Extra Time - August 20 2021 by Western Sydney Publishing Group

finals come early EPIC TOP FOUR BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS DEFINING ROUND IN NRL FULL COVERAGE INSIDE

Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

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the final word

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

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Dylan Edwards crosses for a try. Photo: NRL Photos.

TROY DODDS

he Finals come early this Friday night when Penrith and Souths do battle in what is shaping up as one of the most anticipated games of the season. The Panthers and Rabbitohs will almost certainly do battle in the opening weekend of the Finals, so to get a match-up like this so close to the playoffs is mouth-watering indeed. Both sides have come a long way since Penrith belted Benny’s Bunnies 56-12 in Dubbo back in Round 11. The Panthers would go on to beat the Bulldogs the following weekend before a difficult period that saw them lose to the Tigers and Sharks as the drama of the Origin period took hold. It’s safe to say Ivan Cleary’s side has only just recovered from the mid-season representative roller coaster but last week’s win over St George-Illawarra provided plenty

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 | 8.05PM | SUNCORP STADIUM | REFEREE: GRANT ATKINS of confidence that things are now back on track. As for Souths, they bounced back from that heavy defeat to Penrith to beat the Eels the following weekend and kick-off what has become a 10 match winning streak. Both sides can argue the numbers are in their favour. Souths has scored 30 points in eight straight matches, with their left side attack in particular simply electrifying over the past two months. Penrith has conceded less than 20 points an incredible 19 times this season – the last time they achieved such a feat was way back in the 1991 Premiership year. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find the two games where more than 20 points were conceded were against the Tigers and Storm – matches where Penrith’s line-up was significantly depleted.

So the question is – can Penrith’s rocksolid defence hold out the rampaging Rabbitohs? Or conversely, can Souths crack the brick wall that Ivan Cleary has built this season? Every Panthers supporter would have breathed a sigh of relief last weekend when Nathan Cleary ran out onto Suncorp Stadium. Almost instantly Penrith looked a better team; much more organised in both attack and defence and up a level or two in energy. Cleary has awoken the side from its siesta, and it’ll only be better in coming weeks as more and more troops return. Cleary’s battle with Adam Reynolds will be something special this weekend – both have been in terrific form this season and both will have a significant say in how this match plays out. But it could well be the battle of the other halves – Jarome Luai and Cody Walker – that

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helps decide this one. Walker has been in red hot form and may just be a quiet Dally M hope, while Luai was brilliant in the first half of the season but has been a little quiet since the Origin period. A clash like this may well revive his form, however. And then there’s he battle of the fullbacks. Sure, Latrell Mitchell is a force to be reckoned with and probably has Dylan Edwards’ measure, but the latter showed against the Dragons last weekend that he has plenty of heart and fight and he has an opportunity here to prove he can match it with the game’s elite. For me two things swing me Penrith’s way – the return of Api Koroisau at hooker, and the likely inclusion of Tevita Pangai Junior as an X-factor. This will be one hell of a battle. Strap yourself in. Tip: Panthers by 4.

