Extra Time June 21

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TIME TO CHEER! REP ROUND COMES AFTER FOUR STR AIGHT VICTORIES MASKED PANTHER > P35 All the rep round news plus the latest on Tyrone Peachey’s move

BACKING THE BLUES > P36-37 Local businesses are getting behind NSW ahead of State of Origin II

REMEMBERING BEN > P39 Anniversary of the day that rocked Panthers to the core

Friday, June 21, 2019 « the western weekender • extra time

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Plenty of highlights ahead during rep round

ANDY RAYMOND T

here may not be any NRL action this weekend, but it will be a feast of footy for rugby league fans.

The action gets underway on Friday night with the women’s State of Origin clash at North Sydney Oval.

Isabelle Kelly was a standout for the Blues last year with two stunning tries that will remain on highlight reels for years to come, but this Maroons side featuring Ali Brigginshaw, Brittany Breayley and Steph Hancock looks a tough team to beat.

Queensland v New South Wales may be the biggest rivalry in rugby league, but the rivalry between the Kiwis and Tonga is intensifying with every meeting between the two countries.

The Tongan side may be missing Michael Jennings and Andrew Fifita, but in Tevita Pangai Junior and Jason Taumalolo they have one of the most formidable forward packs in the game.

The Kiwis welcome back Benji Marshall for the clash and will be looking for him and Shaun Johnson to unleash the magic of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

On paper the Kiwi side looks a stronger 1-17 than Tonga, but what the Tongan side

lacks on paper, they more than make up for in spirit and commitment.

An international double-header at Leichhardt Oval will see a fired up Lebanese side lock horns with the flash and flare of Fiji.

Robbie Farah and Tim Mannah will lead the charge for the Lebanon side, but will be taking on a Fiji pack lead by Panthers enforcer Viliame Kikau.

With Suliasi Vunivalu and Maika Sivo waiting on the wings, the Lebanese side will need to be at their defensive best against the Bati.

With Jamayne Isaako, Jorge Taufua, Anthony Milford, Junior Paulo and Marty Taupau, this looks like the strongest Samoan side in recent memory and they’ll need to bring their A-game against Papua New Guinea.

If there’s one thing you can guarantee about the Kumuls it’s that they’ll go into every collision at 100 miles per hour.

And then roll on Sunday and game two of the State of Origin series where the Blues will be desperate to save the series and the Maroons will be just 80 minutes away from Origin glory.

NSW stars James Maloney, James Tedesco, Damien Cook and Nathan Cleary Brad Fittler has put his side and the state on notice with seven changes from the team that lost the series opener against the Maroons.

All eyes will be on James Maloney, but if there’s a man who can handle the pressure and get the job done it’s the Panthers five- eighth. Maloney is a born winner who takes success with him everywhere

he goes and Freddy will be hoping that’s again the case in Perth.

There may not be competition points up for grabs this weekend, but there’s something more important and that’s State and National pride.

Strap yourselves in footy fans and enjoy the anthems, the sea of colour and the frantic footy that makes up Rep Round.

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 21, 2019

PANTHER RUMBLINGS

with the Masked Panther

PEACH DELAY  Tyrone Peachey’s move back to the

Panthers appears to have hit a snag with Penrith and the Gold Coast unable to agree on the terms surrounding the 27-year-old’s release. Everyone is on the same page – Peachey wants to come back to Sydney, the Panthers are happy to have him and the Titans are comfortable with bidding him farewell – but money is the stumbling block. The Panthers and Titans will need to sort out their differences over the issue before June 30 if Peachey is to be playing for Penrith this year. Otherwise, the deal might not be done until the off-season.

 One deal that does appear to be on

track is Waqa Blake shifting further towards the city to join Parramatta. The 24-year-old, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, may have played his last game for the Panthers with the Eels deal all but sealed.

 The Panthers have missed out on sign-

ing Wests Tigers fullback Corey Thompson, who is staying with the joint venture.

 The impressive form of rookie Mitch

Kenny has been rewarded, with the hooker signing a new deal with the club that will keep him at Penrith until at least the end of 2021.

 James Maloney certainly has a point

to prove as Sunday night’s crucial State of Origin clash in Perth draws closer.

With Maloney hotly tipped to be heading to England next year, this is likely to be his last Origin series and he’d love nothing more than to help New South Wales to victory over Queensland, adding to his legacy in Australia. Fittler named Maloney alongside fellow Panther Nathan Cleary in the halves for Sunday’s do-ordie encounter, trusting in the combination that got the job done last year.

Tyrone Peachey’s future remains in doubt unfortunately I’ll have to wait a little longer to have the privilege to play for Lebanon again,” Mansour said. Mansour’s withdrawal means he’ll miss out on taking on teammate Viliame Kikau, who along with Penrith youngster Ratu Nanovo has been picked for Fiji.

 Spotted: Liam Martin and Frank Win-

terstein popping into the Panthers on the Prowl classroom to chat with students.

 Jarome Luai has spent more time

warming the bench than playing lately but he’s expected to get plenty of minutes on the field when he represents Samoa against Papua New Guinea this weekend. Luai is not the only Panthers player involved in the contest, with Moses Leota receiving a late call-up into the Samoan team on Tuesday morning.

