For the first 20 minutes against the Roosters last Saturday night, it looked like Penrith's losing streak would potentially stretch to six games.
But as the half drew on, signs of the Penrith side we’ve come to know so well over the past five years started to emerge.
By the time the full-time siren sounded, the Panthers had cleared the cobwebs and posted a 40-12 victory.
The importance of the game last Saturday was shown when coach Ivan Cleary opted to sit on the sideline for the contest, riding every moment at Allianz Stadium.
The relief on the players’ faces at the end of the game was obvious.
But whether or not we can declare “the Panthers are back” will likely not be decided until the winner of Saturday night’s clash between Penrith and Manly is decided.
The Panthers must back-up last week’s win with another stellar performance, especially with the Origin period looming.
Unfortunately, they will have to do it without inspirational hooker Mitch Kenny, who was sidelined by the NRL’s Match Review Committee. Losing Kenny is a big blow. He has been one of Penrith’s best this season and his leadership credentials have started rising to the fore. But thankfully his suspension comes at a time when a couple of other players who we’ve been waiting to fire have finally started to show positive signs.
The much maligned Blaize Talagi had his best game in Penrith colours last weekend and he appeared to grab an enormous amount of confidence from the win, and from his first try in Penrith colours in the NRL. Perhaps more than anything he needed to prove to himself that he could partner Nathan Cleary moving
the final word
forward – and he certainly did that against the Roosters.
Also producing his best game last weekend was Isaiah Papali’i, who while only playing 35 minutes delivered an impressive work rate and a four-pointer.
So has it all started to click? Let’s hope so. Manly are in something of a slump at the moment. That 42-12 thumping of the Cowboys in Round 1 that had the entire competition talking now seems well in the distance. They’ve lost three straight games now to Melbourne, Cronulla and the Dragons and while Anthony Seibold is pointing to a packed schedule as part of the reason, there can be no doubt that the Daly Cherry-Evans saga has an impact on the side – and their star number seven.
The Sea Eagles will be without the inspirational Jake Trbojevic for this clash after he suffered a Category 1 head knock against the
Dragons last Thursday night, but brother Tom returns from injury in a big boost.
Teams going into the bye – like Manly are this weekend – are always dangerous. There’s the psychological factor of the win being worth four points, and given the side’s recent form, Manly will be clutching to anything to give themselves the advantage this Saturday night.
The Panthers are yet to win at CommBank Stadium since making it their temporary home at the start of the season, and they’ll be desperate to turn that around.
I liked what I saw from Penrith last Saturday. And more importantly I liked that they had to work for it. It took time for Ivan Cleary’s side to find their feet in the game and they got rid of the recent poor form in real time.
I haven’t seen much from Manly over the last month to suggest they’ll improve enough.
Tip: Panthers by 12.
Graphic by Zoe Merrick.
TROY DODDS SATURDAY, APRIL 26 | 7.35PM | COMMBANK STADIUM | REFEREE: BELINDA SHARPE | BUNKER: ASHLEY KLEIN
panther rumblings
CURSE OF THE SCHEDULED POST
! Social post mishap: Premier Chris Minns hosted a cast of thousands at Penrith Stadium last Thursday for the obligatory shot of politicians “breaking ground” on the construction project. But you could have been forgiven for thinking this had already happened some weeks ago. You’re not going crazy – State MP Karen McKeown posted about the milestone of construction beginning on her Facebook page about a month ago. Problem is, it was a scheduled post that wasn’t deleted in time after the original date for the photo opportunity at the stadium was pushed back. These events are all just for show anyway, of course.
! Labor’s cringe: Talking of the stadium redevelopment, Labor’s shot at the former Coalition government over the stadium was nothing short of embarrassing last week. In a press release, Labor said: “After being promised by the former Government for more than five years, the Minns Labor Government has designed, acquired planning approval and begun construction within two years.” Considering the former government wanted to deliver a much better and bigger stadium, and Labor is delivering an expensive coat of paint, they should probably leave the potshots out of it.
! Spotted: Premier Chris Minns relegated to photographer duties for his staff wanting to get photos with champion Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary.
! Sorensen footage not aired: Producers at Fox Sports opted not to air footage of Panthers forward Scott Sorensen having his dislocated finger put back in on the sideline against the Roosters last Saturday. They had a clear shot – but upon review, it was decided it was too gruesome to show as part of the broadcast.
! Cleary’s milestone: Nathan Cleary has become the highest point scorer in Penrith’s history, surpassing Ryan Girdler’s total of 1,572
points for the club. Cleary has gone past Girdler in less than 200 first grade games for the club. Girds played 204 matches for Penrith.
! Beloved stadium quickly forgotten: This is what the surface and western grandstand at Penrith Stadium currently looks like, some six months after it last hosted an NRL game. The grass is now overgrown, while the only seats remaining are those that weren’t purchased by dedicated fans. Sponsorship signage remains up. It won’t be long before the grandstand is
demolished – a sad moment given the original 1967 stand still exists as part of the current stand.
