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Extra Time September 1

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FINALS TIGHTROPE S E PTE M B E R D R EA M GO ES O N TH E LI N E

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

PANTHER RUMBLINGS

with the Masked Panther

DYLAN SIDELINED » Bad news for dynamite fullback Dylan

Edwards, who suffered a grade two medial ligament tear in his left knee during Sunday’s loss to the Dragons. He’ll be sidelined for at least three weeks, meaning his season is over unless the Panthers play deep into the Finals.

» The NRL will release the Finals sched-

ule for week one on Sunday night with tickets to go on sale for season ticket holders on Monday. If Penrith make the Finals, they’ll be playing at either Allianz or ANZ Stadium with a trip outside of Sydney almost impossible in week one. If all the favourites win this weekend, it’s likely the Panthers will battle Cronulla at Allianz Stadium next Saturday night. But if Penrith end up hosting a Final, it’s likely to be at ANZ Stadium on the Sunday afternoon.

» Talking of the Finals, Penrith’s Intrust

Super Premiership NSW team begin their campaign this weekend. They’ll take on the New Zealand Warriors at UOW Jubilee Oval in Kogarah from 4pm on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 44-14 trouncing of Wentworthville last weekend, finishing the season in third place. If they can’t beat the second placed Warriors this Sunday, Garth Brennan’s men stay alive and will have a second crack the following week. All ISP NSW Finals matches are live on either Fox League or the NSWRL website.

» Pepper Stadium is no more! The

Panthers have opted against a corporate partner for the stadium from next season, with the iconic venue to be known as Panthers Stadium from January. Panthers Group Chairman Dave O’Neill said the decision is considered a major investment in the Panthers brand. “In retaining the naming rights, Panthers intends to use the reach of the NRL to further promote the Panthers brand both nationally and overseas,” Mr O’Neill said.

» “The best moment of my life” is how

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak described becoming a father. The 22-year-old’s wife Purdy gave birth to Orlando Filisonu’u Robert Watene-Zelezniak last week, with a clearly emotional Dallin sharing the couple’s fabulous news on Instagram. “Words cannot describe the love I have for my beautiful son and my wife Purdy. I wish I could have taken her place because it was hard to watch, but she was amazing,” Watene-Zelezniak posted.

» Panthers boss Phil Gould has ruled

out joining the New South Wales Origin side in any official capacity next year. Media reports surfaced last weekend that the NSWRL were chasing Brad Fittler, Andrew Johns and Gould to create a powerful leadership group after deciding not to renew coach Laurie Daley’s contract. Gould has since ruled out the possibility of joining the Blues as a consultant despite his obvious passion for Origin football and his past success. It would seem Fittler is the favourite to replace Daley – but the NSWRL will go through an exhaustive process to find the right person and structure for next year.

» Panthers icon John Farragher loves a

BBQ – which is why he dug deep to buy an auction prize that will see Panthers legends Greg Alexander and Royce Simmons don chef’s hats and cook up a storm for John and a few mates. Farragher bought the unique prize at the annual Leg of Lamb Day, hosted by Simmons and held at the St Marys Leagues Club last Friday. Phil Gould and Anthony Griffin both spoke at the luncheon, as did current players Peter Wallace and Bryce Cartwright who took time out on their day off to attend the function.

» Scott McRae will return for a 21st

season as ground announcer at Panthers Stadium next year. I’m told McRae was offered a gig elsewhere for 2018 but is sticking by the Panthers and is a sure thing to return. Other elements of the match day experience are up for discussion during the off-season.

Fullback Dylan Edwards goes down with injury

» Former NRL players Nathan Smith and

Geoff Daniela will go around again next year, re-signing with St Marys Rugby League Club. Smith and Daniela are set to undertake their third season with the Saints Ron Massey Cup team since joining the green and whites for their inaugural season in the NSWRL competitions.