 Josh Mansour has revealed his devasta-  Out-of-favour Penrith hooker Sione Kation at being unable to represent Lebanon against Fiji on Saturday after Penrith’s doctor ruled him out of the match. “I’m absolutely shattered and had all the hope in the world to be playing this week but

local junior and recent Bulldogs signing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has retained the captaincy for the Kiwis.

toa will get a chance to prove his wares on the representative scene when he plays for Tonga against New Zealand on Saturday. Panthers forward James Fisher-Harris will play for the Kiwis, while Penrith

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The close scoreline in last Saturday’s clash between Penrith and Souths ensured it was the most watched Foxtel program of the day, topping the ratings with an average of 276,000 viewers.

The Eels v Broncos match was next with 262,000 while the World Cup Cricket contest between Australia and Sri Lanka was the other program to top 200,000 viewers on Saturday.



If you love rugby league, a new book released by Gary Jarjoura is a definite must-buy. Rugby League is the Winner is a comedic take on the game we all love.

Check out the website www.rugbyleagueisthewinner.com for details.

Dylan Edwards. Photo: Penrith Panthers

 Players not on representative du-

ties have spent the week visiting local schools, with players receiving a warm welcome from students.



My readers are often my best researchers. If you’ve spotted a Panthers player out and about, or you have some news or gossip to share, I’m the guy to share it with! Send an email to maskedpanther@ westernweekender.com.au.

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V BACKING

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Friday, June 21, 2019 « the western weekender • extra time

PENRITH BUSINESSES

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the western weekender » Friday, June 21, 2019

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Friday, June 21, 2019 « the western weekender • extra time

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Why the Grand Final must go interstate

CLINTON MAYNARD T

he NRL has confirmed this year’s Grand Final will be the last at ANZ Stadium in its current form. This should be cause for celebration and dancing in the streets! Sydney football fans have put up with inadequate facilities for far too long.

It leaves the NRL with a problem, no home for the Grand Final in 2020, 2021 and possibly 2022. They’ve now decided the SCG will host the decider next year.

The SCG isn’t a great venue for watching league and the proof is the paltry crowd of just over 8,000 that turned up to watch the Roosters last weekend, the Premiers no less. However, for nostalgia value, a one- off Grand Final at the old ground which hosted the match for decades has some value.

The NRL has indicated the SCG will most likely host the Grand Final in 2021 and then the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium in 2022 before it returns to Sydney Olympic Park. This is a terrible decision and a lost opportunity.

The match must be taken interstate in 2021 and Brisbane deserves to be the host, even if it’s a one-off.

Suncorp Stadium is a brilliant ground to watch football at and the Queensland people deserve to be rewarded.

The Broncos attract the biggest crowds in the NRL. The recent Magic Round proved Brisbane league fans will turn out to watch teams other than the Broncos.

The ground also holds more spectators than the SCG. If the NRL wants to make some serious money it could set off a bidding process between the Queensland, Victoria and WA State Governments.

The NRL points to a long-term deal it has with the NSW State Government for the match to be in Sydney as part of the agreement to build new stadiums, but surely if those new grounds aren’t available then a one-off game can be played elsewhere.

In the end most league fans are watching the Grand Final on TV, so playing the match interstate makes no difference to them. Most NRL fans just want their team to make the Grand Final and will move heaven and earth to be there no matter where it is played.

And after all, the competition is called the National Rugby League.

The Sydney Cricket Ground will once again host the NRL Grand Final

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Tragedy that tore Panthers apart The front page of the June 26, 1992 edition of The Western Weekender said it all: “Penrith mourns”.

Less than a year after the euphoria of the club’s first premiership, the Panthers were devastated when young star Ben Alexander was tragically killed in a car accident on June 21, 1992.

Today marks 27 years since that fateful day.

20-year-old Alexander may have been playing in the shadow of his brother Greg, but he showed plenty of talent in his own right – and had clocked up 36 games for the club by the time the midway point of the 1992 season had rolled around.

On June 21, 1992 the Panthers defeated Easts 23- 10 and a function was held at the club afterwards to present the players with their premiership blazers from the previous year.

Ben Alexander had been dropped to reserve grade a week prior to the Easts game, and was not keen to stay at the function. He and some mates decided to visit a nightclub in the area, but on the way, Ben was tragically killed at Colyton.

Greg Alexander, Mark Geyer and others rushed to the scene of the crash, as did then- CEO Don Feltis who was informed of the accident via phone.

SCOREBOARD NRL

PANTHERS 19 RABBITOHS 18

NSW CUP

RABBITOHS 36 PANTHERS 16 Ben Alexander playing for the Penrith Panthers The death of Ben Alexander shattered the Alexander family, his teammates, the community and the Penrith club as a whole. Looking back through the eyes of history, it would take nearly a decade for the club to truly recover from the tragic events of June 21, 1992.

The Weekender’s June 26 edition reported: “Penrith came to a virtual standstill yesterday when thousands flocked to St Nicholas Church to bid farewell to Ben Alexander. Nearly 700 people crammed into St Nicholas for the Requiem Mass while an estimated 4000 others spilled out of the church grounds onto High Street to listen to the mass by loud speakers”.

The Weekender reported that moving eulogies to Ben were read by Joe Zarb,

Royce Simmons, Greg Alexander and Ron Mulock.

The weekend after Ben’s accident, the Panthers defeated Western Suburbs.

John Cartwright is believed to have told his teammates who took the field that day: “You remember some wins more than others, but if you win today you will remember it for the rest of your life”.

27 years ago today rugby league lost a rising star, and the Alexander family lost a brother and a son.

Around this time every year, we remember the short career of Ben Alexander, and that fateful night in 1992 that claimed his life.

His name will never, ever be forgotten in the history of the Penrith Panthers.

JERSEY FLEGG

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, June 21, 2019

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Friday, June 21, 2019 « the western weekender • extra time