Extra Time June 3 2022 (Round 13)

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 3, 2022

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Dylan Edwards in action last week. Photo: NRL Images.

TROY DODDS

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t the half-way point of the season it is hard to imagine even Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, or the most hardened of Panthers supporters, could have predicted the ladder would look quite like this.

A Panthers team sitting four points clear at the top of the league heading to Origin, with just one loss and a clean bill of health. It’s been an extraordinary season. If only September was next week.

This Friday night presents a wonderful challenge for Penrith to test its depth against Canterbury, with six premium first graders out due to State of Origin commitments, including both halves.

This is indeed a good thing – depth will be needed in the second half of the season, and Penrith’s position at this stage of the year gives

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Penrith’s depth fell short last Origin campaign, but you get the feeling things will be different this time. The side appears more settled, and a number of players – like Sean O’Sullivan – have already been blooded this season, preparing them for this period of the year.

Traditionally this game may have been considered a bit of a non-event, with so many stars out and the Bulldogs sitting last on the competition ladder. However it’s anything but, particularly given Penrith’s newfound rivalry with the Dogs – mainly surrounding player movements.

There’s no doubt Matt Burton will be keen

to have a big game against his former club, to prove – even to himself – that he made the right call in switching camps.

As much as the players who are out will make this a closer game than it ordinarily would have been, I still believe the Panthers will win comfortably.

Half the spine is still there in Dylan Edwards and Api Koroisau, while the starting front row of Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris remains. It’ll be up to them to lay the platform so the likes of Sean O’Sullivan and Kurt Falls can show what they’ve got close to the line.

There is no doubt that the Bulldogs have patches of good football in them. They scored three tries in the space of 12 minutes against the Dragons last weekend – problem is they’d already conceded three in the space of six.

PANTHERS

Should Canterbury get a roll-on at some stage on Friday night, there’s no doubt Penrith could enter panic mode without the likes of Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo there to calm the situation and manage the side out of the hole.

But I suspect Penrith, now with a ‘next man up’ mentality made famous by Melbourne, will likely lead this one and be able to control proceedings for most of the evening.

No matter what happens this first versus last encounter certainly offers a more interesting affair than we may have usually expected – and I’m looking forward to it.

It might not be the highest quality game of the season, but it’ll certainly offer plenty of talking points.

Penrith will get home here.

Tip: Panthers by 14.

BULLDOGS

1 Dylan Edwards (c)

10 James Fisher-Harris

1 Matt Dufty

2 Taylan May

11 Viliame Kikau

2 Jacob Kiraz

10 Paul Vaughan 11 Josh Jackson

3 Izack Tago

12 Chris Smith

3 Aaron Schoupp

12 Raymond Faitala-Mariner

4 Robert Jennings

13 Matthew Eisenhuth

4 Jake Averillo

13 Max King

5 Charlie Staines

14 Mitch Kenny

5 Josh Addo-Carr

14 Zach Dockar-Clay

6 Kurt Falls

15 Scott Sorensen

6 Matt Burton

15 Corey Waddell

7 Sean O’Sullivan

16 Spencer Leniu

7 Kyle Flanagan

16 Chris Patolo

8 Moses Leota

17 Jaeman Salmon

8 Luke Thompson

17 Ava Seumanufagai

9 Api Koroisau

18 Soni Luke 19 J’Maine Hopgood

9 Jeremy Marshall-King

18 Jackson Topine 19 Bailey Biondi-Odo

Friday, June 3, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time

31

panther rumblings

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ROYCE RETURNS TO HUGE PRAISE !

Royce returns: Panthers legend Royce Simmons received a hero’s welcome upon returning to Penrith from his ‘Big Walk’ fundraiser last Friday. Simmons was greeted by fellow residents of The Royce along with family and friends, before heading over to Panthers Stadium where thousands of fans had turned up early to congratulate the Premiership-winning hooker. Panthers Chairman Peter Graham was on hand to announce a further $100,000 donation to the cause, meaning ‘Royce’s Big Walk’ raised more than $600,000 for Dementia Australia.

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NRLW expansion: The Panthers have formally applied for entry into the NRLW competition, but my understanding is the club wishes to be part of the 2024 expansion to 10 teams, not the 2023 move to eight teams. The NRL is very keen for Penrith to be represented in the women’s competition, so you can rest assured entry into the league is a formality.

