WINS | [2020] Round 15: Penrith 38 Cronulla 12

Sunday 26th July at CBUS Super Stadium

Penrith 38 – Tries: Mansour (2), Crichton (1), Kikau (1), Luai (1), Martin (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (5) | Cronulla 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1269.htm

Viliame Kikau opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he monstered his way over the line, dragging over a number of Sharks defenders with him. Nathan Cleary’s conversion made it 6-0.

Soon after, the lead was almost doubled when a Jarome Luai cut out pass hit Josh Mansour on the left wing and found his way to the try line.

When Liam Martin broke the line 40 metres out from the Panthers try line and found an unmarked Brent Naden to his right, the home team were up 16-0 just after the halfway mark of the first half.

Cronulla hit back with a converted try however with less than a minute remaining, Stephen Crichton won the contest from a shallow cross field bomb and barged over the line. Cleary’s extras made it 22-6.

Ten minutes after the resumption, Liam Martin from a standing start side stepped a Sharks defender and then was able to evade the cover defence as he ran 25 metres to further extend their half time lead.

This was soon followed by an individual effort by Jarome Luai as he jinked and stepped his way through the defensive line from 10 metres out.

A double to Mansour with 13 minutes remaining made it 38-6, with a late consolation try to the Sharks finishing the scoring for the match.

WINS | [2020] Round 14: Penrith 18 New Zealand Warriors 12

Friday 14th August at Central Coast Stadium

Penrith 22 – Tries: Edwards (1), Koroisau (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (3) | New Zealand Warriors 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1268.htm

A looping cut out pass from Nathan Cleary found an unmarked Brent Naden on the wing and with a clear run to the try line to open the scoring.

The visitors pushed further ahead when Apisai Koroisau darted out from dummy half about 15 minutes out and dived over adjacent to the right uprights, with Cleary’s conversion making it 10-0.

With five minutes remaining in the half, a Josh Mansour stab kick into the in goal was grounded by Dylan Edwards, with Cleary’s extras giving Penrith a 16-0 lead at half time.

The Warriors hit back early in the second half to post two converted tries and reduce Penrith’s lead to just 4 with just over 20 minutes to go.
A penalty conversion soon after to Cleary increased the buffer to 6, and whilst the Warriors continued to be tenacious in both defence and attack, were not able to further reduce the gap, as the Panthers recorded a club record ninth straight victory.

WINS | [2020] Round 13: Penrith 28 Canberra 12

Saturday 8th August at Panthers Stadium

Penrith 22 – Tries: Crichton (1), Kikau (1), Martin (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (6) | Canberra 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1267.htm

Viliame Kikau steamed on to a Nathan Cleary pass and hit a gap at close range to barge over in the tenth minute.

Minutes later the Raiders defensive line was breached as close range again when Liam Martin hit a gap and crossed over adjacent to the right upright, with the Panthers leading 12-0.

Jarome Luai threaded the needle with a well-timed and placed grubber kick with Stephen Crichton winning the race to ground the ball in the in goal.

An acrobatic finish by Brent Naden to post Penrith’s fourth try of the first half capped off a near perfect 40 minutes, with the home team leading 24-0.

The Raiders would be first to score after the restart to make it 24-6, however the Panthers would inch further ahead with a penalty conversion. Canberra would not lie down though and scored the next try to reduce the margin to 14 points heading into the final 10 minutes.

Another penalty conversion on the full time siren pushed it to the full time score of 28-12, and record a record equalling eighth straight win.

WINS | [2020] Round 12: Penrith 42 Manly 12

Saturday 1st August at Lottoland

Penrith 22 – Tries: Staines (2), Cleary (1), Crichton (1), Koroisau (1), Naden (1), Yeo (1); Goals: Cleary (7) | Manly 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1266.htm

Charlie Staines scored the opening try for the Panthers in the seventh minute when he took possession about 15 minutes out and a mixture of speed and footwork saw him reach the line just inside the dead ball line.

Soon after it was 10-0 when Isaah Yeo stepped and jinked his way to under the black dot, with the NRL bunker clearing him of a potential double movement in the lead up.

Staines bagged a double when he took a Nathan Cleary cut out pass and acrobatically dived over on almost the same blade of grass as his first try.

