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Spencer Leniu.
E M O R JA LUAI R POSTEE IN SID
BACK TO BATHURST THE PANTHERS HEAD TO THEIR SECOND HOME ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR A TOP OF THE TABLE BATTLE WITH A RED HOT NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS SIDE. MATCH PREVIEW: PAGE 31
BROTHERLY LOVE WE CHAT TO VILIAME KIKAU AND HIS BROTHER JOPE ABOUT THEIR INCREDIBLE BOND PAGE 33
FACE IN THE CROWD
CELEBRITY TIPSTERS
DID OUR CAMERAS SPOT YOU AT THE FOOTY? YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A TRIP TO THE MOVIES PAGE 39
NOT SURE WHO TO BACK THIS WEEKEND? FOLLOW OUR LOCAL EXPERTS PAGES 42-43
Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender
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Viliame Kikau scored two tries against the Dragons. Photo: Megan Dunn.
the final word
v TROY DODDS
T
he Panthers return to their home away from home this Saturday afternoon to take on a red hot Newcastle Knights side at Carrington Park in Bathurst. The regional NSW town will be delivered a top of the table blockbuster with both sides winning their first two matches heading into a game that is very much 50/50 – particularly given the defending Premiers’ injury toll. Brian To’o became the latest casualty, now facing a long stint on the sidelines with a knee injury. Taylan May comes into the side on the wing. One thing that could turn this game on its head is the possible return of Nathan Cleary, who has been named on the extended bench. It’s an unlikely proposition, but anything is possible.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26 | 3.00PM | CARRINGTON PARK, BATHURST | REFEREE: PETER GOUGH It’s hard to get a gauge on this Newcastle side, which remains significant outsiders in Premiership betting despite their impressive form to kick off the season. And while it’s true that you can only play what’s in front of you, there’s no doubt the Knights have come up against a totally unprepared Roosters and a woeful Tigers side in their opening two games. Saturday very much marks their first true test. As for Penrith, there’s no doubt they benefited from the 50/50 calls and had some luck go their way last week – it was far from the performance we saw against the Sea Eagles the previous week. But with plenty of on-the-run changes forced through injury and Cleary out, there’s no need to be too concerned – and they got the two points at the end of the day.
The Knights have proven they’ve got plenty of spark in attack and have found a new stoic defensive form, conceding just 10 points in their opening two games. This won’t be a case of Penrith being able to grind out a win – they’ll have to put a big score on to contain this Newcastle backline. Confidence can do plenty to your weekto-week chances in the NRL and if nothing else, the Knights will benefit from back-toback victories to start a season that very few experts considered they’d give a shake. Adam O’Brien knows he hasn’t necessarily got a Premiership-winning squad on his hands but he can very much start building one from this group if they keep playing for each other like they have against the Roosters and Tigers. The Knights will also be sweating on the
PANTHERS
KAYO FOX LEAGUE ABC 702
the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 25, 2022
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fitness of captain Kalyn Ponga, who was named on Tuesday but remains in doubt with a knee problem. With Moses Leota out and James FisherHarris not 100 per cent right after picking up a slight injury last week, there’s no doubt Penrith will find it harder to get the yards required for the backs to do their thing. That’s why the side’s kicking game must be particularly strong this week – giving Newcastle any extra yardage could be catastrophic in a game where field position is likely to be everything. The people of Bathurst are in for a real treat here – I’m predicting plenty of tries, not something we always see in Penrith games given how much defence has played a pivotal role in the last couple of years. Tip: Panthers in golden point.
KNIGHTS
1 Dylan Edwards
10 James Fisher-Harris
1 Kalyn Ponga
2 Charlie Staines
11 Viliame Kikau
2 Dominic Young
10 Daniel Saifiti 11 Tyson Frizell
3 Izack Tago
12 Liam Martin
3 Dane Gagai
12 Mitchell Barnett
4 Stephen Crichton
13 Isaah Yeo (c)
4 Bradman Best
13 Kurt Mann
5 Taylan May
14 Mitch Kenny
5 Enari Tuala
14 Phoenix Crossland
6 Jarome Luai
15 Scott Sorenson
6 Jake Clifford
15 Jirah Momoisea
7 Sean O’Sullivan
16 Spencer Leniu
7 Adam Clune
16 Leo Thompson
8 Matthew Eisenhuth
17 Jaeman Salmon
8 Jacob Saifiti
17 Mat Croker
9 Api Koroisau
18 J’Maine Hopgood 24 Nathan Cleary
9 Chris Randall
18 Simi Sasagi 19 Tex Hoy
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Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time
panther rumblings
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WITH THE MASKED PANTHER
LOCKING UP THE CLEARYS ! Cleary mega deal: There’s a reason the Panthers are so keen to lock both Nathan and Ivan Cleary up to long-term deals, and it’s not just about winning more Premierships. While nobody would ever admit it, the Roosters have had their eye on the Cleary situation for some time – and would throw the kitchen sink at Nathan to get him to Bondi at some stage. Ivan isn’t an option to head east given Trent Robinson’s long-term deal at the club, but if he did opt to quit coaching the Roosters would feel they’re a hope to nab the Clive Churchill Medal winner. While Nathan wants to stay at Penrith, ensuring the Cleary double act continues would almost guarantee he says no to any offers that may come in the future. The Panthers won’t let it get to a decision making stage anyway – they’ll announce in the not too distant future contract extensions for both father and son that will be amongst the longest in the club’s history. ! New media man: A new Media Manager started at Panthers this week, replacing Evan Sieff who departed after seven years with the club earlier this month. Michael Blok, a former Big League journalist, joins the club from the Wests Tigers where he was handling their media commitments.