RABBITOHS

1 Dylan Edwards

10 Matthew Eisenhuth

1 Latrell Mitchell

2 Stephen Crichton

11 Viliame Kikau

2 Alex Johnston

10 Thomas Burgess 11 Keaon Koloamatangi

3 Paul Momirovski

12 Liam Martin

3 Dane Gagai

12 Jai Arrow

4 Matt Burton

13 Isaah Yeo (c)

4 Campbell Graham

13 Cameron Murray

5 Brent Naden

14 Mitch Kenny

5 Josh Mansour

14 Benji Marshall

6 Jarome Luai

15 Scott Sorensen

6 Cody Walker

15 Jacob Host

7 Nathan Cleary (c)

16 J’Maine Hopgood

7 Adam Reynolds (c)

16 Tevita Tatola

8 Moses Leota

17 Kurt Capewell

8 Mark Nicholls

17 Hame Sele

9 Apisai Koroisau

18 Izack Tago 19 Tevita Pangai Junior

9 Damien Cook

18 Taane Milne 19 Patrick Mago

Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

panther rumblings

WITH THE MASKED PANTHER

KIKAU GOES TO MARKET ! The report that emerged last week about St George-Illawarra being interested in Penrith enforcer Viliame Kikau is the first of many we’re likely to hear in the coming months. As I reported a few weeks ago, Kikau is very unlikely to re-sign with Penrith before November 1, which means he’ll be on the open market for the 2023 season and able to hold discussions with rival clubs and codes. And once that happens, it obviously throws 2022 into some doubt. Kikau will be turning 27 early next year, so this is a big contract for him. The reality is if he chooses to chase cash, he probably won’t be at Penrith – the club won’t pay overs, but others will certainly open the cheque book. ! The Panthers are resigned to the fact that the Merv Cartwright Medal will be cancelled for a second consecutive year. Even if restrictions do start to ease in September and October, the chances of a major function like that being within the rules is extremely unlikely. I’d expect the club will again announce its major awards in a virtual ceremony. ! One thing that hopefully won’t be virtual is the Dally M Awards. The NRL is working to potentially present the awards as early as September 6, possibly as an outdoor event at Suncorp Stadium. The ceremony has been held during Grand Final Week in recent times but most clubs would have left Queensland by the time early October rolls around, so the league is considering holding the event straight after the regular season. ! The Panthers expect Tyrone May to be fit and ready to return from a leg injury against the Tigers next weekend. May is likely to be used off the bench during the Finals. ! Spencer Leniu has been added to the club’s injury list after picking up a minor ankle injury against the Roosters a fortnight ago. The 20-year-old has been working strongly in rehab and could be available for next week’s clash with the Tigers, but a return against Parramatta is more likely.

! Most of us are cheering for the boys from home at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be decked out in the latest gear. The club last week released its 2021 Panthers Finals Series T-Shirt for pre-order, with deliveries expected to commence from early next week. The shirt is a beauty and is a must-have for all collectors.

Viliame Kikau. Photo: NRL Photos.

! The Panthers will finish the season in Brisbane, Redcliffe and the Gold Coast after the NRL confirmed the schedule for the remaining three rounds of the competition. Friday night’s clash against Souths is at Suncorp Stadium, while the match against the Tigers next Sunday afternoon will be at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe. Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast will host the end-of-season blockbuster derby against the Eels. ! Our thoughts are very much with Tevita Pangai Junior, who returned to training with Penrith this week and was named in the squad for the clash against the Rabbitohs on Friday night. Tevita and his partner Anna farewelled their little girl, who was stillborn, at a private service over the weekend. The pair shared some heartwrenching photos on social media. It really puts things into perspective. ! Penrith continues to draw big audiences on Fox League, with an average of 258,727 viewers tuning in to last Friday night’s clash against the Dragons. That’s six per cent up on the Round 22 average.

Both Fox and Channel Nine are expecting potential season-best figures for Friday night’s Panthers v Rabbitohs blockbuster.

! An episode of ‘The Fan’ on Fox League last Saturday night revealed what we all pretty much knew – the old, famous Panther scoreboard was never carefully placed in storage to preserve its huge historical value despite what was said at the time. Former footy boss Phil Gould oversaw it being dismantled and simply thrown away.

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ince their 44-point thrashing at the hands of Penrith back in May, South Sydney have enjoyed the spoils of one of the softest 10-game stretches in the NRL this year. While they’ve had to play the much maligned Parramatta Eels twice since Round 12, the majority of their beltings over the past two-and-half months have come against second, even third, rate opposition like the Dragons, Warriors, Cowboys and Broncos. Tonight’s highly anticipated clash against the Panthers at Suncorp Stadium will arguably be their toughest match of the season and, for both clubs, will be an important hit out before the pair likely run into each other again in the Finals in three weeks’ time. Speaking with the media on the Sunshine Coast on Monday, outgoing Panthers forward Kurt Capewell said South Sydney have been a dangerous side of late, especially in attack. “They are definitely a great attacking team and they’re definitely hard to stop getting a heap of points and, once they get a couple of tries on the board, they can really go on with the job,” he said.