» Yet another fan poll last week told

the NRL and State Government what it refuses to hear – people want their teams

to play out of suburban grounds. As the debate over expensive upgrades to Allianz and ANZ Stadiums continues, a Daily Telegraph poll showed 64 per cent of fans would rather watch a game of rugby league at an upgraded suburban venue.

» If Penrith do make the Finals, expect

a special t-shirt to be released early next week. If all turns to disaster this weekend, a sale on car wash rags is likely to be announced.

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Your team live, every round.


MATCH PREVIEW

IT'S ALL ON THE LINE PANTHERS V SEA EAGLES | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 • 5.30PM | LOTTOLAND | REFEREES: MATT CECCHIN & ALAN SHORTALL Corey Harawira-Naera in action against the Dragons Photo: Melinda Jane

PANTHERS 1

Dean Whare

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20

Josh Mansour Tyrone Peachey Waqa Blake Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Tyrone May Nathan Cleary James Tamou Peter Wallace Reagan Campbell-Gillard Corey Harawira-Naera Isaah Yeo James Fisher-Harris Sione Katoa Bryce Cartwright Tim Browne 17 Trent Merrin Moses Leota 19 V Kikau Matt Moylan 21 J Cartwright

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

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SEA EAGLES

TROY DODDS @troydodds

W

e’ve all heard about the different scenarios and equations that could play out this weekend, but let’s focus purely on Penrith’s clash with Manly at Brookvale Oval on Saturday night, because regardless of how things play out, the Panthers need to desperately avoid finishing the regular season with back to back losses. After seven straight wins, the side was brought back to Earth with a thud last Sunday afternoon, out-muscled by a Dragons side that starved them of possession at crucial stages and aimed up in defence

on their line. Penrith’s defence meanwhile left plenty to be desired and while they scrambled well at times the 46 missed tackles on the stat sheet were a major concern. With both Penrith and Manly sitting on 30 competition points, Saturday’s game couldn’t be more important. The Sea Eagles clearly have the advantage, playing at the formidable Brookvale Oval and gaining some much-needed confidence out of a late golden point win over the Warriors in New Zealand on Sunday. Both sides will be treating this like a Grand Final, knowing that their September dreams are on the line, but for Penrith proving their critics wrong is very much part of the storyline of this game. Plenty have said their seven match winning streak was soft given the opposition they faced, but beating the Sea Eagles in such an important game in the final round

of the competition would surely silence some of those doubters. I haven’t thought much of Manly over the past month but Trent Barrett will be telling his troops to put the past in the past and focus solely on the 80 minutes ahead of them. And with game breakers like Tom Trbojevic, Dylan Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans in their side, nobody can under-value what the Sea Eagles bring to the table. Losing Dylan Edwards is a crushing blow for Penrith, who have named Dean Whare at fullback this week. I don’t expect him to play there and would anticipate some late changes to the starting side on Saturday. With Matt Moylan unlikely to return, Tyrone May and Nathan Cleary – one of the most inexperienced halves combinations in the NRL – will have to do the bulk of the work when it comes to creating try scoring opportunities.

1

Tom Trbojevic

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18

Matthew Wright Dylan Walker Brian Kelly Akuila Uate Blake Green Daly Cherry-Evans Darcy Lussick Apisai Koroisau Martin Taupau Frank Winterstein Curtis Sironen Jake Trbojevic Lewis Brown 15 Lloyd Perrett Brenton Lawrence Addin Fonua-Blake Shaun Lane 19 Cam Cullen

I’d like to see Penrith’s more mobile forwards in Corey Harawira-Naera, Bryce Cartwright and Isaah Yeo really step up this weekend. Yeo had a dynamite first half of the season but has been a little quieter in recent weeks, while Cartwright has eased his way back into first grade after what’s been a shocking year both on and off the field but needs a breakout game to really announce his return. There would be no better time to do it than in an important game such as this one. The fact that Penrith have missed the second most tackles in the competition this year (behind only the Wests Tigers) concerns me heading into a game where defence will be key, especially when it comes to the for-and-against battle being played out in the bottom half of the top eight. It’s such an important game and I expect it go down to the wire. Tip: Panthers by 4.