Nathan and Ivan Cleary. Photo: NRL Photos.
Panthers training this week – Jope Kikau watching his brother Viliame and the rest of the squad be put through their paces.
! Spotted: James Fisher-Harris grabbing some takeaway from Jimm’s New York Takeaway on York Road in Jamisontown. ! Spotted: Former Channel Nine footy host Erin Molan enjoying the markets at Luddenham on the weekend with her daughter. ! Spotted: Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny with mates in Windsor – donning a very slick white t-shirt and bucket hat. ! To’o not good: Winger Brian To’o is set for an extended stint on the sidelines after suffering a high-grade MCL injury against the Dragons last Friday night. Expect a six to eight week recovery – he’ll be back around the same time Moses Leota returns from a shoulder injury. !
Spotted: A very special guest at
! Stadium views: Expect some movement on the new BlueBet Stadium situation in the coming weeks, with the public expected to be asked for their opinions soon. Given the constant chatter amongst fans and the Penrith community, I’d expect a huge response to both this initial opinion gathering exercise and the later exhibition period for any designs.
! Multicultural Round: You’ll notice some different branding and features around Round 3 of the NRL competition with this weekend declared Multicultural Round, celebrating all the different backgrounds that come together to make up rugby league’s players, officials and fans. The 2022 theme of the NRL Multicultural Round is ‘Stronger Together’.
Daily Telegraph to promote the new stadium development.
! Wiki nonsense: Someone has too much time on their hands – appointing themselves editor of Greg Alexander’s Wikipedia page. Clearly not a fan of the great man, changes have been made which include labelling him an “unintelligible babbler” on Fox Sports. ! Legends together: How good was this shot of Jessica Fox, Nathan Cleary and Pat Cummins that the club posted on its social media pages this week? The photo was taken some time ago (obviously, given Cummins is currently in Pakistan) as part of a shoot with The
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KIKAU: PENRITH WILL ALWAYS BE HOME NATHAN TAYLOR
A
fter an NRL debut, a Premiership and now 100 games of first grade footy, loveable Panthers star Viliame Kikau has admitted it will “hurt” to leave the club at the end of the year, as he embarks on the next chapter of his career. The 26-year-old Fijian powerhouse, who will join the Bulldogs on a monster four-year deal from next season, is one of Penrith’s most recognisable and popular characters. Kikau’s bleached blonde mohawk can be seen from the ‘nosebleeds’ at any stadium and his rampaging hit-ups are feared right across the league. With his six-year tenure at the Panthers ending later this year, Kikau said it’s very important for him to leave the club on a good note and perhaps with another Premiership ring on his finger. “A lot of people have told me, ‘You don’t want to be leaving on bad terms’. I told the club, ‘This year I’m going to put my best foot forward’. Whatever the club wants from me, I’ll do it,” he told Extra Time. “I’m going to do my best this year because this club has done a lot for me and it’s going to hurt to leave at the end of the year. “I’ve made friends and family for life. That’s something I’m going to hold special in my heart – this club and this place, Penrith. My first born was born here, so we definitely want to call Penrith home.” Last week Panthers supporters and the rugby league world in general got an incredible insight into how much Kikau and the Penrith club mean to one another via an emotional seven-minute video, which has so far garnered more than one million views online. Prior to his 100th NRL game last Friday night, the Panthers secretly organised for members of his Kikau’s family to be flown from Fiji to celebrate the huge achievement.
the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 25, 2022
feature
Jope and Viliame Kikau at Panthers training on Tuesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.
