Extra Time July 21 2023 (Round 21 - Panthers v Bulldogs)

IT’S A DOG FIGHT

TWO PROUD CLUBS GO TO WAR IN A SUNDAY AFTERNOON SHOWDOWN IN PENRITH MATCH PREVIEW: SEE PAGE 39

MASKED PANTHER SEE PAGE 41

PETER LANG

SEE PAGE 47

MATT RUSSELL SEE PAGE 48

James Fisher-Harris.

Photo: NRL Images.

As Penrith were finding a place in the rugby league world back in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, a win against the more established Canterbury was hard to come by.

In fact, the Panthers lost their first three meetings to the Bulldogs, and went on a nine match losing streak from 1970 to 1973, and similar streaks in the years that would follow.

Different eras would garner a change of fortunes, of course, and there’s no doubt these two teams have quite a history – in fact, the Panthers have played the Bulldogs 100 times over the years. Penrith have only played more games against Parramatta (108).

The win/loss record is pretty even across those 100 games – 44 wins for the Panthers, 53 for the Bulldogs and three draws. That ledger has become closer in recent years and Penrith currently sit on a five game winning streak

against the blue and whites, having last tasted defeat to them in 2019. Indeed, this is the longest winning streak Penrith has experienced against Canterbury at any time since 1967.

But there’s one stat that stands out more than most when it comes to this game – and it could look even uglier for the Dogs after Sunday.

Penrith have scored more points against the Bulldogs (1,888) than any other club they’ve ever faced. The way things are going, Penrith will add a fair number to that tally at BlueBet Stadium in their 101st encounter.

The Panthers begin phase three of their 2023 season on Sunday.

They’ve come through the first two phases, the most recent being the State of Origin period, with flying colours – sitting in first place on the competition ladder.

Resting the Origin stars and Nathan Cleary

was a no-brainer for coach Ivan Cleary last Sunday as he looked at the draw ahead and saw a string of blockbusters against clubs like Melbourne, Cronulla, Parramatta and North Queensland.

The cavalry is well and truly back on Sunday afternoon and it could be a tough day at the office for Canterbury. Sitting third last on the ladder, Cameron Ciraldo’s side has the worst defence in the competition, having conceded a whopping 549 points this season.

They weren’t terrible against Brisbane last weekend but once Adam Reynolds put the foot on the gas, they simply couldn’t go with their more fancied opponents. You get the feeling it could be a similar story on Sunday.

In fact you would have to think Penrith’s biggest ever win against Canterbury – a 52-16 flogging back in 2018 – could be under threat

from being replaced in the record books by this encounter.

The Panthers just have too much class across the field, and while often these one-sided clashes on paper don’t necessarily translate to the on-field result, you would have to be a pretty one-eyed Bulldogs fan to think they could compete this weekend, let alone win.

One interesting side-point here is the inclusion of Viliame Kikau in the extended Bulldogs side. If he does end up being a late inclusion in the 17, you can expect plenty of fireworks when he comes up against his former teammates. Penrith are too professional to not get the job done pretty easily here.

You get the feeling this will be nothing but a warm-up for the tougher games to come in the weeks ahead.

Tip: Panthers by 44.

vMoses Leota. Photo: NRL Images.

nrl ladder & fixtures

here ’ s cheers

NAME: LAANI AGE: 21

SUBURB: BLACKHEATH

Seasons as a Pantherette? Two.

Favourite food? Sushi.

Favourite TV show?

‘Outer Banks’. Favourite Panthers player? Stephen Crichton.

Must-follow social media account?

@penrithpantherettes. Go to pump up song? ‘Say Nothing’, Flume.