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Donation: Panthers officials handed over a whopping $20,000 cheque to the Men of League Foundation last week. Following Penrith’s Round 7 victory over the Raiders in ANZAC Round, the club auctioned off 18 individual playing jerseys, as well as a team signed and framed jersey. The proceeds go towards helping former rugby league players who have fallen on hard times. Men of League’s Samantha Gordon said: “We’re very impressed with the donation and it will go towards a lot of families and communities that we support. For everyone in the local grassroots community, this will make a massive difference.”

ward prepares to join Canterbury next season.

Despite all the dramas at the Dogs, I’m told Kikau is 100 per cent still headed to Belmore next season and there’s been no talk about him trying to get out of the deal. The Panthers are certainly getting their money’s worth out of Kikau this year, turning him into an 80 minute player as he chases back-to-back titles.

Royce Simmons.

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In the dog house: Talking of the Bulldogs, one does ponder if there’s any regret from former Panthers centre Matt Burton about his switch to Canterbury. You’d have to think Burton would have been a lock for at least a bench position for New South Wales this year if he was still at Penrith. Josh Addo-Carr must be pondering similar thoughts given he’s lost his NSW wing jumper. The Panthers likely would have kept Burton for this season had his management been patient, but they jumped too quickly; convinced he was a half and that his only long-term opportunity was outside of Penrith.

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Rest up: You can almost guarantee Ivan Cleary will rest a couple of Origin players from Penrith’s game against Newcastle next weekend. He’ll see how the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Isaah Yeo come out of the first game before deciding if they line up against the Knights on the Sunday. The Panthers have to travel to Queensland the following Saturday to play the Warriors, so this period will be managed carefully and patiently.

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Formal blues: Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o and Jarome Luai were looking pretty slick at the True Blues Dinner, held in Sydney on Tuesday night. The e vent was part of the formalities of Origin week.

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Cleary on crutches: Penrith may be without a host of players this weekend but Origin is the only drain on the club at present, with no serious injuries to report. In fact, the only Panther with a problem at present remains coach Ivan Cleary – who had to make his way to the

coach’s box last Friday night on crutches due to his troublesome knee (pictured below).

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Rivals unite: They may be arch enemies on the field but I’m told Penrith and Parramatta are working together on education programs involving schools in western Sydney.

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Kikau still Bulldogs-bound: It’s no surprise that rumours are doing the rounds about Viliame Kikau’s future, as the big for-

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32

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 3, 2022

feature

KENNY CONFIDENT IN PATCHED-UP PENRITH NATHAN TAYLOR

make their debut and blokes who haven’t had the opportunity to play NRL in a while,” he said.

“The guys coming in have been playing consistent footy in NSW Cup all season, so I don’t expect their combinations to be rusty at all. If they turn up for each and play hard – like they’ve been doing each week in Cup – the result will take care of itself.”

Making the situation a tad less stressful for Panthers supporters is the fact the defending Premiers and current competition leaders will be taking on the struggling Canterbury Bulldogs.

Kenny said ladder positioning shouldn’t come into the equation this round with so many experienced players out with Origin.

“That sort of stuff is going to be irrelevant at this time of year. It’s a different first-placed team that’s sitting on top of the ladder at the moment,” he said.

“We’re missing a lot of our big guns and we’re not thinking about it being first verses last.”

Mitch Kenny at Panthers training on Wednesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.

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ven minus six of their best due to Origin commitments, Panthers utility Mitch Kenny believes his side can remain successful over the next six weeks if they “stick to the process”.

While State of Origin selection is a huge honour for clubs around the NRL, it can be a tricky period to manage if you are not prepared.

Following a less than impressive initiation to mass representative selection in 2021, Penrith appear to be in far better shape this year as they look to keep their winning run alive.

After losing to the struggling Tigers and Sharks in consecutive weeks during Origin last season, Kenny said Penrith is far better placed this time around.

“Last year was the first time this club has had that challenge and we learned a lot from it,” he told Extra Time on Wednesday.

“It will be a very different looking

side for us this Friday night but we’re full of confidence – not only in the guys coming in but in our systems and in our culture.

“I think the club is definitely in a better position than it was last year at Origin time, but it’s still going to be testing for us. We’ve got a massive match on our hands and we’re not going ahead of ourselves.”

While Api Koroisau, Dylan Edwards, James Fisher-Harris, Viliame Kikau and Moses Leota are still present for Friday night’s clash against the battling Bulldogs, several inexperienced players will be joining them.