His loving brother Jope – Kikau’s biggest fan – even presented him with his special milestone jersey in the dressing sheds the day before, causing a wave of emotion from everyone watching on. “Everyone has had a watch of the video now and have seen
Viliame Kikau had a huge game for Penrith against the Dragons. Photo: Megan Dunn.
how special it was. It was all a surprise, I had no idea it was coming,” Kikau admitted. “I was just thinking one of the coaches was going to present me with my 100th jersey, but to have my brother there was really special… it just hit me.” Speaking with Extra Time at Panthers
training on Tuesday, Jope Kikau said he had to keep his covert operation to Australia from his brother for two weeks. “We got our airfares paid two weeks before, so we had to keep it a secret,” he said. “It was an emotional experience for me as well, seeing him play his 100th test. It’s amazing to see how much he’s achieved.” With his family watching from the stands, Kikau’s 100th NRL game was everything and more last Friday at Kogarah. Not only did Penrith grind home a 20-16 victory, but Kikau also scored two first half tries. Kikau said playing a century of first grade games for the Panthers is one of his proudest achievements in life. “To play 100 games for this club… this club has done a lot for me,” he said. “They gave me an opportunity to play in the NRL. My dream was to play one game when I came over from Fiji and, to notch up 100 now, I feel really blessed and grateful for the coaches and everyone that’s helped me along the journey to be where I am today.” Before he flies back to Fiji on Sunday, Kikau’s brother will once again be in the crowd on Saturday afternoon when the defending Premiers take on the first-placed Knights at Carrington Park, Bathurst. “When Vili returned home in the offseason, he brought his Premiership ring with him and everyone took pictures with it. I even took it to the office with me and showed my workmates,” Jope said. “Rugby league is becoming a big thing in Fiji now. He’s quite popular over there.” Likewise here in Penrith, Jope, likewise.
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Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time
HOW THE PANTHERS WILL KEEP THE BAND TOGETHER A
lang on league with Peter Lang
s it stands now, the Panthers only have 15 players signed for next year, and of that 15 only seven are signed until 2024. As a rule, each NRL squad needs to have 30 players signed under the cap. On the surface, it looks like Penrith hasn’t signed enough players for 2023 and beyond. Nothing could be further from the truth. The club, and the team they’re building, is actually in good shape and here’s why. First let’s have a look at the seven players the club has already signed to long-term deals. Nathan Cleary (signed until 2024) the best halfback in the game, Jarome Luai (2024) his Origin halves partner, James Fisher-Harris (2026) arguably the best prop in the comp, Moses Leota (2024) his bookend partner, Isaah Yeo (2024) the best lock in the game, Dylan Edwards (2024) Grand Final-winning fullback, and the experienced understudy hooker Mitch Kenny (2024). Not a bad bunch of players to build a team around for
Brian To’o and Jarome Luai. Photo: NRL Photos.
years to come. Let’s call them the ‘Magnificent Seven’. Now of the nine players off contract next season, the club has already said publicly that it will soon start negotiations with three of them. Yes by November 1 this year, the club hope to extend the contracts of Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o and Liam Martin. For arguments sake, let’s say all three players will re-sign.
Just add those three to the list of seven above. That will be 10 very special players signed to the Panthers beyond 2024. Smiling yet? If you’re not, stay with me, you soon will be. Next on the priority list will be securing the signatures of Scott Sorensen, Izack Tago and Spencer Leniu. Now we’re up to 13 class players. It’s safe to say, barring some unexpected career-ending
injuries that Mavrik Geyer and J’maine Hopgood will only improve. They’ll be tied up soon after. That’s 15 players on long-term deals. Even if one or two of them go, their money will go towards securing similar type players. Now even a rough estimate says that those 15 players will take up at least 70 per cent of an expected $10 million salary cap for 2023. Which means that the club will have roughly about $3 million to sign the remaining 15 players which averages out at around $200,000 a player. Keep in mind that some players will get $220,000 while others $150,000 etc. Now there’s a host of players which will be off-contract and talented juniors the club would like to keep over the next few years who will fall into those price categories including Ryley Smith, Connor Mason, Lindsay Smith, Taylan May, Sunia Turuva, Niwhai Puru, Kurt Falls, Braith Alexander and Brad Fearnley to name but a few. The spine is there, and the bones of a great team have been mapped out for years to come.
