Round 4: Panthers v Warriors preview
Panthers aim to spoil the party for everyone's new second team.
Come Friday evening, both these sides will be watched with keen anticipation after they both featured in games that were equally as impressive - although for very different reasons.
The Panthers were set for an even match-up against the Knights, however they were dealt very favourable cards when both Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson were ruled out of the match within just 10 minutes, leaving Kurt Mann as the only regular spine player on the paddock. Against all the odds, Newcastle were able to force a rare 90-minute draw against a Penrith side which lacked attacking flair.
The Warriors have chosen to endure the toughest season for a professional Rugby League team on record, living away from home for an indefinite period to keep the competition up and running. This action has earned them a special place in the heart of Rugby League fans, who were cheering the Kiwi boys on as they recorded an historic 18-0 shutout against St George Illawarra, breaking the record for most completed sets in the process.
For the Panthers, Stephen Crichton retains his starting spot in the centres after he was brought in as a late change for Brent Naden last week. Temporary halves Matt Burton and Jarome Luai will have their last chance to show Ivan Cleary why they should remain in the side when Origin halfback Nathan Cleary returns for the mountain men next week.
The Warriors have been forced to make more changes through injury. Peta Hiku is out with a rib injury and it is yet to be confirmed when he'll be back. In his absence, Karl Lawton will start at centre for the first time since his debut for the Titans in 2016, which was ironically against the Warriors. Two former Roosters in Poasa Faamausili and Josh Curran have been named on the bench as Agnatius Paasi drops out of the side due to a one match suspension incurred against the Dragons. Faamausili joins the club for a period of just 4 weeks before returning to the Roosters in a first-of-its-kind loan deal.
Penrith raced out to a 14-0 lead early last week however as the game went on, they looked out of ideas in attack, resorting to a basic game-plan that involved passing to Kikau, or kicking for touch and hoping for the best.
The Warriors looked a different side to the first 2 weeks of the NRL and if they can get anywhere near their 96% completion rate Stephen Kearney will be a happy man. It remains to be seen how much we can read into that performance though considering it was against the Dragons, who were apparently smashed by their own reserve grade side in the lead up. This game will reveal a lot about what we can expect from both sides in 2020.
Last meeting: Round 15 2019 - Warriors 18 Panthers 19
Who to watch: New Panthers hooker Api Koroisau is firming to be the buy of the year this season, standing out for his side every week so far with his dynamic running game, last week making 93 metres from just 8 runs combined with 3 tackle breaks and a whopping 69 tackles. The effect he has on Penrith though might be most evident through his absence, with the side becoming noticeably less threatening when replacement hooker Mitch Kenny comes on. Kenny has been named on the bench again this week so it'll be interesting to see how many minutes Ivan Cleary plays his star number 9.
Warriors second rower Eliesa Katoa was a late inclusion in the starting side in Round 3, and he more than made the most of it. The 20-year-old is one of the brightest forward prospects across the ditch and he gave us a glimpse as to why last Saturday, finishing with a phenomenal 181 metres off 18 runs, 69 of those post-contact. He also bagged his first career try along with making 3 tackle breaks. Warriors fans will be hoping he can back this up with another standout performance and if he can it will go a long way to the his side matching it with the much more experienced Penrith forward pack.
The favourite: The Panthers are clear favourites to remain undefeated in 2020.
My tip: Don't be fooled by the odds - this is shaping up as a very tight contest. The Panthers were only able to score two tries against a Knights side missing three quarters of their starting spine and never really looked like scoring the winning try as the match went the maximum 90 minutes, with inexperienced halves pairing Luai and Burton struggling to ice what should have been an easy win. The Warriors hugely improved every aspect of their previous performances, with Kodi Nikorima producing arguably his best game since joining the kiwi franchise. It'll be tight, but I believe the Warriors forwards have enough grit and determination to match it with Penrith. That combined with the natural talent of fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who can sometimes be worth 8-12 points on his own, should see the Warriors sneak home. Warriors by 6.
