WINS | [2011] Round 10: Penrith 33 Brisbane 10

Friday 13th May at Centrebet Stadium

Penrith 33 – Tries: Tighe (2), Gordon (1), Kingston (1), Lewis (1), Tahu (1); Goals: Walsh (4); Field goals: Walsh (1) | Brisbane 10

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1039.htm

Luke Walsh opened the scoring when he ran at the Broncos defensive line and placed enough downward pressure on the ball over the try line, with Michael Gordon adding the extras to make it 6-0.

In the 26th minute the Panthers doubled their lead when Kevin Kingston ran out of dummy half and burrowed over adjacent to the uprights, to lead 12-0.

The Broncos would score the next two tries, including one after the half time siren to reduce the Panthers lead to just 2.

Eight minutes after the resumption, a Luke Walsh line break 40 metres from their line finished with a Michael Gordon try who was running in support to his left after Walsh drew in the Broncos fullback.

Only minutes later, Gordon turned to provider when he took a kick from 10 metres out and whilst he jogged to the defensive line, soon busted his way through and found Brad Tighe to his right on the halfway line, who still had a bit of work to do but out ran the defenders.

Up 24-10, the Panthers pressed further ahead when Gordon once again turned up a try assist, passing it back inside for Timana Tahu who barged over.

However only minutes later Gordon would be assisted off the field with a suspected knee injury.

Despite the setback, the home team roared further ahead with a second try to Brad Tighe soon after in the corner, and Walsh having the final say with a short range field goal from right in front with only seconds to go.

WINS | [2013] Round 24: Penrith 28 Brisbane 12

Friday 23rd August at Centrebet Stadium

Penrith 28 – Tries: Segeyaro (3), Simpkins (1); Goals: Walsh (6) | Brisbane 10

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1100.htm

The Panthers opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ryan Simpkins took an inside pass from Kevin Kingston 10 metres out and despite the attention of the covering defence was able to plant the ball on the try line.

The Broncos struck back with a converted try to lock it up at 6-all before the Panthers restored their lead when James Segeyaro ran the ball from dummy half and burrowed over.

A second try to the visitors ensured that it would be 12-all at half time.

Soon after the resumption, Penrith regained the lead when Segeyaro ran through a yawning gap on the left side of the play the ball and crossed the line untouched.

A Luke Walsh penalty conversion pushed it out to 20-12 heading into the final 10 minutes and soon after the Panthers iced the contest when Walsh feigned a kick and instead passed on his inside to Segeyaro who ducked and weaved his way through the defensive line to cross for a hat trick.

PLAYERS | Joe Williams

Panther 474

1 match [2008]

4 points [2 goals]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_williams-joe.htm

Cowra junior who made his NRL debut for South Sydney in 2004. After 46 matches across four seasons, he signed with the Panthers in 2008 on a one year deal, and seen as a replacement for the departed premiership halfback Craig Gower.

Making his club debut for the Panthers in the opening round loss to the Broncos (where he kicked two conversions), he was dropped to the NSW Cup the following week.

In May, he would be granted a mid-season release and signed with Canterbury, making two NRL appearances before retiring at the end of the 2008 season and switching to a boxing career.

He would return to rugby league later, finishing his playing career with Dubbo CYMS in 2012.

Post career he has become a well known indigenous as well as mental health advocate.

WINS | [2011] Round 5: Penrith 36 Canberra 10

Saturday 9th April at Centrebet Stadium

Penrith 36 – Tries: Simmons (3), Burns (1), Civoniceva (1), Gordon (1); Goals: Gordon (6); Field goals: Walsh (1) | Canberra 18

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1035.htm

The Panthers opened the scoring within the first four minutes when David Simmons was the beneficiary of a well timed Luke Walsh cut out pass and scrambled over in the corner.

Seven minutes later Simmons was over for his second when a Travis Burns chip kick was spilt by the Canberra defence and picked up the scraps to plant the ball under the black dot, with Gordon’s second conversion making it 12-0 after as many minutes.

The visitors soon hit back wit an unconverted try, but the home team would soon extend their lead with a fortuitous four pointer – a Walsh stab kick aimed for the in goal was initially for Michael Jennings, but in his attempt to ground it he actually knocked the ball back and Burns was in support to be the first to ground the live ball.

Penrith would lead 18-4 at the half time break.

Canberra would be the first to score after the restart to reduce Penrith’s lead to 8.

David Simmons crossed over for a hat trick when he finished a left side move that was started by a Michael Gordon line break.

The Panthers would put their foot down in the final 20 minutes by crossing for two more tries – firstly a second to Michael Gordon when he ran off a Trent Waterhouse reverse flick pass and then caped off by captain Petero Civoniceva grounding the ball that deflected off the upright padding from a Walsh grubber to complete a comprehensive 26 point victory.

WINS | [2011] Round 25: Penrith 19 Canberra 18

Saturday 25th August at Canberra Stadium

Penrith 19 – Tries: Simmons (1), Tighe (1), Walsh (1); Goals: Walsh (3); Field goals: Walsh (1) | Canberra 18

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1053.htm

After only three minutes, Luke Walsh finished a long range try that started with an Adrian Purtell line break. His conversion gave the visitors a 6-0 lead.

However, the Raiders would soon after equalise and then score again to hold a 12-6 lead at half time.

A well placed cross field bomb from Walsh was spilt by the Canberra defenders and propelled forward into Brad Tighe who then barged his way over the line, with Walsh’s conversion making it 12-all.