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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 25, 2022
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HOW PANTHERS HOOKED SALMON OVER A COFFEE NATHAN TAYLOR
T
he utility role is one of the most important positions in the team; the ‘Mr Fix It’ the coach calls upon when things go awry in a match. Following the departure of bench utility Tyrone May at the backend of last year, former Eel and now secondyear Panther Jaeman Salmon has stepped into that vacant role during the early part of this season. Since arriving at the foot of the Mountains as a backup half option last year, Salmon is proving to be a Jack of all trades in 2022 as he settles into regular life as a first grader. During the opening two rounds of the competition, Salmon has played twice off the bench with his minutes steadily increasing depending on the situation he’s been thrust into. After playing just two NRL games
with Penrith throughout the whole of last year, the 23-year-old is loving playing regular first grade again. “I’ve got a crack in the team at the utility role and it’s been good so far,” Salmon told Extra Time on Tuesday. “I’m really enjoying my footy at the moment and stringing some consistent games together hopefully. I just want to cement a spot in the 17.” After departing Parramatta at the end of 2020 and without a club for the following year, Salmon finally received the phone call from his manager that he’d been waiting for – a career lifeline. “Penrith just came off the 2020 Grand Final and my manager just called me up one day and said, ‘you’re going to have a meeting with Ivan and Cirro at a café on the Nepean River’ and I was there in a heartbeat,” Salmon recalled. “We had a good chat and they said how they saw me as a versatile player and that was pretty much it. I signed
and have been loving it ever since.” It was that versatility that Ivan Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo saw in Salmon way back then that is paying dividends now especially as the club battles a concerning injury crisis. The Cronulla Sharks junior said he’s always been a bit of a Swiss Army knife as a player rising through the ranks. “I’ve always been pretty versatile. As a young kid, I played in the back row, centre, half, bit of fullback. In grade, I played hooker, lock – I’ve always been versatile,” Salmon said. “I just want to do what’s best for the team and if that’s shuffling around positions, then so be it. I don’t consider myself any position, I consider myself a number of positions.”
Jaeman Salmon on Tuesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.
POSTER PARTNER We’re proud of our ongoing association with the Penrith Panthers and are excited for the season ahead. Having an incredible talent like Jarome Luai as our 2022 Player Partner is a real coup for the team at CC Tyres. Owner Michael Ashton commented, “I am inspired of what Jarome has achieved and am sure he will have a very successful 2022 season.” CC Tyres are Panthers born and bred. We’re family owned and operated and have been servicing Penrith for over 60 years. No one cares for your tyres like we do.
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Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time
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Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender • extra time
VILIAME’S EMOTIONAL WEEK HAD THE PERFECT CONCLUSION B
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ig Bill Kikau scored two barnstorming tries in his 100th game in the NRL and there’s nobody who is the least bit surprised. He’s a colossus, and it feels like he can rip a team to shreds any time the mood takes him. If you happened to see the video of his 100th jersey presentation from the day before the game, with Kikau reduced to tears well before he was surprised by members of his own family, you figured there was no way of stopping him once he hit the field against the Dragons. It was a motivational no-brainer, right? The only person concerned about what effect the occasion might have on the 26-year-old Fijian was the person who gets paid to worry a lot more than most – his coach. Ivan Cleary was moved by the scenes in that jersey presentation as much as anybody else in the room, but his fatherly instincts were swamped by the over-riding feeling that his star backrower might well have been left just a little bit flat when it came time to kick off 24 hours later. “It was such an amazing moment, it was just such a special scene”, Cleary said after the energy-sapping victory. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he was a little bit drained as well, I guess that’s how the game went for him”.
Viliame Kikau. Photo: Megan Dunn.
Sometimes you can make too much of what the statistics tell you following a game, but the numbers for Kikau from the win over the Dragons tell you a lot. In the first half he killed them, scoring two tries and running for 83 metres on seven carries of the ball. He may well have hit an emotional brick wall however in his stint beyond half time, where he touched the ball just two times and ran for only eight metres. The coach wasn’t concerned by the fact that the damaging runs dried up in the second half, only that Kikau and his teammates produced the sort of resolve in defence that won them the premiership last season. “He hung in when he had to at the end, and some days you’ve just gotta find a way to win and get out of here and move on, and today was one of those,” said Cleary. The good news for the coach is that there are no other major milestones coming up in his playing ranks any time soon. For the moment he can focus on finding a way to stop the upstart Newcastle Knights at Carrington Park in Bathurst this weekend, a task that looks a lot more difficult than it did just a few short weeks ago. After a draining win, a few days away from home breathing in the fresh country air might be just what the Worrier-inChief requires.
