Panther cubs upset Magpies in top of the table clash
Stewart Moses
It was billed as the one versus two game everyone had been waiting for - the in-form Wests Magpies looking for a win by nine or more points to steal the competition lead away from a vastly understrength Penrith side feeling the ripple effects of its record Origin representation from the Panthers' NRL side.
With a side built mostly on upcoming Jersey Flegg and Ron Massey Cup players, the Panthers have continued to dominate The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup after ending the Magpies' nine-game unbeaten run with an impressive 34-14 win at Lidcombe Oval, despite the home side being bolstered by the late inclusion of experienced NRL duo BJ Leilua and Michael Chee Kam.
After being camped inside the Magpies’ 20 for what seemed an eternity, Penrith centre Sunia Turuva finally scored in the 13th minute, finishing off a slick right side movement, which was converted from out wide by half Kurt Falls to give the visitors a shock 6-0 lead.
Penrith soon extended its lead to 12-0 after a lovely weighted kick behind the line from promoted five-eighth Niwhai Peru, allowing centre Thomas Jenkins to score out wide untouched.
A wonderful offload from prop Eddie Blacker close to the line found Peru backing up in support to dive over next to the posts and after 24 minutes Penrith were 18-0 to the good, leaving the parochial Magpies home crowd in silence.
Wests were finally on the board on the half-hour mark with BJ Leilua storming his way over in the south east corner after the home side finally got some consecutive sets of their own inside Penrith’s 20, reducing the gap to 18-4.
A forward pass in the lead up prevented Wests from reducing the gap even closer on the stroke of half time and under-manned visitors Penrith held a very handy 18-4 lead at the main break.
A missed opportunity by the Magpies early in the second half was duly punished in the following set by the Panthers when hooker Brendan Hands scooted 30 metres from dummy half to score next to the posts, and the visitors were up 24-4 after 47 minutes.
The home side looked like they had quickly responded with a try in the corner to Allan Fitzgibbon only for the final pass to be once again ruled forward.
Penrith, as they did with their previous try, capitalised on the Magpies’ inability to convert pressure into points, pushing their lead out to 30-4 with a barnstorming try to interchange forward Vito Tevaga in the 55th minute.
Penrith put the game to bed with another try from the resumption of play, a quick shift right putting winger Ratu Luke Nadurutalo down the sideline for a try out wide. Despite Falls missing his first goal of the day, the Panthers led 34-4 midway through the second half.
Wests finally opened their second half account with a try to Fitzgibbon after some enterprising play from the Magpies prised open the Panthers defence, but the missed conversion attempt still left the home side 26 points adrift with 17 minutes remaining.
The home side had back-to-back tries for the first time in the game with a determined try to back-rower Kelma Tuilagi and, with nine minutes remaining, trailed 34-14.
But the enthusiastic Panthers weren’t done with yet and their kick chase pressure into the Magpies' in-goal forced the error that saw Brendan Hands score his second try of the day to give Penrith a 40-14 win.
Next up for the top of the table Panthers - who now lead The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup by four competition points - is a trip to Henson Park on Saturday to take on the Newtown Jets whilst on the same day, the Wests Magpies will be looking for redemption when they take on the Parramatta Eels at Bankwest Stadium.