! Ticket prices questioned: A crowd of just over 20,000 turned up to watch the Panthers play the Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night. It was decent enough but could have been much bigger if it wasn’t for outlandish ticket prices. With $45 the cheapest ticket for an adult, it’s no wonder many people choose to stay at home and watch the footy from the comfort of their lounge room.
! Cleary’s sideline show: Ivan Cleary told his team he’d be watching the game from the sideline prior to kick-off against the Roosters last Saturday night. He didn’t want them to be spooked or surprised by his rare presence at ground level, so gave them a head’s up.
ALAMOTI: WIN JUST WHAT WE NEEDED
Panthers winger Paul Alamoti believes Penrith’s huge win over the Sydney Roosters last weekend was just what the doctor ordered to turn their sluggish start to the season around.
The 21-year-old premiership winner, who scored two almost identical tries in the 28-point victory last Saturday, said it felt good to be on the end of a win again.
“Sometimes when you’re in a bit of a rut like we were you just need a win to ease the nerves, or the overthinking that everyone battles individually,” Alamoti told Extra Time
“That win was definitely what we needed and it’s going to help us moving forward.”
The former Bulldog, who joined the Panthers in 2024, said the work they did between games was pivotal in the performance they put on as a unit last week.
“We had a long turnaround, which I think helped, and we did more training during the week, which helped also,” Alamoti said.
“We were just able to find a bit of rhythm on the night, a bit of cohesion, and that’s what we struggled to find over the first six rounds.”
Alamoti has played in all seven of Penrith’s games this season, splitting his time between playing at centre and the wing.
Against the Roosters, Alamoti had one of his better games – scoring a double and chalking up 165 metres.
The Milperra Colts junior said he’s enjoying
life out on the wing scoring points, but it does have its challenges.
“It’s a bit different. There’s a couple of different things in-game that you probably have to be more aware of, so it’s different in that sense,
but my mindset it still the same,” Alamoti said.
“I’ll do anything for the team, I’m sure the coach knows that. Wherever I get picked, I’m just happy to be playing. I want to win every week, that’s my mindset.”
Ivan Cleary would’ve got a closer look at his troops, including Alamoti, last week, opting to watch the 80-minute contest against the Roosters from the sideline at Allianz Stadium. In somewhat surprising news, Alamoti revealed that he wasn’t aware the four-time premiership-winning coach was just metres from the action.
“I didn’t realise at all he was sitting on the sideline until after the game,” he admitted.
“That was pretty crazy! No one spoke about it. I never realised until after the game when my family asked me about it. Then I watched the game back and there was a couple of shots of him on the sideline.
“It was actually pretty cool to see him there. Maybe he wanted to get amongst it, feel the energy of the crowd, I guess. That might have been the difference on the weekend. Hopefully he does it again because that might be our good luck charm.”
Whether Cleary ends up on the sideline for this Saturday night’s home game at CommBank Stadium is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain: the Panthers are desperate to send their fans home a winner after back-to-back losses at the Parramatta venue.
“Our fans are what we pride ourselves on. We want to be a source of community pride, and our fans definitely go out of their way to support us,” Alamoti said.
“We definitely want to win for them and protect our home stadium. We’ve got a lot to play for.”
Paul Alamoti speaks with journalist Nathan Taylor this week. Photo: Melinda Jane.
NATHAN TAYLOR
PAPALI’I IS FINDING HIS FEET AT PENRITH
When a player joins a new club, it can often take some time for them to get acquainted with their new teammates, learn a new playbook, and get up to speed with a new fitness regimen.
By their own admission, premiership winners
Luke Garner and Scott Sorensen took many months to get used to the Panthers system and only truly found their feet after their first full season at the foot of the Mountains.
For 2025 recruit Isaiah Papali’i, he’s trending down a similar path to both Garner and Sorensen as coach Ivan Cleary figures out just how to use him best.
Already this year, Papali’i has played three games at starting prop and three games off the bench as an edge forward – a role he knows very well after starring with the Eels in the backrow in 2021 and 2022.
Speaking with Extra Time on Tuesday, Papali’i said his time at the Panthers so far has been a work in progress.
“Being part of the team is a first step for me and just trying to find my role in the team,” the 26-year-old said.
“I’m prepared to do anything, really. Just week by week, see what coach has in mind.”
With Papali’i playing multiple positions to start the year already, he said it’s been very helpful that Cleary tips him up at the start of each week as to where he’ll be playing that weekend.
“He gives me the heads up pretty early, he
doesn’t tell me the last minute as to what’s going on,” Papali’i revealed.
“This allows me to get a lot of preparation in throughout the week and come game day, it’s
feeling” to get his first
try for the club and to feel the love from his teammates afterwards.
“It was a good feeling and Blaize [Talagi] got one as well, so two debut tries for us,” he said proudly.
“I think I was pretty knackered when my teammates were coming over and celebrating, but I got to watch the game over and we talked about celebrating the little things and obviously scoring a try was pretty cool for not only myself but also the team.”
Penrith’s win last Saturday night at Allianz Stadium snapped an embarrassing fivegame losing streak that had many pundits question if the defending Premiers could even play Finals at all this year.