What do you love about being a Pantherette? Getting to do what I love to do and perform and just have fun out on that field. I also love that I’m a part of the best team in the house.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which other Pantherette are you bringing with you and why? Brianna because we’d probably be building sand castles instead of looking for help.

panther rumblings

CHAIRMAN’S UPGRADE COMING

! Panthers plan Chairman’s expansion: As part of what is now a major upgrade of Penrith Stadium slated for 2025, the Chairman’s Lounge will be expanded significantly. I’m told the club wants to take the main function room at the stadium from a capacity of 280 to somewhere around 500. That would take some significant re-shaping of the western grandstand. Corporate ticketing at Panthers has been in hot demand over the last couple of seasons, with the Chairman’s Lounge regularly sold-out.

! Wayne’s praise: A couple of years ago Wayne Bennett and Ivan Cleary were throwing shots at each other as their rivalry intensified. Now, it appears Bennett (pictured) has nothing but respect for what Cleary has achieved at the Panthers. The Dolphins coach is adamant Penrith has what it takes to achieve a rare Premiership three-peat this year. “There’s no reason why they can’t,” he said. “There’s a few teams out there that are good and they’re one of them. There’s no reason why they can’t win three in a row. It’s not going to be easy but they would know that.”

ture NSW has ceased negotiations with the Paceway, the final nail in the plan’s coffin.

“The commercial negotiations for the acquisition of the Penrith Paceway site are on-hold,” an Infrastructure NSW spokesperson said. I assure you, “on-hold” means the plan is dead and buried. Who knows what that means for the long-term future of the Paceway, with Penrith City Council refusing to rezone the site for development and the Paceway making it clear their future is not likely to be on that site.

! Coach’s double presser: The weird and whacky world of rugby league media scheduling meant that Panthers coach Ivan Cleary held two press conferences in the space of 24 hours this week. Cleary addressed the media after Penrith’s win over the Dolphins in Redcliffe, and then scheduled his weekly mandated pre-match press conference the next morning in Penrith.

! Spotted: Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai all smiles at Kayo Stadium, celebrating his 100th game with friends, family and supporters. Luai is showing no signs of letting his Origin axing get to him, putting his focus well and truly back onto club footy.

Sunday afternoon against Canterbury. It’s a huge achievement given he’s just 25-years-old.

! New addition: Congratulations to Panthers forward Matt Eisenhuth and his wife Holly, who welcomed a new baby – Ollie – into their world last week.

! Laurie to return? Whispers are growing louder that Daine Laurie could be set to return to Penrith from the Wests Tigers. There’s reports suggesting he’s on the verge of signing a modest deal to return to the club from next season.

! Spotted: Former Pantherette and ‘Gogglebox’ star Vestal Delpechitra holidaying with

! Paceway plan crushed: The Weekender’s exclusive revelation last week that the plan to knock down and re-build Penrith Stadium was off the table has obvious ramifications for the Penrith Paceway. The previous government had planned to acquire the Paceway and Showground land and build the new stadium there, delivering a brand new multi-purpose venue that would have had a capacity upwards of 30,000. I can now confirm that Infrastruc-

! Kayo banished: It was interesting to note that Channel Nine refused to refer to the Dolphins’ home ground as Kayo Stadium in its broadcast last Sunday. Kayo, owned by Fox Sports, is a competitor to Nine. They opted to call the venue Dolphin Oval.

! Kit change: Nectr’s recent acquisition of InStyle Solar has prompted a mid-season kit change for the Panthers. The Nectr brand now appears on the club’s shorts, with the placement to remain until the end of the season. InStyle’s branding elsewhere, including at BlueBet Stadium, is also being updated.

! Funny or cringe? There were laughs all round last Sunday when Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin asked Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett if he had a plan for handling Nathan Cleary. Bennett had to inform Fatty that Cleary wasn’t playing. It was funny, but also embarrassing that a main commentator on the host broadcaster hadn’t done his research.

! Cleary’s milestone: Nathan Cleary will play his 150th NRL game for the Panthers this

Guests enjoy the Chairman’s Lounge.

SOAKS UP CLEARY WISDOM

Panthers centre Izack Tago was already having a solid third season in the NRL, but a recent conversation with superstar halfback Nathan Cleary has seen the 21-year-old’s game go up a couple of notches.

