Penrith Panthers def. St George Illawarra Dragons, live scores, teams, videos, blog, stream, Nathan Cleary, Casey McLean
The Panthers are purring on the eve of finals after a Nathan Cleary masterclass guided the premiers to a 40-20 victory over the Dragons in the final round of the regular season on Saturday afternoon.
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MATCH CENTRE: Dragons vs Panthers teams, scores, videos, updates
After three straight losses to fellow premiership contenders Melbourne, Canberra and Canterbury, Cleary put his side back on the winner’s list with another standout performance in Wollongong.
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Penrith coach Ivan Cleary rested 16 players against the Bulldogs last week and the rest worked wonders for his men as 14 returned to dismantle St George Illawarra.
The win secured seventh spot on the ladder and the Panthers’ prize is a trip across the ditch to face the Warriors in a knockout final in Auckland next weekend.
Cleary set up two tries and had another four linebreak assists to his name as the classy No. 7 kicked the Dragons off the park.
The performance was an unmistakable warning shot from the four-time reigning premiers to the rest of the top eight heading into finals.
A simple overlap saw Penrith winger Tom Jenkins score the opener in the sixth minute before Cleary put Paul Alamoti over with a pinpoint cut-out pass.
The hosts then hit back when Dylan Edwards dropped a bomb cold and Dragons halfback Kyle Flanagan threw a dummy and sliced through in the 20th minute.
Quick-fire tries to Casey McLean and Cleary before the break saw the visitors take a 22-6 lead into halftime.
Red V skipper Clint Gutherson set up the first two tries in the second half with Corey Allan and Tyrell Sloan both crossing.
But Cleary then retook control of the game and tries to Isaiah Papali’i, Lindsay Smith and another to Alamoti sealed a comfortable victory.
PENRITH’S CRACK AT HISTORY
No team has won the NRL from outside the top four but try telling that to Ivan Cleary’s Panthers who have broken records for fun in recent years.
A club hadn’t won three straight premierships in the NRL era, let alone four, until Penrith did it last season and now they’re chasing a fifth.
Their path to a record sixth straight grand final will be against the Warriors and then a likely clash against the Bulldogs or Storm for a spot in the preliminary final.
JFH’S GREATEST CHALLENGE
The man at the centre of Penrith’s four-peat will try to end the dynasty next weekend.
James Fisher-Harris played in five straight grand finals for the Panthers, winning the past four, before joining the Warriors this season.
The Warriors captain will know exactly what’s coming next weekend but whether he can stop the juggernaut he helped build could prove the biggest test of his illustrious career.
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TEAMS
Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 19. Corey Allan 3. Hayden Buchanan 4. Mathew Feagai 5. Tyrell Sloan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Jacob Halangahu 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Luciano Leilua 16. Hame Sele 17. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga. 18th man: 19. Corey Allan
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Paul Alamoti 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Luke Garner 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Brad Schneider 15. Liam Henry 16. Isaiah Papali’i 18. Daine Laurie. 18th man: 19. Mavrik Geyer