Dolphins-bound centre Robert Jennings will be lining up for his first NRL game of the year, Chris Smith and Sean O’Sullivan will play just their second and fourth games respectively, while 25-year-old fiveeighth Kurt Falls will be making his NRL debut.

Kenny said he’s excited to see some of his teammates get another shot at the big league.

“It’s a really exciting week and a great time of year, seeing blokes

Friday, June 3, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time

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feature

BLUE BRIGADE WILL DO PENRITH PROUD NATHAN TAYLOR

C

hampion Panthers and Blues halfback Nathan Cleary says the club has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years when it comes to State of Origin selection.

From zero representatives in 2017 to a whopping seven in 2022, Panthers players make up a third of Brad Fittler’s 22-man NSW squad for Origin I. Speaking with Extra Time before selection last week, Cleary – who will play his 11th game in the sky-blue next Wednesday night – said it’s “exciting” to have so many of his premiership-winning teammates involved this year.

“We’ve come a long way from a couple of years ago when there was only one and now it’s exciting to have a lot of guys in the mix and getting their names tossed about,” he said.

“It’s cool for them and good for the team and the club as a whole.”

Joining Cleary in the NSW side this year is his halves partner Jarome Luai, who made his Origin debut during the successful 2021 campaign. Also back for another tilt at the coveted shield is powerhouse winger and fan favourite Brian To’o. Panthers co-captain and lock Isaah Yeo will run out for the Blues in his third straight series, while hardworking backrower Liam Martin will line up for his fourth Origin game next Wednesday night at Accor Stadium.

Despite a serious COVID bubble breach in NSW camp last year, Panthers hooker Api Koroisau has won back the trust of coach Fittler and fellow selector Greg Alexander, named back-up dummy half to South Sydney’s Damien Cook.

Koroisau won’t play in Game I next Wednesday night unless there’s an injury to Cook in the lead-up to the match.

After helping secure Penrith its third

Brian To’o... being Brian To’o.

34

Stephen Crichton shares a laugh with Brian To’o at Blues training this week. Photo: NRL Images.

premiership last October, Grand Final hero Stephen Crichton has been named to make his State of Origin debut.

The 21-year-old centre, who was a development player for NSW during the 2020 series, will play his first game for the Blues next week off the interchange bench.

Canberra’s Jack Wighton will start in the centres alongside Broncos star Kotoni Staggs, with Crichton to wear the number 14.

Speaking with NSWRL Media, the St Clair Comets junior said it was an emotional moment receiving the call-up from Fittler last Sunday morning.

“It was pretty nerve-racking… I was on my way to church practice, and I just seen his caller ID come up on my car while I was driving,” Crichton recalled.

“I had Mum in the car, and it was pretty crazy. I was so nervous to answer it, but I ended up answering it and he told me the exciting news. I just remember Mum breaking down, she just started crying.

I shed a few tears as well and then after that I got to church and told my Dad.” Crichton, who has scored eight tries for the top-of-the-table Panthers already this season, said he can’t wait to hit the Origin arena with his best friends.

“Bringing a lot of the boys from the foot of the Mountains to here gives me great confidence to play as well, and they know the way that I play,” he said.

“It will be good to mix and mingle with the other boys and learn off them... I’m just really excited!”

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 3, 2022

Speaking with the media on Monday, Fittler said his favourite part of the job was informing players of selection.

“Stephen’s phone call was the best this time,” he admitted.

“I could hear his Mum in the background, and I think she was freaking out a little bit.

That’s the beauty of this position, is you get to make some really great phone calls and when

you first get to see them come into camp it’s a real privilege.”

Despite rookie Queensland coach Billy Slater naming a strong and exciting Maroons side for Origin I, Freddy’s Blues will go into the blockbuster clash next Wednesday night as favourites with the bookmakers.

Kick-off is at 8.10pm, with plenty of tickets still available.

From Penrith to Origin: Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin. Photo: NRL Images.

REPORT CARD: MY MID-SEASON PENRITH PANTHERS REVIEW I

can’t believe we’re halfway through the 2022 season, it’s gone so fast with some wonderful football being played by the Panthers to this point. A big plus is the fact that Penrith won their first three games without halfback Nathan Cleary. It’s true when they say all the teams the Premiers play during the season lift a notch when taking them on. Only one loss and 11 wins means that the Panthers can handle the heat and don’t need to leave the kitchen.

lang on

league

season, e.g. Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards, but gone up a cog as well. Other big improvers include Viliame Kikau, Taylan May and Izack Tago. The last two have been particularly strong and made Penrith’s left side attack a particularly brutal weapon to fire.