Tago’s performances during the Origin period were mouthwatering to watch, with the talented St Marys junior scoring doubles in three out of the past four games.

Some of his barnstorming tries have left opposing players dazed and confused, and he was even in the mix to play for New South Wales in Origin III.

Speaking with Extra Time on Wednesday, Tago said it was his duty as a first grader to step up in the absence of so many of his representative teammates.

“I feel like when the Origin boys go away, there’s an onus for everyone to step up. There’s a lot of big shoes to fill, so everyone must carry some extra weight,” he said.

“I just felt like it was a great opportunity to try and lead in that department – that feels funny to say because I’m one of the youngest in the team.

“Overall, it’s just good to be out there and play my footy.”

Despite being just 45 games into his NRL career, Tago was the most experienced player on his edge during Penrith’s recent Origin-affected run. He said it was a chat with his injured co-captain that made him realise that.

“Switching to the right side, I spoke to Clez (Cleary) one week

there and we were saying how I had the most games on the edge at the time, which is pretty weird because I thought I’m one of the younger boys in the team,” Tago said.

“After that chat, I just thought I could bring that experience – that little that I have – to the table and just try my best to do that.”

Tago was so impressive that he even had experts and fans calling for his selection in the Origin dead rubber. In-fact Blues advisor and Panthers legend Greg Alexander said on ‘NRL 360’ that Tago was an “option” for the vacant centre position that ultimately went to Newcastle’s Bradman Best.

Despite his name being tossed up, Tago said his focus was with the Panthers and doing his best for them.

“I wasn’t really focused on Origin, I was just focusing on playing my own footy,” he said.

“I came back from the pec injury just before the first Origin, so I didn’t have any games under my belt. I was just focused on building my footy back up and staying at a high level consistently.”

Tago will look to continue his good run of form heading into the Finals when he lines up this Sunday afternoon against the battling Bulldogs.

Cameron Ciraldo’s men have been one of the big disappointments in 2023 due to injury and lack of depth. Tago said he’s looking forward to reuniting with some of ex-teammates and coaches.

“Just seeing the boys again and coming up against them should be fun,” he said.

“They all know our systems pretty well, so I’m assuming they’ll have an interesting game plan to expose whatever holes they might think they can expose.”

Izack Tago in action for Penrith.

Photo: NRL Images.

NATHAN TAYLOR

YEO READY FOR RUN TO THE FINALS

There’s perhaps no better game for the Panthers to return to full-strength in than this Sunday’s showdown with the Canterbury Bulldogs at BlueBet Stadium.

Following some much-needed time off with the family in Mudgee, Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo is feeling rejuvenated ahead of his side’s run home to the Finals.

Yeo, his partner Ashleigh and two kids Haven and Lennox returned home from the picturesque Central West earlier this week after a hectic State of Origin period that saw the 28-year-old spend several weeks away from his family.

“It was nice to get away to refresh mentally and physically, and I’m looking forward now to the lead in for the back end of the season,” Yeo told Extra Time

With Yeo only playing a handful of games for the Panthers since mid-May, he’s very much loving being back into the routine of club footy.

“It’s a fun period playing for NSW but, at the same time, you lose your routine, so I’m very fortunate to be back amongst the boys and I’m looking forward to the next seven games we’ve got before Finals,” Yeo said.

“When you have a routine and you train with a different side like NSW, you lose our team’s fundamentals and what we look after, so it’s just a matter of trying to get back to that and making sure you’re getting your attention to detail at clubland right.

“It’s just nice getting back into a routine and rhythm with Penrith and I’m looking forward to the Finals charge.”

It’s Penrith’s first Sunday afternoon fixture at home this season and with the game also Nathan Cleary’s 150th in the NRL, it’s predicted to be an absolute beauty for the monster crowd on hand.

Yeo said his co-skipper is chomping at the bit to play his first game of footy since he was injured on June 4.

“You can see how excited he is! Nath was out last year, obviously for different circumstances, but it feels like that stretch of time allows him to see the game differently, like a bit of a coach. It benefited him last year and I’m sure it’ll benefit him this year,” he said.