Kurt Capewell arriving at a recent Panthers match. Photo: NRL Photos.

Over the past 10 games, Wayne Bennett’s men have averaged 41 points per match while Penrith have leaked an average of 16.8 points per match since the two teams last met in Round 11. The stats show that the Rabbitohs won’t

have an easy time getting to the try line against the Panthers tonight like they have during their recent winning run. Capewell said his side’s defence will need to be at its usual high standard this evening to stop one of the league’s most potent

attacks of late and to avoid a disastrous loss to a fellow top four side. “They’ve always had it in them, they’ve always been able to score a heap of points and, when they get on a roll, they are a hard team to stop,” he said. “The Souths halves, in particular, are firing at the moment… as a whole team defensively we’re going to have a massive job, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.” Penrith will go into tonight’s clash on a bit of a roll and possessing a side as close to full strength as possible. With co-captain Nathan Cleary returning with flying colours last week, it appears the Panthers are timing their run to the post-season beautifully – however there’s still some more fine tuning to do according to the Queensland Origin champion. “Just our handling the other night [against the Dragons] wasn’t up to our standards. I wasn’t playing but a few times the speed of the game got away from us too, so we just need to put together a full 80 minutes this week rather than be good in parts,” Capewell said. “As a group, we’ve still been gradually working on our game and trying to get better week in, week out. We’ll worry about us this week and try and put together a performance that we’re proud of.”

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

feature

KIKAU BLOCKS NOISE NATHAN TAYLOR

iliame Kikau has channelled former US President Donald Trump, labelling recent speculation about his playing future as “fake news”. Last week media reports suggested the reigning Dally M Second-Rower of the Year was in huge demand, with St GeorgeIllawarra understood to be very keen to land the popular Fijian from 2023 onwards. Kikau is signed with the Panthers until the end of next season, but the 26-year-old is expected to receive plenty of interest from rival clubs and rugby union when he comes on the open market from November 1. Speaking for the first time about his contract status on Wednesday, Kikau said reports the Dragons are keen on his services are off the mark, especially considering they can’t legally tender a contract offer until November. “I’m not sure where all the news is popping up from,” he admitted. “All that stuff that happens behind the scenes, I just leave in my manager’s hands. I think that’s his job and that’s obviously why players pay their managers. “I just want to make sure I perform well and I’ll let my performances do the talking

and that’s about it. I think all this news is fake news.” After spending the early part of his rugby league career in the Cowboys system, Kikau joined the Panthers in 2016 and made his NRL debut a year later against the Tigers in Campbelltown. Nearly 100 first grade games later, the hulking back-rower has become a household name and one of the most destructive forwards in the competition. Speaking with Extra Time, Kikau said he’d love to remain at the Panthers long-term but understands that may not be possible due to salary cap restraints. “I think, for me, that’s my first option,” he said. “I love this club. This club gave me the opportunity to play on the big stage in the NRL. I made my debut here and I’d love to stay here for the rest of my career. “But rugby league is a business; you just never know what will happen. But, for me, I’d love to stay at Penrith.” While Kikau hopes to remain loyal to Penrith well into the future, it will be hard for him not to entertain other offers that come his way especially considering they will be far greater than what the Panthers are able to offer. The Nausori product said presently he can’t envision himself speaking to other

interested parties apart from the Panthers. “Na… that’s probably my answer for now,” he said. “I’m just focusing on the Panthers and everything I do is for the Panthers and trying to win a premiership. All the other stuff behind closed doors, that’s on my manager.”

Penrith forward Viliame Kikau wants to stay at the club. Photo: NRL Photos.

