WINS | [2012] Round 21: Penrith 21 Cronulla 20

Saturday 28th July at Toyota Stadium

Penrith 21 – Tries: Coote (2), Jennings (1), M. Robinson (1); Goals: Walsh (2); Field goals: Walsh (1) | Cronulla 20

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1073.htm

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The first points were not posted until 24 minutes into the contest when Lachlan Coote grounded a Luke Walsh angled grubber kick directly under the black dot to see Penrith take the lead.

Two tries in the last five minutes of the second half to the home team lead 10-6 at half time.

The Panthers locked it up at 10-all soon after the resumption when Coote lunged over for his second.

Cronulla soon regained the lead, but Penrith once again pegged it back when Matt Robinson hit a gap off a Walsh pass and ran about 15 metres to score, with Walsh’s near sideline conversion giving the visitors a 16-14 lead.

In a see sawing affair, the Sharks once again regained the lead with just over three minutes remaining to make it 20-16.

However, the Panthers opted the short kick off from the restart and were able to regain possession after the ball had gone the required 10 metres and had gone dead over the sideline.

On the second tackle, and inside the last minute Michael Jennings busted through the line about 10 metres out and sprinted his way to the line to lock it up at 20-all. Walsh was not able to land the sideline conversion and therefore the match went into golden point.

With just over a minute gone in the first period of golden point, Walsh drilled a field goal from close range to give the Panthers a 1 point victory.

WINS | [2015] Round 8: Penrith 26 Cronulla 18

Sunday 26th April at Pepper Stadium

Penrith 26 – Tries: Moylan (1), Peachey (1), Simmons (1), Watene-Zelezniak (1) | Cronulla 18

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1136.htm

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In the fifth minute the Panthers opened the scoring when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak broke the line (and managed to regather the ball after an attempted strip from a Sharks defender), with David Simmon’s support play being rewarded when he received the pass and ran 30 metres to touch down adjacent to the right uprights. Matt Moylan added the extras to give the home team a 6-0 lead.

The Sharks would strike back with the next two tries to lead 10-6 on the 15 minute mark.

A one handed off load from Moylan at close range found Watene-Zelezniak who barged over to tie it up at 10 apiece, and the Panthers regaining the lead with Moylan’s conversion.

However the visitors would once again regain the lead with a converted try and a penalty conversion on the stroke of half time saw them lead 18-12 at the break.

What started as a Lewis Brown break down the right hand side soon after the resumption ended in a four pointer to Moylan, with his conversion tying it up at 18 all, and soon after a penalty conversion saw the Penrith lead 20-18.

The home team clung on to the slender lead for a large portion of the second half, and with less than 10 minutes remaining a Will Smith grubber into the in goal was grounded first by Tyrone Peachey in the in goal, further extending the lead, with the home team holding on for a hard fought 8 point victory.

PLAYERS | Ben Rogers

Panther 443

11 matches [2004-2005]

8 points [2 tries]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_rogers-ben.htm

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St. Dominic’s junior who made his NRL debut as a 19-year old for the Panthers as the starting five-eighth against St. George Illawarra at Penrith Stadium. He would make a total of five appearances in his first NRL season, with the majority of the matches off the bench.

In 2005 he was part of the NRL squad but his appearances in the top grade would be limited to six, once again alternating between starting five-eighth and coming off the bench.

Seeking greater opportunities, he joined South Sydney in 2006, and later playing for St. George Illawarra and Newcastle, where recurring injuries forced him into retirement aged just 26 at the end of the 2011 season.

PLAYERS | Tas Baiteri

Panther 143

16 matches [1976-1978; 1980-1981; 1985]

0 points

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_baiteri-tas.htm

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Forward who made his first grade debut at Penrith in 1977, coming on as a replacement in their victory over Newtown at Penrith Park. Over the next five seasons he would make a total of 15 appearances, either as a starting forward in both the front and second rows, as well as a number as a replacement.

He would leave the Panthers to join the Bulldogs in 1982 and after three seasons returned to the Panthers in 1985 and making one final first grade appearance before retiring.

In 1986 he was appointed the French national coach and later would be an active participant in the growth of rugby league internationally as a development officer.

 

PLAYERS | David Topliss

Panther 123

11 matches [1976]

0 points

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_topliss-david.htm

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Great Britain international who played nine seasons at English club Wakefield Trinity before arriving in Australia in 1977 after being recruited by the Panthers.

A skilful five-eighth, he started the season at Penrith in reserve grade and made his club debut for the Panthers as a replacement in Round 5 against South Sydney.

He was later dropped back to reserve grade, allegedly based on defensive deficiencies but later made a return to first grade playing the last 6 premiership matches as the starting five-eighth.

He would link up with Balmain in 1977, emerging as one of the premiership’s in form players before returning to England and playing out his career at a number of clubs before retiring in 1988.

Sadly he would pass away in 2008 aged 58.

