The Penrith Panthers have reaffirmed their title ambitions by securing a 28-22 victory over the Cronulla Sharks in Las Vegas. As the reigning champions, the Panthers fended off a late resurgence from the Sharks to clinch the win.
The match had a rocky start for the Panthers, with winger Casey McLean departing for a head injury assessment within the first three minutes, unfortunately ruling him out for the remainder. Cronulla capitalised on Penrith’s early struggles, with Jesse Ramien breaking through the defence and exploiting Luke Garner, who was playing out of position as a centre.
The Panthers found their footing in the 26th minute when Isaah Yeo scored their first try, followed quickly by another from Izack Tago, giving them a temporary 12-10 lead at halftime after Briton Nikora responded for Cronulla.
In the second half, Penrith struck swiftly, with tries from Daine Laurie and Paul Alamoti. This relentless attack prompted NRL legend Andrew Johns to predict that the Panthers would once again feature in the finals at the end of the season, citing their impressive performance. Despite being down 24-10, Cronulla fought back, with Kayal Iro scoring his debut try and star recruit Addin Fonua-Blake powering through the Panthers’ defence.
The Panthers sealed their fate when Laurie added another try before full-time, making the outcome secure. Commentator Billy Slater noted the team’s undeniable resilience and determination, even amidst a slightly “rusty” performance, a sentiment echoed by Nathan Cleary.
However, injury worries loomed for the Panthers. The earlier loss of McLean was compounded by Isaiah Papali’i leaving the field late in the match with a serious facial laceration, another setback for the team as they look to maintain their early season momentum.