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Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

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Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

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Friday night lights: Can Benny’s Bunnies defy history?

warren smith Y

ou can’t win the competition if you’ve conceded 50 points in a game during the season. That’s what history tells us. History, however, has been tipped on its head during this 2021 NRL campaign, with teams scoring points at record rates and winning margins blowing out to unseen levels. Maybe we should disregard most things we thought we knew about the game and look at this current season with a set of completely fresh eyes. Let’s start with that old statistic regarding teams that lose by 50 points or more. If any team can consign that one to the dustbin it’s the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Bunnies have won 18 out of 21 games played, they’ve only been beaten by two teams all season, and they’re currently on a 10 game winning streak that began the week after they lost to the Panthers at Apex Oval in Dubbo. What a day that was – a country footy ground bursting with fans under a cloudless sky, and two hotshot teams going head-tohead in late May. Mayday indeed! The Rabbitohs copped a spanking to remember that Sunday afternoon, giving up 56 points as the local hero, Matt Burton, returned to Dubbo to score a hattrick for the Panthers in slashing style. To make matters worse for Souths, it

The Panthers and Rabbitohs met in Dubbo earlier this year. Photo: NRL Photos.

was the second time they’d conceded 50 points in a game in the space of three weeks, after Melbourne racked up a half-century against them in Round 9. If the stat says you can’t with the comp after the opposition puts 50 on you, what happens when you do it twice in three games?

Rabbitohs coach, Wayne Bennett, was rocked by the thudding defeat to the point that he felt he needed to apologise to the supporters. ”I’m sorry for all the fans here today. The way we played, they deserve better than that,” he said during his post-match press conference.

In past seasons you’d say there’s no chance they can win the Grand Final after two hidings like that, but maybe, just maybe this season is like no other we’ve watched. We know that having one key player missing from a line-up can bring a team undone pretty quickly in 2021, and the common denominator in both of those heavy defeats for South Sydney was the absence of tireless forward Cameron Murray. An ankle injury suffered in Round 8 against the Raiders meant Murray missed both of those monstrous losses, but returned in Round 12 as the Rabbitohs steadied the ship with a confidence-restoring win over the Eels. They haven’t been beaten since. Amongst all the stars at Wayne Bennett’s disposal – Mitchell, Walker, Reynolds, Cook – is it Murray who is the glue that keeps the team from splintering under the relentless force the Panthers and Storm can apply? Murray has an insatiable appetite for defence, is one of the best in the league at supplying a quick play the ball, and makes every team he plays for a whole lot better than they otherwise would be. Can he prove that the 50-point massacres of May were an anomaly and not a sign that the Bunnies weren’t up to it, or do the Panthers ram home the difference in class that they established in Dubbo? Friday night, under lights, we get to find out the answer.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

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Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

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Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender • extra time

Unlikely heroes that could deliver premiership success this October

Brought to you by

joel caine E

very year prior to Round 1 we see clubs and personalities pick their expected team line-ups for the upcoming season. Obviously, these are great talking points, but rarely will a team go through a season with their full-strength squad intact. From these expected XIII’s follow predictions of how the season plays out, but I believe it’s what we don’t know that usually decides premiership success. Putting it into practice, a Round 1 team almost never matches identically to a team that wins the competition. As perhaps the greatest player of all-time, SEN host Cameron Smith has said before, you know what you will get from your top flight players, so it’s often what you can get out of those further down the squad depth chart that counts. All teams are playing to a salary cap, however it’s the market value of these caps where the best teams make their bread and butter. The players getting paid modest wages yet playing like stars often makes the difference to a campaign. As a result, the ‘Plan B’ players often become your ‘Plan A’. We’ve seen that this year with these reserve players blossoming in Matt

Burton, Haumole Olakau’atu, Nicho Hynes, Keoan Koloamatangi, Sam Walker and Egan Butcher. These breakout players immediately come to mind when we think about why their teams are in promising positions with Finals on the horizon, and it’s more than likely one will have a premiership ring in the very near future. But it’s not just 2021, these ‘Plan B’ players pop up to star every year. Sam Verrills scored the first try in the 2018 Grand Final after an injury to Jake Friend in the lead up. Souths’ 2014 Round 1 side featured Issac Luke, Nathan Merritt and Beau Champion, but due to injury and suspension this Plan A would have to change to a Plan B which would feature Luke Keary, Alex Johnston and Kirisome Auva’a – all premiership heroes. Players who thought their seasons were destined for Q Cup or NSW Cup could just be the difference makers come Finals, and that’s one thing that makes our game so great. It wouldn’t shock me in the slightest if a Burton or Hynes is crucial in a premiership push in just a few weeks’ time. Buckle up, it’s going to be an exciting ride to go along with the journey for these unlikely heroes.

