The Penrith Panthers have withstood a sugring Newcastle Knights to win 26-18 at McDonald Jones Stadium, consolidating their place in the NRL’s top four at the season’s halfway point.
Newcastle began the game incredibly, matching Penrith physically through the middle and opening the game’s scoring when rookie fullback Fletcher Sharpe slipped past Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards to score his second NRL try in as many games.
Throughout much of the game’s early arm wrestle, Sharpe was the brightest spark, threatening to break the rigid Penrith defensive line every time he touched the football.
To their credit, the Knights too were solid in the game’s opening 20 minutes, with their scramble defence and desperation to protect their goal line on show throughout.
Scott Sorensen’s opening try was as much a by-product of effort and luck for the Penrith back rower as anything. Contesting a chipped kick a few metres from Newcastle’s try line, Sorensen was able to collect a bobbling ball and crash over for his side’s first of the night.
Brian To’o’s try in the 19th minute was Penrith at their best. With the reigning Premiers opting to run on last, Brad Schneider’s pass found the NSW Origin winger, who strolled over for his side’s second of the night.
From there, the momentum was all Penrith. Luai began to insert himself into the match more and more as the minutes wore on, with the Penrith halfback forcing three drop outs in the opening 40 to help his side build pressure.
Just after half an hour, it was the ballplaying and deception that’s become a hallmark of Luai’s game that saw him stroll over.
Faking to drop two teammates underneath him. Luai burst into a gaping hole in the Newcastle goal line defence to all but certainly cement himself as Mitch Moses’ halves partner for the Blues in Game II.
Right on half-time it was Luai again influencing the scoreboard, this time slipping Lindsay Smith over for a try.
An arm wrestle ensued for the opening 10 minutes of the second half, only for a runaway Dylan Lucas to break the deadlock, score the Knights’ second try of the night and kick the home side into life.
A Dylan Edwards trysaver on Dane Gagai threatened to deflate a surging Knights side in the 60th minute only for Bradman Best to score on the very next tackle to spark the home crowd into delirium.
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