Just before the half hour mark it became 20-0 when Stephen Crichton finished a movement to the left flank, crossing the line untouched, with Cleary’s extras making it 22-0.

The home team finally made it on the scoreboard with just under seven minutes remaining in the half, however a penalty conversion on the stroke of half time gave the visitors a 24-6 lead at the break.

Penrith’s lead was further extended 10 minutes after the resumption when Cleary kicked for himself, dissecting a grubber back against the grain of the attack to the right and slicing through the sliding defence to score.

Manly’s second try reduced it to 30-12 with just over 23 minutes remaining.

However two more tries to the Panthers, the first one to Naden when he steamed on to a pass on the right edge and had a clear run to the line, and then to Apisai Koroisau when he darted through the defensive line only 10 metres out to cross under the uprights further extended their lead again, with the Panthers hitting 40 and leaving Lottoland with a comprehensive victory.

WINS | [2020] Round 11: Penrith 22 Gold Coast Titans 14

Sunday 26th July at CBUS Super Stadium

Penrith 22 – Tries: Crichton (1), Mansour (1), Watene-Zelezniak (1), Yeo (1); Goals: Cleary (4) | Gold Coast Titans 14

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1265.htm

In the fourth minute Josh Mansour was able to rein in a high pass and then acrobatically leap over in the left corner to open the scoring.

It was soon further extended when a chain of quick passes caught the Titans short defensively on their left edge with Stephen Crichton having a free run to the line from 30 metres out.

The Titans would fight back with their first try but was soon countered when Isaah Yeo barged his way over with an outstretched right arm, with the conversion making it 16-4.

However two quickfire tries to the Titans in the last few minutes of the half reduced the Panthers lead to just 2 at half time.

20 minutes into the second half, the Panthers pushed further ahead when Malakai Watene-Zelezniak finished a chain of passes, and in improving the position before grounding it made it easier for Nathan Cleary to move it from 20 to 22 to 14.

It would be the only points in the second half as Penrith would scrap its way to its sixth straight win and in turn made it statistically their best ever start to a season with 9 wins after 11 rounds.

WINS | [2020] Round 10: Penrith 22 North Queensland 10

Sunday 19th July at Panthers Stadium

Penrith 22 – Tries: Cleary (1), Crichton (1), Luai (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (3) | North Queensland 10

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1264.htm

The Panthers were over first after five minutes when a Nathan Cleary cross field kick was batted back by Stephen Crichton to Jarome Luai, who dummied at the line and barged over.

However, in the dying minutes of the half the Cowboys equalised wit their first try and it was locked up at 4-all at half time. The visitors would score first after the restart to lead 10-4.

A slick backline movement created a one-man advantage on the right edge and Brent Naden finished it off in the right corner. Cleary’s sideline conversion locked it up again at 10-all.

In the 58th minute, Stephen Crichton was in the right spot from a Tyrone May draw and pass and dissected through the Cowboys defensive line to cross over untouched, with Cleary’s conversion pushing it out to 16-10.

On the full time siren, the Panthers iced the contest when Cleary dummied at the line from 25 metres out and crossed adjacent to the right uprights, with victory ensuring the Panthers finished the round at the top of the table.

WINS | [2020] Round 9: Penrith 56 Cronulla 24

Saturday 11th July at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

Penrith 56 – Tries: Staines (4), Crichton (2), Burns (1), Edwards (1), Martin (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (7), Crichton (1) | Cronulla 24

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1263.htm

The opening try was scored when Brent Naden when he burst onto a pass and hit a gap at close range inside the first four minutes.

In the 12th minute Liam Martin hit yet another defensive gap in the Sharks line on their left-hand side and strolled over untouched.

Two more quickfire tries, to Stephen Crichton in the left corner and debutant Charlie Staines on the right side had the Panthers up 20-0 after 25 minutes.

In the next set, Staines backed up his first try with a try assist, busting the line down the right edge and fired a well timed pass on to the chest of Dylan Edwards looming up in support on the inside to plant the ball adjacent to the uprights.

Up 26-0 heading inside the last five minutes of the half, two quick tries to the home team had reduced it to 26-12 at half time.

Five minutes after the restart, a Nathan Cleary bomb was batted back by Naden in the contest, and picked up by Edwards who then passed it to Staines to cross for his second try.