Papali’i said the belief internally that the club could eventually turn it around was always there, but it was a “relief” to finally get the monkey off the back.
“It’s been a pretty tough month and a bit to start the season, but we’ve got the monkey off the back now, so we’re looking forward to building some momentum off that,” he said.
“The recent losing streak was a strange feeling. There’s so much success around this club but the season just didn’t start the way we thought it would. But the coaches and players kept doubling down on just staying connected as a team and understanding that we’re the only ones that can get ourselves out of it.
“We just had to keep digging our heels in and to get the result last week was a step in the right direction.”
Penrith will be aiming to continue their long climb up the standings when they face-off against the Manly Sea Eagles this Saturday night at CommBank Stadium.
It will be the first time this season both sides have clashed and they’ll be doing it on a very important occasion for the NRL.
“I’ve been part of a few big ANZAC games before at the Warriors, so I know how important it is for everyone,” Papali’i said.
“This morning we got to have a look at the ANZAC jerseys we’ll be wearing and they are pretty nice, I look forward to playing in those on Saturday.”
Isaiah Papali’i this week. Photo: Melinda Jane.
Isaiah Papali’i celebrates this first try as a Panther. Photo: NRL Photos.
NATHAN TAYLOR
footy club
A Kepaoa 3, D Fale, M
Tries: P Alamoti 2, I Papali’i, B Talagi, D Edwards, C McLean Goals: N Cleary 5/5, P Alamoti 1/1
Tries:
Eisenhuth, M Geyer Goals: T Toelau 4/6
Tries: J Vailalo 2, D Wigmore, T
Tries: D Tupou, R Toia Goals: S Smith 2/2
Tries: A Warwick Goals: J Durkin 1/1
Penrith Panthers
panther memories
One of the most famous Penrith jerseys in the club’s history was worn just once – back in 2015.
The special ANZAC Day kit became a top seller, and was one of the pioneering ANZAC NRL jerseys.
Worn against Cronulla at Panthers Stadium, major sponsor OAK gave up their logo for the day to ensure the jersey properly honoured the ANZAC tradition.
The iconic design was produced in consultation with DefenceCare to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli.
Pictured here wearing the jersey is Api
Koroisau, Dallin WateneZelezniak and Matt Moylan.
(Photo thanks to NRL Photos)
HALL OF FAME MUST BE EXPANDED analysis
lang on league
with Peter Lang
It’s been nearly 10 years since Panthers inducted its first four players into the club’s Hall of Fame. Like the Masked Panther pointed out only a few weeks ago, perhaps it’s time to induct another player.
Well, I’ll go one step further than that and say, I think it’s time to induct not just one more player but given that the last inductees were in 2016, it’s time to induct at least three more players.
To get the conversation started I’d like to suggest the three players I would like to see inducted into the Panthers Hall of Fame.
John Cartwright
Cartwright played 184 first grade games for Penrith between 19851996.
Nicknamed both ‘Carty’ and ‘Hoss’ he became best known for his superb one-handed offloads
playing in the second-row his entire rugby league career.
Simply put, forwards back then did not pass the ball let alone with such skill and accuracy.
He also played in the club’s first premiership team of 1991.
Add to these impressive achievements the fact that Cartwright also played eight games for New South Wales between 1989-92 and an incredible 18 tests for Australia between 1990-92.
Steve Carter
The boy from Wyong came to Penrith in 1988 and quickly established himself as a quality five-eighth.
‘Scarter’ as he was affectionately nicknamed, went on to play 242 first grade games for the Panthers and held the honour of being the most capped Penrith player of all time until his record was surpassed last year by current co-captain Isaah Yeo.
eighth joined Penrith from the Illawarra Steelers in 1993 and went on to become a fan favourite with the Panthers faithful.
So, to wrap it all up, in sport, a ‘Hall of Fame’ is a prestigious recognition of individuals who have achieved exceptional excellence and made significant contributions to their respective sport.
There’s no doubt that John Cartwright, Steve Carter and Ryan Girdler have all achieved such excellence not only for Penrith but the sport of rugby league more broadly.
The three players I’ve selected have to be in the discussion when it comes time for Penrith to once again open the doors to the Panthers Hall of Fame.
I just hope it happens sooner, rather than later.
Carter helped steer the Panthers to their inaugural premiership victory in 1991 alongside fellow legend Greg Alexander.
He also represented New South Wales in 1992 as well as NSW Country Origin from 1991-95.
Ryan Girdler
The super talented centre who also played a little five-
In total, ‘Girds’ as he was nicknamed, played 204 first grade games with Penrith and until last week when Nathan Cleary eclipsed his long-standing record, he was the club’s all-time leading point scorer with 101 tries, 581 goals and six field-goals for a combined total of 1572 points.
He became later known as the ‘Intercept King’ for his many intercept tries and he also possessed a superb flick pass. In 2000 Girdler set one of his many records at Penrith, kicking 78 goals in the season.
Girdler won a comp and represented both New South Wales and Australia.
Steve Carter is an obvious inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