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time


MISSED OPPORTUNITY NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

T

he Penrith Panthers had the opportunity to sniff out a place in the all-important top four this weekend, instead they’ll now fight to stay alive as their NRL Finals campaign begins one week early. A victory over St GeorgeIllawarra last Sunday would have sealed Penrith a place in the post-season but they’ll now need to either beat Manly on Saturday at Brookvale or rely on other results to go their way, to see them advance to next week. After seven straight victories and 30 competition points to boot, it’s hard to imagine the Panthers missing the top eight but it’s entirely possible. If Penrith miss out, they would be the first team since Canberra in 1999 to secure 30 or more competition points and miss the Finals. Panthers backrower Isaah Yeo said he lost a fair bit of sleep agonising over the missed opportunity against the Dragons.

“I’m pretty tired. We felt like we were the better side for periods of time… It was a bit of a sleepless night but that’s footy,” he said. “You have to get a loss sometime and hopefully it’s better now than later on.” Versatile centre Tyrone Peachey agreed saying “it’s not an ideal situation” to be in and that Penrith’s poor start to the year could cost them. “We can only put it down to ourselves,” he said. “At the start of the year we didn’t go too well. All we can do now is worry about Manly and hopefully get the two points.” The 26-year-old Indigenous All Star was very critical of Penrith’s performance last weekend, admitting he felt very deflated following his side’s first loss in 56 days. “Everyone’s pretty disappointed because we had been going so well these last seven weeks – that was our first loss – and we hadn’t had that [losing] feeling for a while,” Peachey said. “We did a few stupid things in that game that we shouldn’t have. When we were down their end we kept dropping it and doing stupid stuff. We can learn from it and hopefully not do it again this week.”

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

FEATURE

Penrith could have sealed a spot in the top eight last Sunday. Photo: Melinda Jane Penrith will have a new fullback for this Saturday’s match against the Sea Eagles after Rookie of the Year contender Dylan Edwards was ruled out through injury. “Dylan has been an enormous performer for us. He always puts his body on the line for the team and is always selfless,” Panthers winger, Josh Mansour said.

“Dylan’s a player that does all the dirty stuff really well and he’s done a lot of work for us this past month and it’s going to hurt not having him.” Edwards is expected to be sidelined with a knee injury for at least three weeks. Dean Whare has been named at fullback for this weekend’s game against Manly.

Join us for Father’s Day Mass on Saturday 2 September 10.30am at The Pavilion, Kemps Creek Cemetery 230-260 Western Rd, Kemps Creek WW29863

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

GIVEAWAY

TIME TO BE A WINNER!

W

hether you’re a Panthers, Storm or Broncos fan, show your support and devotion to your team with the help of Lorus’ new 2017 range of NRL watches. As one of Australia and New Zealand’s most popular sports, Lorus is celebrating its new NRL partnership with the release of its rugby league inspired watches for every passionate fan to wear with pride. The NRL Telstra Premiership has grown to be one of the most watched programs on Australian television and Lorus is looking forward to supporting this year’s Finals games and keeping the club teams’ rivalry alive with the introduction of team branded NRL watches. Each Lorus NRL watch is available in three different styles for every team supporter. The first two styles are matched with a stainless steel band with a white or blue mineral glass face suitable for the office and the footy oval. The third design sports a urethane strap with all three designs being 100m water resistant.

