Saturday 26th March at Carrington Park
Penrith 38 – Tries: May (2), Tago (2), S. Crichton (1), Staines (1); Goals: S. Crichton (5) | Newcastle 20
More: themightypanthers.com/match1308.htm
The Panthers led 4-0 when a Jarome Luai grubber into the in goal was regathered and then grounded by winger Taylan May in the corner.
Newcastle though would take the lead at the 20 minute mark with a converted try.
The Knights would be reduced to 12 men through a send off for an off the ball incident, with the Panthers taking the two from the ensuing penalty to make it 6-all with six minutes left in the half.
Penrith would go into the sheds at half time with a lead when May crossed for his second, with the lead up work from Izack Tago – he first broke the line with a dummy and then put a well weighted kick into the in goal. Stephen Crichton’s conversion from the sideline made it 12-6.
Tago would be the first to score in the second half when he ran after the ball that had ricocheted off a Sean O’Sullivan cross field bomb and dribbled into the in goal, forcing it just before it travelled dead.
Newcastle were next to respond with a converted try to make it 18-12, but Penrith would once again skip ahead when Jarome Luai ran the short side on the fifth, linking up with May who then toed it through to the in goal and grounded by Tago to also get his second try.
The Panthers went to back to back in the next set from the restart when Crichton finished off a backline movement and touched down in the corner.
However, Newcastle would reduce it to an eight point margin with a converted try.
But Penrith would close it out with two tries in the final four minutes – Taylan May crossing for a hat trick, and then Charlie Staines getting on to the try scorers list with just over a minute remaining with an acrobatic leap in the corner. Crichton’s conversion as the seconds ran down to full time made it an 18 point final margin.
The Mighty Panthers 