“I’m super excited to get out there with him for his 150th. It’s exciting! We’re back at home on a Sunday afternoon. The whole occasion will be unreal, and I like to think we’ll be up for it.

“We want to make sure we celebrate those milestones with good performances. We want to be a club that does those well, so there’s no better time to start than now.”

While Yeo refused to get caught up in Penrith’s recent – and well publicised – rivalry with the Bulldogs, he admitted he was looking forward to playing against one former teammate in particular – Viliame Kikau.

“He’s circled that game the big bastard, he’ll be right up for it I’m sure,” Yeo smiled.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, he brings a fair one.”

Penrith co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo are ready to lead the club to the Finals.

NATHAN TAYLOR

POSITION: PROP | NRL DEBUT: MARCH 2016 (V RAIDERS)

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HEIGHT: 187CM |

DOB: 05/01/96 |

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CLEARY STILL UNDER THE RADAR

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has coached 415 NRL first grade matches at three clubs, won 230 of those games, taken two teams to four Grand Finals and won back-to-back premierships.

He’s also been the Dally M Coach of the Year twice (2014, 2020) and despite all of these achievements he’s still the best kept secret in rugby league.

How is that even possible?

Well it is, when anyone talks about Coach of the Year candidates in 2023 Cleary’s name is never mentioned. It’s true he coaches a team packed full of talented players and the season is not finished but he’s not even in the conversation.

lang on league

Over the last three years when assistant coaches Trent Barrett, Cameron Ciraldo and Andrew Webster left the club to become head coaches at other NRL clubs, a lot of the talk was about how would Penrith cope losing three such important coaching cogs.

It’s almost as if people forgot that the most important piece of the Panthers coaching puzzle, Ivan Cleary, was still there.

When he engaged in a war of words with the then South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett just before the Preliminary Final in 2021, many declared Bennett the winner when the Panthers went

down to the Bunnies in that first Finals match.

I mean he dared to take on the ‘Supercoach’ and lost. Even Cleary himself was somewhat contrite when asked before the 2021 Grand Final would he engage in another mind game stoush with Bennett, saying he’ll stick to what he’s good at and not trade barbs with the great one.

However, there’s more to Ivan Cleary than meets the eye. When NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler needed help last Wednesday during the third State of Origin match, he asked Ivan Cleary to be in the coach’s box with him. History shows that NSW won that game convincingly 24-10 to save a series whitewash. The general media seemed more shocked that

Cleary was the one Fittler had with him in the box.

In the aftermath of that game, Bunnies supporters claimed NSW won because four of their players played in that match while Panthers supporters claimed NSW only won because their coach was in the coaching box that night. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

It seems however that Cleary was not over playing mind games with his old adversary Wayne Bennett. In the lead up to their match last Sunday, Cleary had everyone guessing whether his son would take the field or not against the Dolphins. He had everyone in two minds right up until an hour before kick-off.

Everyone including Bennett himself.

When Penrith walked away with the win, coach Cleary had pulled off another coaching masterstroke. No matter if Penrith achieve the seemingly unachievable and win three premierships in a row or not, just how good a coach Ivan Cleary is should never be underestimated.

For he’s created a culture and put in place systems at Penrith which will ensure they are a top four side for many years to come.

Players want to play for him and

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. Photo: NRL Images.

with Peter Lang

WHO CAN BEAT THE PANTHERS?

They are mutterings being heard more and more often from everyone not cheering for Penrith.

“Who’s going to beat the Panthers?”

The back-to-back reigning Premiers emerged from Origin on top again. They took a chance to rest their rep stars last week, and still won. They’ve been forced to freshen their star half because of injury, and have only dropped one game without him.

They have a ridiculous defensive record of giving up fewer than 13 points per game. In other words, they’ve conceded only 218 points through 17 games. No other team is under 320!

So maybe the mutterings are well founded. Who IS going to beat the Panthers?

