Panthers v Sharks preview

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Penrith Panthers v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Sunday 3:30pm at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise / Las Vegas NV

Sin City plays host to a Preliminary Final rematch that is bound to be a showstopper.

Coming off the back of their fourth premiership in a row, you would think the Panthers are a force to be reckoned with; they might be, but they weren't during their first and only pre-season outing against the Raiders (their latest match featured none of the Penrith first-grade team), losing 16-22. 

Having played only one game compared to Cronulla's two, Penrith are looking quite unpredictable. This is due to several factors: player departures, surgeries and a relatively new team as a whole. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty surrounding injured players or those recovering from surgery. Ivan Cleary said it himself, "the slightest setback" could dash the players hopes of playing in Vegas. It will be interesting to see what this new era of Penrith looks like and whether they possess the same prowess of their previous premiership-winning teams.

After a slow start, the Sharks dominated their second pre-season outing, thrashing the Raiders by 30 points. If that performance is anything to go by - which it is, as the exact same 1-17 has been named for Vegas - the Sharks could give the Panthers a run for their money. That said, the first 15-20 minutes were troubling for Cronulla, with all of the Raiders' points being scored in that period. In order to outplay the Panthers, the Sharks need to be cohesive and disciplined from the get-go. It is evident they have it in them, but they must remind themselves that this is a new season and new Penrith side, so anything is possible.

The superstars are back for the Panthers, with Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards named in the starting squad. However, Brian To'o will miss the match due to a hamstring injury. Paul Alamoti, after recovering from an elbow injury, will play on the wing instead of in the centres, while Lindsay Smith steps in at prop following James Fisher-Harris' departure.

There are a few changes about at the Sharks, Samuel Stonestreet replaces Sione Katoa on the wing with the latter nursing a shoulder injury and Jesse Ramien is back after missing the last NRL game in 2024, pushing Siosifa Talakai to the bench. Meanwhile, Toby Rudolf didn't board the flight to Vegas as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Instead, new recruit Addin Fonua-Blake takes his place.

Last meeting: Finals Week 3 2024 - Panthers 26 Sharks 6

Who to watch: The Panthers are once again calling on Jack Cole to play at five-eighth in a northern hemisphere match. With only ten NRL games under his belt, Cole is still relatively inexperienced but has shown he is ready for any challenge. He has big shoes to fill following Luai's departure and needs to prove he is worthy of the number 6 jersey—especially now with Blaize Talagi in the squad. It will be interesting to see what type of game Cole plays, whether it will be similar to Luai or if he lets Cleary take more of a lead to start the season.

I think that Samuel Stonestreet is poised for a big season. Despite having played only five NRL games, he has already scored eight tries, proving to be a serious attacking threat. Especially considering Hynes likes linking up with him, twice in the 40-10 win did Hynes throw a floater all the way over to the wing, one eventuated into a try. In the match, he made the most run meters - 15 runs for 154 meters - 43 meters more than Mulitalo. While he is filling in for Katoa for the time being, I believe that if he shows how much of an asset he is to the backline we could see him on the bench throughout the season. 

The favourite: The Panthers are favoured to come out winners in Vegas.

My tip: The Storm fan in me wants neither team to win, alas I feel the Panthers will get it done. Panthers by 16.

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Casey McLean 3. Izack Tago 4. Luke Garner 5. Paul Alamoti 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Daine Laurie 15. Isaiah Papali'i 16. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Luron Patea 18. Brad Schneider

1. William Kennedy 2. Samuel Stonestreet 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Braden Hamlin-Uele 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Tuku Hau Tapuha

Referees: Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials: Wyatt Raymond, Matt Noyen; Video Referees: Liam Kennedy;