The Lorus NRL time piece range is the ultimate collector’s item for any passionate rugby league fan to show their support and be on time to every game. The new NRL 2017 range will be available across a range of retailers and will also be available on the Lorus website with the RRP starting from $95. Designed to delight and built to last, Lorus has developed a status for value and quality that is unrivalled. Get your Panthers watch just in time for the NRL Finals. For stockist enquiries, visit www.lorus.com.au or see the watches at www.lorusfootywatches.com. au. Extra Time has three Lorus Penrith Panthers watches to give away. For your chance to win one, email the code word ‘WATCH’ to competitions@westernweekender.com.au along with your contact details. Entries close Friday, September 8. Authorised under NSW Permit No. LTPM/17/01416. Terms and conditions available at www.westernweekender.com.au or from Weekender reception.

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Plenty of players have stood out in season 2017

JAMIE SOWARD

A

nother NRL season is almost over and it’s time to select my Team of the Year for 2017. Firstly, this is my opinion and I have chosen some players from left field, however there is no doubt the players I’ve selected have all had outstanding seasons for their respective clubs and deserve the recognition. My Team of the Year is… Fullback: Billy Slater To be able to come back from injury like Billy did this year shows just how great he actually is. Billy brings so much to this champion Storm side with his gameplay and competitiveness. Winger: Suliasi Vunivalu Suliasi shouldn’t just be praised for his scoring prowess but defensively he’s rock solid too. It’s a massive advantage to your team when wingers can attack and defend like Suliasi can. Centre: Will Chambers Will is probably the best centre in the world at the moment. He’s maturing as well and is making players around him better like Vunivalu and Josh Addo Carr. Five-eighth: Anthony Milford

If Anthony Milford can turn up in the Finals then the Broncos are going to be very dangerous. He’s an outstanding player that can do anything from anywhere. He’s a real x-factor for Brisbane. Halfback: Nathan Cleary (pictured) Not only is Nathan the NRL’s top point scorer for the year but to be able to direct his team around and have control of a game at such a young age is super impressive. The best thing is, he’s still learning. It’s a real pleasure to sit back and watch Nathan play. Lock: Nathan Brown Nathan’s a tough worker and can play many positions in the forwards including prop, back-row and hooker. He’s been really solid this year for the Eels and is a no nonsense kind of player. Second-row: Angus Crichton Angus has been a highlight for what has been a largely down year for Souths. He hits a nice line, defensively is very solid and he knows how to find the stripe. Angus will be even better next year with another pre-season under his belt. Prop: Reagan Campbell-Gillard I hate seeing Reg play off the bench even though it’s been working for the Panthers.

To be able to run over 150m consistently this year, he’s easily been one of Penrith’s best players this season. Watch him sneak into that Kangaroos World Cup team. Hooker: Cameron Smith Expect Cam to win his second Dally M Medal in a few weeks’ time. He’s easily been the best player this year and I believe

is having his best season to date at 34 years of age. Utility: Clint Gutherson Clint can play anywhere in the backline, is an out and out footballer and he competes on every play. He is very exciting to watch. Agree or disagree? Tweet @wwpenrith.

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panthers on the prowl

Father’s Day

The Primary Classroom Program at Panthers on the Prowl has been running continuously for 15 years. We serve local primary schools to assist in the development of social and emotional learning targeted at small groups. Each week we nominate a student of the week from a participating school to highlight their efforts.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

Brought to you by

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James attends Penrith South Public School and has been working hard to develop his ability to co-operate and be part of a team. At Panthers on the Prowl we recognise that the best way for children to learn social skills is to do so through their interactions with others. Our program emphasises the need to balance our individual strengths and desires with genuine contributions to the group. We do this through sports, music and team building activities. James has shown that with effort and concentration he can be a strong team member. Well done James. The student of the week is brought to you by

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Friday, September 1, 2017  the western weekender • extra time

IN PICTURES Photos: Melinda Jane

DRAGONS DOMINATE 27/08/ 17: Penrith fell to St George -Illawarra at Pepper Stadium Make sure the only guests in your home are the ones you have invited. Call for free advice on pests around your home including spiders, cockroaches, ants and termite control. Call The Pest Control Shop on 0433195833 Or go to www.thepestcontrolshop.com

