesoa, Penrith’s Atonio Pelasasa also made his NSW Cup debut while Sam Hollis and Tom Eisenhuth made long overdue returns to the side after lengthy spells in the Ron Massey Cup. Penrith dominated the early exchanges to lead 12-0 through tries to Chris Smith and Lesoa and a long afternoon loomed for the Cutters but Illawarra had other ideas, dominating the rest of the half, scoring four unanswered tries to lead 2412 at the break. Again Penrith crossed twice early in the second half, this time through Lesoa and Matt Eisenhuth, to reduce the gap to two points.

Photo: Jeff Lambert line. Drawing the Raiders’ fullback perfectly, Filino hit Chrichton on his inside for the four-pointer. Cleary once again knocked over the two points to increase Penrith’s lead to 38-0. However, that’s where the scoring ended for the visitors with Canberra finally getting their defence in order. Canberra’s improved defence resulted in two tries for the home side, scoring in the 57th minute and then again in the 75th. Penrith will return to Pepper Stadium this Saturday morning for their final home game of the season when they battle the Newcastle Knights at 10.40am. Sitting in 10th, the Knights still remain a mathematical hope of scraping into the top eight.

But when Nabuli scored with 15 minutes an upset was on the cards until a Foster kick to the left corner was brilliantly batted back by Tom Eisenhuth for that man Lesoa to secure his hat-trick and level the scores. Lesoa’s final pass to Tom Eisenhuth to score sealed the win and gives the Panthers plenty of momentum going into this Saturday’s finals clash with Wyong at Pepper Stadium. Wyong, who missed out on the minor premiership by the barest of margins will nonetheless be confident going into this clash despite having to meet Penrith at home, having come home strong late in the game to defeat Wentworthville 44-12. Their confidence against Penrith stems from their two late come-from-behind wins over the Panthers earlier this year and they have named a strong side with the likes of Omar Slaimankhel, Nathan Stapleton, Abraham Papalii, Lopina Paea and ex-Panthers Yileen Gordon and Leivaha Pulu. In team news, Penrith has named the same 17 that defeated the Cutters but have welcomed back from injury Brendan Attwood who is part of a five man bench. However the Panthers are in danger of losing Adam Docker to suspension.

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