Stephen Crichton also deserves special mention as his improved form has seen him selected for the New South Wales in State of Origin.

GRADE: A+ Who needs to lift: While he’s still posting impressive numbers, Brian To’o has been a little under his blistering form of last season.

A serious knee injury earlier this year has meant that it’s taken the pocket rocket a few weeks to really blast-off upon his return but he showed he was almost back to his best against the Cowboys last week.

Attack: Currently Penrith have scored 344 points, which is the second-best attack in the competition behind the Storm with 375 points. The Panthers have convincingly beaten contenders like the Storm (32-6), Broncos (40-12) and the Roosters (32-12) showing a great deal of patience in attack. In saying that, I don’t think Penrith have hit their peak in attack yet and they don’t need to at the halfway mark.

GRADE: A+ The Panthers are riding high on top of the table. Photo: NRL Images.

with Peter Lang

Defence: Not surprisingly, given they built their 2021 Premiership on the back of their defence, the Panthers are the number one team in this department, letting in a paltry 128 points or a measly 10.6 a game. Some of their defensive highlights include matches against

the Cowboys (22-0), Sea Eagles (28-6) and the Storm (32-6). Even so, I still feel there’s plenty of improvement left in the boys who have only conceded 20 points or more only twice this year, a 38-20 win over the Knights and a 22-20

loss to the Eels.

GRADE: A+ Player performances: Once again it’s been the senior players who have not only carried over their wonderful form from last

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Coaching: Has been nothing short of perfect really. I mean when you lose one game out of 12 you must be doing something right. The most impressive part of the coaching this year came when Ivan Cleary missed two games due to a knee problem. One game was a close two-point loss while the other, a convincing victory over the Storm. GRADE: A+ OVERALL GRADE: A+

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the western weekender » Friday, June 3, 2022

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SAVE $8

nrl ladder & fixtures CLUB

PD

W

D

L

B

F

A

+/-

PTS

ROUND 13

1

Panthers

12

11

0

1

0

344

128

+216

22

2

Storm

12

9

0

3

0

375

186

+189

18

3

Cowboys

12

8

0

4

0

287

153

+134

16

4

Broncos

12

8

0

4

0

268

205

+63

16

5

Eels

12

8

0

4

0

309

253

+56

16

6

Roosters

12

7

0

5

0

269

216

+53

14

7

Sharks

12

7

0

5

0

260

222

+38

14

8

Rabbitohs

12

6

0

6

0

280

253

+27

12

9

Dragons

12

6

0

6

0

209

282

-73

12

Face In Th e Crowd

10

Raiders

12

5

0

7

0

210

251

-41

10

IS THIS YOU?

11

Sea Eagles

12

5

0

7

0

220

280

-60

10

12

Warriors

12

4

0

8

0

213

311

-97

8

13

Knights

12

4

0

8

0

160

300

-140

8

14

Titans

12

3

0

9

0

202

300

-98

6

15

Tigers

12

3

0

9

0

180

298

-118

6

16

Bulldogs

12

2

0

10

0

142

291

-149

4

V

Thursday, June 2 7.50pm Cbus Super Stadium

V

Friday, June 3 7.55pm BlueBet Stadium

V

Saturday, June 4 7.35pm 4 Pines Park

V

Sunday, June 5 4.05pm GIO Stadium

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Friday, June 3, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time

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39

WHO’S ON TRACK TO MAKE THE FINALS AT THE HALF-WAY POINT? 1

warren

smith Brought to you by

2 games down, 12 to go.

We’ve reached the halfway mark of this season’s minor premiership, so it seems appropriate to give an end of semester report before the whips start cracking in the race to the Finals.

In most seasons, a 50 per cent winning record is enough to get you a place in the playoffs. 12 wins, 12 losses.

There are exceptions, but for the most part, if you notch up 12 victories you’re more than likely to be playing in the Finals.

With that in mind, the Panthers, from a purely mathematical point of view, have just about secured the place in another Finals Series after winning 11 of their first 12 games.

We’ve long known they were going to give a premiership-repeat a massive shake in 2022, and it would take a terrible second half of the season for them to miss finishing in the top four.