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38
WW47771
CLUB
PD
W
D
L
B
F
A
+/-
PTS
1
Knights
2
2
0
0
0
46
10
+36
4
2
Panthers
2
2
0
0
0
48
22
+26
4
3
Broncos
2
2
0
0
0
27
14
+13
4
4
Storm
2
2
0
0
0
41
30
+11
4
5
Cowboys
2
1
0
1
0
30
12
+18
2
6
Dragons
2
1
0
1
0
44
36
+8
2
7
Eels
2
1
0
1
0
48
46
+2
2
8
Roosters
2
1
0
1
0
32
32
0
2
9
Titans
2
1
0
1
0
48
50
-2
2
10 Sharks
2
1
0
1
0
37
40
-3
2
11
2
1
0
1
0
16
20
-4
2
12 Raiders
2
1
0
1
0
30
45
-15
2
13 Rabbitohs
2
0
0
2
0
18
26
-8
0
Bulldogs
14 Warriors 15 W. Tigers 16 Sea Eagles
2 2 2
0 0 0
0 0 0
2 2 2
0 0 0
34 20 18
48 52 54
-14 -32 -36
0
ROUND 3 V
Thursday, March 24 8.05pm WIN Stadium
V
Friday, March 25 6.00pm Campbelltown Sports Stadium
V
Friday, March 25 8.05pm Accor Stadium
V
Saturday, March 26 3.00pm Carrington Park
V
Saturday, March 26 5.30pm AAMI Park
V
Saturday, March 26 7.35pm GIO Stadium
V
Sunday, March 27 4.05pm Suncorp Stadium
Face In Th e Crowd
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Extra Time Issue Number 2022-003
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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 25, 2022
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Sunday, March 27 6.15pm 4 Pines Park
PRODUCED BY The Western Weekender EDITOR Troy Dodds / 4722 2998 troy.dodds@westernweekender.com.au WRITERS Nathan Taylor, Peter Lang, Warren Smith, Lachlan Jeffery SALES DIRECTOR Chris Pennisi / 4722 2998 chris.pennisi@westernweekender.com.au
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Based on a back-to-back install, single storey
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Friday, March 25, 2022 « the western weekender
Lower Mountains
T
lower grades report with Lachlan Jeffery @LachlanJeffery
he Penrith Panthers have sent an early warning shot across the KnockOn Effect NSW Cup competition, demolishing St George Illawarra 52-6 at BlueBet Stadium on Saturday. It took 14 minutes for the Panthers to get on the board, with Chris Smith crashing over off a short ball from Sunia Turuva, however a run of tries came quickly after. Penrith took advantage of the Dragons’ right-side defence, with Eddie Blacker, Niwhai Puru and Taylan May all crossing in quick time to give the locals a 20-point advantage. They then shifted to the right wing to set up Tom Jenkins for his first try of the afternoon. The half ended with a razzle-dazzle try for Preston Riki. A chip from Kurt Falls bounced up for Jenkins, who turned it inside for Robert Jennings, to use some fancy footwork before offloading to May. May then put in another kick which bounced up for Riki to cross in the corner, making the halftime score 30-0. Falls’ kicking game was more dangerous after the resumption, setting up the next two tries. John Faiumu pounced on a grubber into the in-goal before Jenkins scored his second by flying above his opposite winger and coming down with the bomb. The Dragons finally got on the board in the 56th minute, but it was only a minor bump for the Panthers, with Jennings and
the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 25, 2022
DEMOLITION JOB AS PANTHERS SHOW NSW CUP DOMINANCE
Taylan May scoring for the Panthers. Photo: Henry Ward.
Matt Stimson crossing late to complete the 10-try thrashing. It was a much more difficult win for the Jersey Flegg Panthers, forced to come from 14-6 down at half-time to claim victory. The Panthers were first to score through Daniel Sykes, however ill-discipline and strong St George-Illawarra attack saw the Dragons take control of the first half. A Dragons error on the first tackle of the half gifted Penrith perfect field position.
The Panthers added pressure with a repeat set giving Kristian Li Mai the chance to score. The Panthers took the lead back when Connor Mason finished off a length of the field effort that was started by William Fakatoumafi, before Mason added his second minutes later to push the lead out to 10. Isaiah Iongi touched down from a Jack Cole grubber with 10 minutes left to put the result beyond doubt. Penrith won 28-18.
my panther memories
“Ultra-fast, super professional and delivering way much more than I ever anticipated” - Melinda Leyshon, write copy
NAME: SARAH LLOYD | SUBURB: PENRITH What is your greatest Penrith Panthers memory? Taking my daughter who, at the time was six-months-old, to her first Panthers game! She loved the energy. Fell asleep and woke up as soon as Penrith won. Why was this memory so important?
As I am a big supporter of Penrith, I love that my daughter can be a part of it with me. How long have you been supporting the Panthers? Since I was a little girl. Mum was always a Panthers fan.
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