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

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PD

W

D

L

B

F

A

Storm

23 19

0

4

2

601

330

+271 42

2 Roosters

23 16

0

7

2

480

412

+68 36

3 Broncos

23 15

0

8

2

577

423

+154 34

4 Eels

23 15

0

8

2

474

441

+33

34

5 Sharks

23 14

0

9

2

450

389

+61

32

6 Panthers

23 13

0

10

2

492

431

+61

30

7 Cowboys

23 13

0

10

2

457

423

+34

30

8 Sea Eagles

23 13

0

10

2

524

500

+24

30

9 Dragons

23 12

0

11

2

513

424

+89 28

CLUB

1

+/-

PTS

10 Raiders

23

11

0

12

2

552

465

+87

26

11 Rabbitohs

23

9

0

14

2

448

542

-94

22

12 Bulldogs

23

9

0

14

2

334

435

-101 22

13 Warriors

23

7

0

16

2

428

547

-119

14 Titans

23

7

0

16

2

432

618

-186 18

15 W. Tigers

23

6

0

17

2

385

555

-170 16

16 Knights

23

5

0

18

2

410

622

-212

CRAZY

18

14

FACE IN THE CROWD

Round 26

/ / / / / / / /

Thursday, August 31 8pm 1300Smiles Stadium Friday, September 1 7.50pm ANZ Stadium

S Saturday, September 2 3pm Allianz Stadium

S Saturday, September 2 5.30pm Lottoland

IS THIS YOU? Saturday, September 2 7.30pm AAMI Park

Sunday, September 3 2pm Hunter Stadium

Sunday, September 3 4pm ANZ Stadium

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

NRL LADDER AND FIXTURES

Is this you at a recent Penrith Panthers game? If it is, you’ve won a $100 JB HiFi voucher thanks to Penrith Homemaker Centre. To collect your prize, visit the Weekender office at 2/42-44 Abel Street, Jamisontown and ask for Nathan Taylor.

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

Sunday, September 3 6.30pm Leichhardt Oval

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

Brought to you by

Sometimes, culture is more important than results

Matt russell

W

hat price club culture? What does it even mean? Culture is a horrible word for many sports fans. It’s the native dress of an overseas country, something that lives in yoghurt, or maybe a trip to the opera. One of the best definitions came from former Canterbury and Wests Tigers player Dene Halatau during a visit to ‘NRL Tonight’ on Fox League this week. “Culture is a set of standards and behaviours adopted by a common group,” he said. The latest example came last Sunday in Penrith – star Dragon Josh Dugan dropped hours before kick-off for missing the team bus. Knowing a loss would end his season, coach Paul McGregor preferred to sack one of his best attacking weapons than accept a drop in standards. Earlier this year, Penrith coach Anthony Griffin dropped his captain Matt Moylan, along with Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku for leaving the team’s Melbourne accommodation to mingle elsewhere. Without the star trio a week later, Penrith lost 21-20 to

Club culture is critical to success Souths. Depending on results this weekend, the Panthers could finish one win outside the finals. So again, what price club culture? It’s nothing new. Halatau remembers a Tigers’ colleague being dropped on game day by then coach Mick Potter for being late to the dressing room. Peter Sterling told Triple M this week how he was dropped by Jack Gibson for being late to training, even though his legitimate excuse was that a teammate

had forgot to pick him up. Melbourne is the modern day NRL leader of club culture. Top to bottom! A few years ago two of their U20’s players stepped out of line. They were given a brutal dressing down by their Holden Cup coach. When he finished, he told them there was someone else who wants to speak. In walked Craig Bellamy. “If Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk can follow club rules, what the hell makes you think…!”

When he’d finished, the first dressing down didn’t seem so brutal. The point is good club culture is self-propagating. Coaches love it because coaches need it. If you’re not following team rules in the hotel, how can you follow a game plan next Saturday night? If you’re not at the bus stop on time, how will you make the tackle on time on Sunday afternoon? That’s why Griffin and McGregor risked a result for the sake of culture.

