Saturday 22nd August at Credit Union Australia Stadium
Penrith 26 – Tries: Tighe (2), Blair (1), Woolnough (1); Goals: Sammut (5) | South Sydney 22
More: themightypanthers.com/match0959.htm
Brad Tighe opened the scoring on the fourth minute when Luke Rooney drew in the two and one in defence and passed inside to him.
Six minute later Tighe crossed for a double when he hit a gap from a short Frank Pritchard off load, with Jarrod Sammut’s conversion making it 10-0.
In the 22nd minute, a long range Sammut grubber was not grounded properly by the Rabbitohs defenders in the in goal, with Maurice Blair grounding it, and the video referee awarding it based on benefit of doubt. Sammut’s conversion made it 16-0.
South Sydney struck back with a converted try on the half hour mark, but Penrith once again extended their lead with six minutes remaining in the half when Adam Woolnough ran hard at the line, had a defender bounce off him and then stepped to his right and barged through the gap to dive over. Sammut’s extras had it 22-6 at half time.
Two tries to the Rabbitohs in the first 20 minutes, as well as a Sammut penalty conversion had it at 24-18 at the 60 minute mark.
A second penalty conversion to Sammut pushed it to an eight point lead. A further try, which was unconverted, to the visitors made it 26-22 with nine minutes remaining.
Both teams had their chances in the dying minutes but either the last pass was dropped or last kick was too deep, and the Panthers hung on to record their first victory for 2008.
The Mighty Panthers 