PLAYERS | Richard Fa’aoso

Panther 442

10 matches [2004]

8 points [2 tries]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_faaoso-richard.htm

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Brisbane junior who was recruited by the Panthers, starting in the lower grades and was a member of the St. Mary’s-Penrith Cougars Premier League team that made the grand final in 2003.

In 2004 he was made part of the NRL squad and in Round 14 made his NRL debut against St. George Illawarra. He would make a total of 10 appearances that season, all off the bench as a replacement forward. In the club record 72-12 victory over Manly at Penrith Stadium he crossed for a brace of tries. His final appearance for the Panthers would be the preliminary final loss to the Bulldogs, having signed with the Sydney Roosters for the 2005 season.

In 2006, he played for Castleford in the English Super League before returning to Australia in 2007, signing with Parramatta. He would later join Newcastle, then Melbourne (being a part of the 2012 premiership winning squad), Manly before finishing at Parramatta in 2015 and entering retirement.

PLAYERS | Amos Roberts

Panther 438

23 matches [2004]

156 points [23 tries, 32 goals]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_roberts-amos.htm

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Kempsey born utility back who made his NRL debut with St. George Illawarra in 2000. After 63 matches across four seasons he joined the defending premiers Penrith for the 2004 season.

His club debut for the Panthers was on the wing in the Round 2 victory over Canberra at Canberra Stadium, crossing for a try. Already a noted prolific try scorer at the Dragons, he bought that form to the Panthers, posting four tries in his second match versus the Warriors in Auckland and had scored 13 tries in his first 9 appearances.

Soon after he was selected for Country in the annual City v Country Origin match.

Midway through the season the Panthers had an injury crisis in their halves, and he started in the six or seven jersey across four matches before moving back to the wing.

Also a noted goal kicker, he took over the duties in a number of matches, and in the Panthers club record 72-12 victory over Manly in August, he equalled the club record for most points in a match with 28 from 2 tries and 10 goals. He would finish with the season with 23 tries (the competition’s leading try scorer) and with 156 points (the club’s top point scorer).

However it would only be a one season stay at the foot of the mountains, and moved on for the 2005 season, joining the Sydney Roosters. This led coach John Lang to remark that having someone like him was like being given a Lamborghini but then asked to hand the keys back.

After four seasons at the Roosters, he went to England for four seasons playing for Wigan before retiring at the end of the 2012 season.

PLAYERS | Trent Clayton

Panther 440

6 matches [2004-2005]

16 points [4 tries]

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_clayton-trent.htm

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Utility back who made his NRL debut for the Sydney Roosters in 2002 and was later at the Wests Tigers in 2003 before joining the Panthers in 2004.

He made his club debut for Penrith in Round 11 versus North Queensland, and would make a total of three appearances that season, all on the wing and crossing for three tries.

In 2005, he was the starting winger in the first three premiership matches but soon after gained a release from the Panthers to join French club Toulouse.

WINS | [2015] Round 17: Penrith 20 South Sydney 6

Friday 3rd July at Pepper Stadium

Penrith 20 – Tries: Blake (1), Wallace (1), Watene-Zelezniak (1), Whare (1); Goals: Koroisau (2) | South Sydney 6

More: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/match1143.htm

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In the ninth minute the Panthers opened the scoring when Waqa Blake spilt a Jamie Soward bomb close to the line, however knocked it backwards and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak picked up the scraps and drove himself over the tryline. Soward was unable to convert from the sideline and remained 4-0.

Midway through the half the home team further extended the lead when Bryce Cartwright broke the line on the last tackle and flicked a pass to Soward and a chain of passes found Dean Whare on the flanks and crossed over in the corner.

Penrith held out South Sydney defensively to hold an 8-0 lead at half time.

Soon after the resumption a Soward grubber kick was grabbed and grounded by Peter Wallace just before it went dead, and at the 60 minute mark the Panthers had extended it further to 18-0 when Blake managed to ground the ball before any part of his body went touch in goal.

The Rabbitohs finally crossed for a try with only five minutes remaining to make it 18-6 but a penalty conversion slotted by Apisai Koroisau with only two minutes remaining iced the contest, and recording an upset victory over the defending premiers.

PLAYERS | Jason Wrigley

Panther 439

2 matches [2004]

0 points

Stats: http://mightypanthers.webs.com/players_wrigley-jason.htm

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New Zealand born Wellington junior who was with the Melbourne Storm before joining the Panthers in 2004.

After a number of strong performances for the St. Mary’s-Penrith Cougars, the forward made his NRL debut for the Panthers, coming on as a replacement in their big 38-4 victory over South Sydney. Two weeks later he made his second appearance, once again coming off the bench.

Ultimately it would be his only two appearances, even though he was a member of the NRL squad in 2005 and then the Premier League squad in 2006. At season’s end he retired due to recurring injuries however he has stayed with the club in a number of roles and is currently the Football Manager at the Panthers.