Melbourne, at nine wins and three losses, have once again proven that they will be a significant factor in deciding this year’s title, and despite a couple of wobbly weeks when injuries robbed them of key playmakers, we’ll put them down for another of the top four positions by the time we reach September.

There are three teams locked together on eight wins, five losses – the Cowboys, Broncos and Eels. The two Queensland-based outfits have come a long way in a short space of time, so it’s hard to be sure that they can keep that pace going over the State of Origin period and beyond, but even if they were to tail-off from a form perspective it’s likely that they would only need to win four or five of their remaining 12 games to book a finals berth.

The Roosters and Sharks at 7-5 have shown

The Panthers and Eels look set for Top 4 berths. Photo: NRL Images.

that they are good enough to play in the Finals, however there are question marks over their ability to push themselves into a coveted top four spot.

That gives us seven teams who are on track to meet the first of the season’s objectives.

Now it gets interesting.

The Rabbitohs and Dragons have both won six and lost six as we enter June. Repeat that effort and For and Against will decide who plays in the big games and who heads on holidays early.

The Raiders and Sea Eagles are at five and seven, and if 12 wins is the minimum we’re looking for, they’ll both have to flip that record and win at least seven of their last 12 games.

Canberra has the ability to do that, but the jury is out on what Manly can do without Tom Trbojevic the rest of the way.

Of the remaining teams, it would require something approaching a miracle for the 4-8 Warriors and Knights to win eight of the 12 games they have left. The Titans have been the big disappointment of 2022. It looked like they had laid the groundwork for an exciting season with their 2021 performance, but they’ll be rueing some interesting roster moves and an out of kilter salary cap.

The Tigers may well have a new coach in the coming weeks while the Bulldogs have already beaten them to the punch in that regard.

Busco for Brekky Drive with Linden and

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 3, 2022

PANTHERS FEEL NRL DRAIN AS CUP, FLEGG POST BIG DEFEATS T

lower grades report with Lachlan Jeffery @LachlanJeffery

he Penrith Panthers have fallen to their second loss of the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup season with a 36-26 defeat to the Newcastle Knights.

The Panthers, who rested seven regulars ahead of first grade duty this week, stayed with the Knights during the first half, before falling away in the second.

The Panthers got off to the perfect start, scoring inside two minutes when fill-in halves Jack Cole and Niwhai Puru combined to send Christian Crichton over in the righthand corner.

After a tight opening 20 minutes, Newcastle broke the game open when Ben Talty crashed over from close range, before a shift from a scrum saw Nick O’Meley cross to give the Knights a six-point lead.

The margin grew to 10 when the Panthers were unable to defend a grubber.

Slick hands down the right sent Crichton in for his second shortly before the break. In the dying seconds, Soni Luke kicked ahead for himself and sent Mavrik Geyer in under the posts.

The Panthers then took the lead in the opening set of the second half when Geyer successfully charged down a Knights’ kick and raced away to score his second try of the afternoon.

Momentum soon swung back to

Newcastle when Luke Huth ducked over from dummy-half.

The Knights piled on three more tries when Preston Riki was sin-binned midway through the half to blow the scoreline out, however a last minute try to Thomas Jenkins gave some respectability to the score.

It was a similar story in the Jersey Flegg Cup with the Panthers losing several players to NSW Cup duty.

Errors and penalties by Penrith gave Newcastle plenty of opportunities and they opened up a 12-0 lead by half-time.

That trend continued in the first 15 minutes of the second half as Newcastle surged to 26-0.

With the game all but wrapped up, the Knights seemed to let up, allowing Mason Teague and Angelis Hotere-Papalii to score, however it wasn’t enough as the undermanned Panthers fell 26-12.

In Round 13, the Panthers lower grades play the Dragons on Friday afternoon at BlueBet Stadium as the curtain-raisers to Preston Riki was sin-binned last week. Photo: Jake Hunter. the NRL.

my panther memories

“Ultra-fast, super professional and delivering way much more than I ever anticipated” - Melinda Leyshon, write copy

NAME: JENNY PRONESTI | SUBURB: GLENMORE PARK What is your greatest Penrith Panthers memory?

The 2014 semi final when Jamie Soward kicked a field goal at Allianz Stadium to win the semi for Penrith. What a game. Will never forget the atmosphere at that game.

Why was this memory so important?

The atmosphere was electric and we played the Roosters.

The fans totally got behind all of the players.

Such a tight good game.

How long have you been supporting the Panthers?

All my life and I’m 56.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 3, 2022