Nicho Hynes has been in sensational form for Melbourne. Photo: NRL Photos.

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here’s no doubt in my mind that Ivan Cleary will coach the Penrith Panthers to an NRL Premiership in 2021. In fact there’s no reason why the Panthers can’t win multiple premierships over the next five to 10 years with Cleary in charge. Much has been made of the fact that Cleary has not won a Premiership despite coaching 375 games. What must be remembered however is that he has taken two young, talented rosters to a Grand Final. The New Zealand Warriors in 2011 and the Panthers only last season (2020). Don’t worry, those experiences will hold him in good stead for this year’s tilt at rugby league’s highest honour. At the moment Ivan Cleary holds a 71 per cent win ratio in his second stint as Panthers coach. Along with the players, Cleary has created a culture which is highly team, not individual focused. They play like brothers not distant cousins. Under Cleary this season, Penrith have beaten every team at least once, except for the Tigers when the Panthers were down eight of their best players. If I had one criticism of Cleary’s coaching this season it would be that he struggled during the State of Origin series to sometimes get the balance of the team right. Who to rest, how many players to rest and when. However what should give Panthers supporters the most confidence is that

with Peter Lang Cleary has carefully built a roster over the last three years which he knows can win a Premiership. It took a bit of time and meant that many fan favourites had to be moved on, including Josh Mansour but what it also shows is that those changes had to be made or the success which Penrith is currently enjoying probably wouldn’t be happening. This Cleary coached side play a brand of football which is a seamless blend of ‘eyes up’ instinctive footy and structured play. Cleary’s record against every coach in the current competition is outstanding. Like most coaches, Craig Bellamy’s superhuman Storm side is Ivan Cleary’s biggest challenge. However Cleary has beaten him once already this season and there’s no reason why, if necessary, he can’t do it again.

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, August 20, 2021

Ivan Cleary will deliver Penrith its next Premiership

My Tips for the week: Storm, Sea Eagles, Panthers, Sharks, Knights, Eels, Roosters, Warriors.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. Photo: NRL Photos.

The final word: Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, remove your coach’s cap and replace it with a ‘Dunce’s hat’. After Corey HarawiraNaera completely poleaxed Storm half Jahrome Hughes and sent his head to Pluto last weekend, ‘Sticky’ had the audacity to say, and I quote, “If he has hit him in the head.” ‘IF’ he has hit him in the head?? If he didn’t hit him in the head then WHERE did he hit him?

extra minutes

Ryan Matterson is given his marching orders. Photo: NRL Photos.

! Newcastle’s Finals aspirations have taken a huge blow with Origin forward Daniel Saifiti out for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. Saifiti suffered the MCL injury in last week’s narrow win over Cronulla. There’s no structural damage but he won’t play again before the Finals. ! Wests Tigers will celebrate its annual Heritage Round on Saturday when the club plays host to the Cronulla Sharks at Rockhampton. Having missed the chance to recognise its traditional Heritage Round game in Sydney this year due to the COVID pandemic, Wests will now celebrate the game in Round 23 in what is a must-win contest for Michael Maguire’s side.

Experienced front rower Corey Jensen will join the Brisbane Broncos on a two-year contract next season. Jensen, 27, has made 58 NRL appearances for the Cowboys since making his debut in 2017.

Eels forward Ryan Matterson will spend three weeks on the sideline, after taking the early guilty plea at the NRL judiciary for a Careless High Tackle. The 26-year-old was served a grade three Careless High Tackle charge for a hit on Manly’s Brad Parker.

The Roosters will again be without Victor Radley for an extended period after he took an early guilty plea to a Dangerous Contact charge.

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Friday, August 20, 2021 « the western weekender