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SCOREBOARD

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

NRL DRAGONS 16 PANTHERS 14

Brad Fittler in the early days TROY DODDS @troydodds

T

hese days Brad Fittler is known best for his work on television, and probably next best for his time at the Sydney Roosters as both a player and coach. But out west, we know where the Brad ‘Freddy’ Fittler story truly began, and where his heart really lies. It was in the mid-1980s when Penrith ensured that a 14-year-old Fittler would later debut with the club. Coach Tim Sheens did the hard yards to sign Fittler for five years on a scholarship, knowing that by 19 the talented youngster would have worked his way through the grades and be playing top flight football. What happened from then would be

the administration of the day’s issues to sort out. Fittler would eventually make his debut for the Panthers in 1989, while still attending high school at McCarthy Senior High School. As soon as he stepped foot on the big stage, it was certain that Fittler would be a star. His fancy footwork and raw ability on the football field was there for all to see. His debut came late in the 1989 season. The 17-year-old made his entrance to first grade at Orana Park in Campbelltown, with Penrith already having the match in their keeping by the time he came off the bench. The Panthers won 37-0 that day, and Fittler set up two tries. Proving just how much belief the club had that Fittler would emerge a superstar, coach Ron Willey took the extraordinary step of playing him in the place of Chris Mortimer for a semifinal against Balmain at the Sydney

Football Stadium. But nobody knew it was coming – the Panthers had filed a team by the deadline on match-day that included Fittler on the bench and Mortimer at five-eighth. When the Panthers ran out, Mortimer was nowhere to be seen. The Panthers were later fined by the NSWRL for changing their team. It has still never been confirmed, but some say that the decision by Penrith to part ways with Ron Willey at the end of the 1989 season – despite re-signing him during the year for 1990 – was partly about the decision he made that day in relation to playing Fittler in the starting side. They say he lost the respect of some of the players, who had been making noise at Board level. Fittler would go on to play 119 games for the Panthers, including the 1991 Grand Final. He represented both New South Wales and Australia.

HOLDEN CUP DRAGONS 40 PANTHERS 10

ISP NSW

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 1, 2017

BLAST FROM THE PAST

PANTHERS 44 MAGPIES 14

Give him a gift he’ll really like this

Father’s Day

DON’T GO PAST DOVES! Great gift ideas for your dad here. If you are after the perfect gift for your dad this Father’s Day, then you can’t go past the great range of options at Doves Jewellers. With everything from the popular diecast scale model cars to quality watches, stainless steel men’s jewellery, clocks and everything in between, Doves Jewellers has the quality and the expertise to satisfy your every jewellery and giftware requirement. For over 60 years, Doves Jewellers is a family-owned business that has provided a specialist retail jewellery store with quality merchandise, and reliable services in jewellery remodelling and repairs. Today we have two stores across two locations at Queen Street and The Village Centre, St Marys. There’s a range of quality brands in store including Police, Jag, Pulsar, Lorus and NRL club watches for precious 9ct gold and sterling silver jewellery, a collection of diecast scale model cars plus many interesting gift ideas for dad.

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104 Queen St, St Marys. Ph: 9623 1141 e, Shop 29, The Village Centre, Charles Hackett Drive, St Marys. Ph: 9623 1655

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Friday, September 1, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

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CC TYRES 4731 4822

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tr ivia 1. Which former Panther (pictured) is being considered the favourite to coach New South Wales next year? 2. What will Pepper Stadium be called next year? 3. Which Fox League caller started his career at 2UE and also worked as a commentator with Channel Nine? 4. Which Australian city will host a double header in the opening round of the 2018 NRL season?

ANSWERS: 1. Brad Fittler 2. Panthers Stadium 3. Andrew Voss 4. Perth

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