Despite copping a head high shot, it was not enough to halt a jinking Billy Burns on his way to posting another four pointer for Penrith, and they were up 36-12 with just over 25 minutes remaining.

Cronulla was next to post points to make it 36-18, however soon after Crichton sliced through the left edge to cross for his second try.

A loose pass with just over 10 minutes remaining saw the Sharks post their fourth try to make it 44-24.

A double pump and cut out pass from Tyrone May hit Staines perfectly to score a hat trick, with Cleary’s conversion seeing Penrith crack the half century. Minutes later Staines capped off a remarkable debut crossing for his fourth try when he took a Naden flick and exploited the two on one – it was the most tries for a player on debut since 2008 and finished off a demolition job against the Sharks.

WINS | [2020] Round 8: Penrith 19 Wests Tigers 12

Saturday 4th July at Bankwest Stadium

Penrith 19 – Tries: Crichton (2), Edwards (1); Goals: Cleary (3); Field goals: Cleary (1) | Wests Tigers 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1262.htm

The Tigers were caught short on their left-hand side less than 2 minutes remaining, with Stephen Crichton strolling over untouched. Nathan Cleary’s extras made it 6-0.

However the Tigers would score the next two tries later in the first half to lead 10-6 at half time.

The Panthers would soon equalise after the restart when a Jarome Luai kick was picked up by a sliding Stephen Crichton in the in goal and skilfully was able to regather and ground it in the one movement, with Cleary’s conversion making in 12-10.

A penalty conversion to the Tigers locked it up at 12-all.

A Cleary field goal with 8 minutes remaining broke the deadlock.

In the restarting set, Apisai Koroisau broke the line around the halfway and found Dylan Edwards in support on his left-hand side, sprinting away to score under the uprights. Cleary’s conversion pushed it out to a 7 point lead, and that margin would be retained up until the full time siren.

WINS | [2020] Round 7: Penrith 20 South Sydney 12

Friday 25th June at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

Penrith 21 – Tries: Edwards (1), Cleary (1), Crichton (1), Naden (1); Goals: Cleary (2) | South Sydney 12

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1261.htm

Brent Naden opened the scoring when he took a Jarome Luai long pass from a spilled bomb and crossed over in the corner in the sixth minute.

Luai was provider again on the 27th minute mark when he weaved through a deft grubber into the in goal with Stephen Crichton winning the race to lead 8-0 into the half time break.

Soon after the resumption the Rabbitohs reduced the lead to two with a converted try.

Penrith pushed further ahead when Dylan Edwards ducked and weaved his way though the defensive line to lunge over, with the NRL Bunker clearing the lead up ruling no obstruction.

Nathan Cleary was finally able to land a conversion on his fourth attempt, with a penalty conversion pushing it out to an eight-point margin at 14-6.

With four minutes remaining an individual effort from Nathan Cleary where he ran at the line and dummied made it 18-6 and then 20-6 with his conversion.

A consolation try to South Sydney in the dying minutes did nothing more than reduce the final winning margin.

WINS | [2020] Round 6: Penrith 21 Melbourne 14

Friday 19th June at Campbelltown Stadium

Penrith 21 – Tries: Crichton (1), Kikau (1), To’o (1); Goals: Cleary (4); Field goals: Cleary (1) | Melbourne 14

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1260.htm

Penrith posted the first points after 14 minutes when Stephen Crichton finished a slack backline play that moved the ball to the left and shifted back towards the middle courtesy of a well timed Josh Mansour pass.

The visitors struck back to level it at 6 apiece, and a penalty conversion in the dying minutes gave the Panthers an 8-6 lead at half time.

In the 49th minute the Panthers further extended their advantage when Brian To’o stepped back inside and barged over, with Cleary’s extras pushing it out to an 8 point lead.

However, a converted try and penalty to Melbourne had it locked up once again at 14-all entering into the final 20 minutes.

Two minutes later however the deadlock was broken when a Cleary bomb from 20 metres out was caught by Viliame Kikau steaming through only a couple of metres out and dived his way over. Cleary’s boot provided a six point lead.

The Panthers held their defensive nerve and with just under 4 minutes remaining a Cleary field goal from 30 metres out extended the buffer to 7 and was enough to get them home in a tight encounter and recording an all too rare victory over the Storm.