Round 3: Panthers v Storm preview
Panthers eye major scalp in Central West NSW
Bouncing back to beat Newcastle last Saturday following a difficult opening to the season on and off the field, Penrith will be out to defy a woeful record against Melbourne in their ‘home' game at Bathurst.
Winning two of 19 matches against the Storm since 2006 and holding a 24% success rate in all meetings going back to 1998 - their worst percentage against any past or present NRL side - the Panthers will be hoping returning coach Ivan Cleary can mastermind a game plan to topple the Victorian powerhouse after executing two victories last season while in charge of Wests Tigers.
Returning to Bathurst for the sixth time since 2014 as part of a successful investment into regional New South Wales, the Panthers have enjoyed strong success when venturing west with three wins from five appearances, while supporters unable to attend first grade matches on a weekly basis have been treated to several thrilling finishes with four of the five contests decided by six points or less.
Missing the 16-14 win over the Knights last week, representative winger Josh Mansour has been named to return in place of Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, while co-captain Isaah Yeo has been rested after suffering multiple concussions with Tyrell Fuimaono coming onto the bench.
Starting the season with back-to-back wins for the twelfth time during Craig Bellamy's tenure as Melbourne coach, the Storm will be eyeing success in their first visit to regional New South Wales with premiership points on the line.
Previously playing trials in areas such as Bega, Griffith and Coffs Harbour, the Storm will relish the opportunity to show their wares in regional Australia for only the second time after going down to Canterbury in Mackay seven years ago.
Beaten at home in the final round by the Panthers last year, expect the visitors to fancy their chances of bouncing back on Saturday evening having only conceded consecutive losses twice over the past two decades - the most recent instance occurring in 2005.
Retaining the same 17 players that downed Canberra 22-10 in the nation's capital last Friday, debutant Marion Seve has retained his place on the bench with grand final second rower Joe Stimson still unavailable with a lower-back injury.
Last meeting: Round 25 2018 - Storm 16 Panthers 22
Who to watch: Coming up on ten years since making his first grade debut, James Maloney has consistently proved himself to be a defining player of the 2010s. Incidentally coming into the NRL with Melbourne against Penrith, the 32-year-old playmaker has brought success wherever he has played as a result of his willingness to compete until the final siren, as evidenced by his try-saving tackle on Edrick Lee last Saturday. As one of the few current players to hold a positive winning record against the Storm, Maloney will be out to put a dent in his former club's unbeaten start to 2019 while elevating his own side into the top eight for the first time this season.
Renown for his prolific try-scoring feats since joining from Wests Tigers two years ago, Josh Addo-Carr will be out to open his account on Saturday evening. Managing 41 tries from 54 appearances with Melbourne, the 23-year-old speedster has developed a friendly rivalry alongside teammate Suliasi Vunivalu and will be intent on making up ground after his opposite winger collected a hat-trick last Friday. Facing additional pressure from Eels recruit Blake Ferguson for a place in the New South Wales backline, look for Addo-Carr to remind pundits of his ability to alleviate pressure on his forwards while remaining a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
The favourite: Eyeing off three wins to start a season for the eighth time under Craig Bellamy, the Storm have been well supported to claim another win on the road.
My tip: With early season form making it near impossible to gauge how a side is travelling, look for the Panthers to pull off an upset in a match set to inspire plenty of discussion in the aftermath. Panthers by 2.