What about the team running ninth – the North Queensland Cowboys!

Here’s a team that can go Top 8 for the first time since Round 1 if it beats Parramatta on Saturday night.

The last time the Cowboys met the Eels was Round 13, when a 24-16 loss came a week after they were obliterated 66-18 by Wests Tigers. Those results condemned them to second last on the ladder for the third time in 2023. They looked lost.

Now they meet the Eels again, only this time the North Queenslanders are riding a five-game winning streak that reads a combined 196-57.

The most recent 19-8 win against Manly means they have just held

the opposition to single figures in three straight games for the first time in club history. Sound familiar?

They’ve beaten big guns Melbourne, Penrith and Souths, finding success in Townsville and

hidden panther

Sydney. They’ve welcomed Jason Taumalolo back from injury and seen Origin sprinkle magic dust on names like Robson, Nanai, Cotter, Holmes and Taulagi. Sound familiar?

And what about the Cowboys No. 1 – Scott Drinkwater.

Name a player in better form right now.

His last five weeks have yielded five tries, nine try-assists, 38 tackle busts, 170 run metres per game and too many embarrassed opponents to mention.

Todd Payten’s men are proof it’s a marathon and not a sprint as they move through the pack. They still have three more games at home and a bye in Round 24. In fact, they only have one more trip outside Queensland.

They come to Penrith in Round 27 – the final round – and who knows what will be at stake for each team. Who’s going to beat Penrith, some mutter. The Cowboys would love to provide the answer.

*And it’s a big weekend for North Queensland, Wests Tigers, Cronulla and Canberra as they compete in an expanded 10-team NRLW for the first time.

Catch every game of the biggest and best NRLW season yet on FOX League, starting with the Titans against the Cowboys from 12.50pm on Saturday.

WHO AM I ?

Penrith celebrate a try last weekend.

Photo: NRL Images.

LOSSES FOR NSW CUP, FLEGG SIDES

The Penrith Panthers have missed out on an opportunity to return to the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup top five after suffering a 36-16 loss to St George-Illawarra in Wollongong.

lower grades report

The Panthers started strongly, scoring within two minutes through Daeon Amituanai, and came close to adding a second, however Eddie Blacker was denied when he lost the ball over the tryline in a last-ditch tackle from the Dragons defence. Momentum turned sharply towards the Dragons as they immediately put on two quick tries to race ahead 12-4.

A lucky bounce allowed Matt Stimson to score in the 27th minute after having the ball stripped, however another pair of Dragons tries before the break saw the hosts lead 24-10 at halftime.

They kept it going to start the second half as Zane Musgrove crossed to extend the margin to 20.

A try to Liam Henry with 20 minutes remaining kept the Panthers in the contest, however any hopes of a comeback were quickly snuffed out as Treigh Stewart scored his second for the Dragons, sealing the 36-16 result.

It was a chaotic finish in Jersey Flegg as the Dragons snatched a 26-20 win courtesy of a last-minute penalty try.

The Dragons had taken an early lead when Cooper Roberts touched down in the right-hand corner, however tries to Sam Lane and Liam Ison saw the Panthers lead 10-6 at half-time.

The Dragons struck back early in the second half with tries to Roberts and Harry Rudd as they again beat the Panthers’ leftedge defence.

Tries to Luke Hanson and Bayden Moran soon after took the Panthers to a 20-16 lead eight minutes from full-time.

There was still a twist to come, with a Panthers error from the kick-off leading to Roberts’ levelling the scores with his third.

Following that, another break past the Panthers’ left-edge saw Campbell Watchirs kick inside, where the Panthers’ kick-chase interfered with the Dragons going for the ball, leading to a match-sealing penalty try being awarded.

In Round 21, the Panthers host the Bulldogs in both grades, with Jersey Flegg at Windsor on Saturday and NSW Cup the curtain-raiser to first grade on Sunday.

Liam Henry scored in Penrith’s loss to the Dragons. Photo: NRL Images.

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