In the 52nd minute, debutant Blake Austin broke the line, and an inside pass was touched by the Raiders defenders, and picked up by Lachlan Coote, who then through a chain of passes found an unmarked David Simmons on the left edge to cross over in the corner. Walsh’s sideline conversion saw the Panthers regain the lead.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, a Walsh field goal from just over 20 metres out gave Penrith a 7 point buffer.

A Canberra try with only two minutes remaining reduced it to a 1 point margin but the Penrith held on by the barest of margins.

PLAYERS | Adam Woolnough

Panther 475

17 matches [2008-2009]

4 points [1 try]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_woolnough-adam.htm

Taree junior who made his NRL debut for Newcastle in 2002. After 117 matches across 6 seasons, he signed with the Panthers for 2008.

Making his club debut for the Panthers in the opening round in the front row, he played the first four matches before suffering injury, before returning for the final four matches of the season.

Another injury ravaged season in 2009 saw him announce his retirement at seasons end and was released early from his three year contract.

However, he made a return to the NRL in 2011, making 21 appearances for Melbourne before playing out his career for Lakes United in the Newcastle competition, before moving to Brisbane and was on the coaching staff of the Easts Tigers Queensland Cup team in 2018.

PLAYERS | Joseph Paulo

Panther 476

30 matches [2008-2011]

16 points [4 tries]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_paulo-joseph.htm

St. Clair junior who was a member of the premiership winning Jersey Flegg team in 2007 before moving up to the Under 20s Toyota Cup in 2008.

Primarily a second rower / lock forward, he was a number of Toyota Cup squad members who would graduate to the NRL team that year, making his debut in the second row in their golden point victory over the Sharks. In total, he would make 8 appearances in the NRL throughout 2008, alternating between starting and bench forward.

He was selected in the Samoa World Cup squad later that year, playing in three of their pool matches.

Over the next three seasons, he would be a part of the NRL squad and would make a total of 22 appearances, primarily coming off the bench and crossed for his first try in the 2009 season.

In 2010, he was a part of the Windsor Wolves team that were runners up in the NSW Cup.

Midway through the 2011 season, after a solitary NRL appearance he was granted a release and signed with Parramatta.

After 5 seasons, he joined Cronulla in 2016, and was a non-playing member of their maiden premiership that year. In 2018, he moved to St. Helens in the English Super League and in 2021 shifted to Toulouse in the second tier Championship.

WINS | [2012] Round 12: Penrith 22 Manly 4

Monday 27th May at Centrebet Stadium

Penrith 22 – Tries: Coote (1), Daniela (1), Lewis (1), Tighe (1); Goals: Walsh (3) | Manly 4

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1066.htm

The contest remained scoreless until the 32nd minute, when Lachlan Coote ran off a Ryan Simpkins offload and dissected through the defensive line to cross under the posts.

Manly soon hit back with a try, however it remained unconverted and Penrith held a 6-4 lead at half time.

There was once again a large period of time in the second half with the scoreline not changing, until in the 67th minute the Panthers pulled further ahead when Brad Tighe won the race to the ball from a Luke Walsh grubber.

Two more tries to Geoff Daniela and Luke Lewis sealed the upset 18 point victory over the defending premiers.

WINS | [2013] Round 26: Penrith 38 Manly 26

Sunday 8th September at Brookvale Oval

Penrith 38 – Tries: Mansour (1), Masoe (1), Newton (1), Segeyaro (1), Walsh (1), Whare (1); Goals: Walsh (6), Newton (1) | Manly 26

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1102.htm

The home team crossed for the first three tries to lead 16-0 after 25 minutes.

The visitors finally got on to the board when Luke Walsh threaded through a grubber near the line that was taken by Lachlan Coote, who then shot the ball back inside to the supporting Walsh to cross adjacent to the uprights. Walsh’s conversion made it 16-6.

Minutes later, James Segeyaro took advantage of lazy marker defence at the play the ball to burrow over from close range, wit conversion successful and reducing Manly’s lead to just four at the half time break.

Two minutes after the resumption, the scores were tied when Josh Mansour caught a Coote cut out pass and leaped acrobatically in the left corner. Walsh’s sideline conversion gave the Panthers the lead for the first time.

However, the Sea Eagles would regain the lead with an unconverted try, but Penrith would fight back again when Clint Newton ran back inside off a Walsh pass and charged his way through the defensive line to score, with the conversion making it 26-20.

With just under 8 minutes remaining, Manly locked it up at 26-all with a converted try.

However, the Panthers would ultimately have the final say, throwing the ball around on the fifth tackle, and a cross field kick finding an unmarked Dean Whare on the right wing, crossing over untouched.

On the attack near the line in the dying seconds, the Panthers put an exclamation mark on a promising season when Mose Masoe barged over.

PLAYERS | Josh Bateman

Panther 478

2 matches [2008]

0 points

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_bateman-josh.htm

Grenfell Goannas junior who was recruited by the Panthers and was a part of the Jersey Flegg premiership winning team in 2006.

By 2008 he had graduated to the NRL squad, and made his NRL debut in Round 13 off the bench in their narrow loss to Cronulla at CUA Stdium, and made his starting debut on the wing the following week against the Roosters. However, he would suffer a shoulder injury and whilst he would return before the end of the season, was not able to break back into the NRL team, and played out the season in the NSW Cup.

He would remain apart of the lower grades system at Penrith over the next two seasons, with his final appearance being for the Windsor Wolves in the NSW Cup grand final in 2010.

In 2011, he moved to Gladstone in central Queensland and played in their local competition, before returning to Grenfell to play out his career for the Goannas in the Woodbridge Cup.