Penrith Panthers Deliver Dominant Performance Against Melbourne
The undefeated Penrith Panthers delivered a stunning performance to defeat the Melbourne Storm 50-10 at Western Sydney Stadium. This victory marked one of the most complete displays in recent NRL history, with the Panthers scoring nine tries to two, and eight different players crossing the try line.
Thomas Jenkins was instrumental in the win, scoring his fifth double of the season. The Storm conceded a half century of points for the first time since 2003, marking their biggest defeat since the 2008 grand final. Ivan Cleary, the Panthers’ coach, expressed his surprise at the scoreline, stating, “Definitely shocked at the score line.” He also acknowledged the team’s strong performance, saying, “We played well, I guess that’s fairly obvious.”
The Panthers started the game strongly, with Liam Martin, in his 150th NRL game, scoring the opening try. Replacement hooker Freddy Lussick added to the lead with a try from dummy half. Manaia Waitere then scored as the Storm struggled under the pressure of the Panthers’ defense and attack.
The Panthers continued their dominance before halftime, with Jenkins, Nathan Cleary, and Casey McLean each scoring. Brian To’o extended the lead immediately after the restart by catching a cross-field kick from Dylan Edwards. Luke Garner, Edwards, and Jenkins all added to the score, while Sua Fa’alogo’s try provided minimal consolation for the Storm.
This victory highlighted the Panthers’ superiority over the rest of the competition, with their attack and defense both performing exceptionally well. Nathan Cleary, the Panthers’ halfback, noted, “I think this early in the season, [it’s] probably [the best we’ve been].” He also praised the team’s defensive foundation, stating, “It’s nice to see our defence still being the foundation of what we do.”
For Ivan Cleary, the senior coach, the team’s discipline and preparation were key aspects of their success. He said, “I’m just stoked at the discipline the boys are showing in terms of how they come down from the game and prepare for next week.” He added, “And we’re getting better.”
Storm coach Craig Bellamy acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “If they (Storm players) don’t want to go harder, they can go and play in reserve grade and we’ll bring some young blokes up.” He emphasized the importance of learning from the loss, particularly in defense, saying, “You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to be a good defender. You just need to work hard and be determined.”
Injury Concerns for Stephen Crichton
Earlier in the day, Stephen Crichton suffered a shoulder injury, prompting a new halves pairing with Sean O’Sullivan replacing him. The Bulldogs lost 32-24 to Souths in front of a large crowd at the Olympic stadium. Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo reported, “It’s not looking great in there,” noting that the injury could be a high-grade AC injury, which would keep Crichton out for a while.
The 44th-minute injury was a significant blow, but Ciraldo stated, “He couldn’t have done much about that in the second half unless he could have taken the whistle off the referee.” The Bulldogs struggled with penalties and errors, completing just 61% of their sets and making 16 errors. Despite leading 18-12 at the time of the injury, they finished the second half with only 40% completion, conceding six penalties and making 12 errors.
Alex Johnson and Latrell Mitchell scored first-half tries for the Rabbitohs, who dominated in the second half with tries from Tallis Duncan, Cameron Murray, and Mitchell, who added two penalty goals. A late try by Connor Tracey prevented Souths from keeping the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.
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