Match Centre

Round 15: Panthers v Sharks preview

Sharks test themselves against the best

The Penrith Panthers will be eyeing ten in a row on Friday evening when they host the Cronulla Sharks at Panthers Stadium.

Sitting atop the premiership ladder with 12 wins and a draw over the first 14 rounds, the Penrith Panthers will be hoping to record three straight wins over their historic rivals for the first time in a decade.

Posting their biggest win of the season against the Sharks with a 56-24 demolition back in Round 9, coach Ivan Cleary will be stressing the importance of maintaining momentum with the second-placed Storm trailing the side by just one point on the ladder.

Retaining the same squad that downed the Warriors 18-12 at Gosford last week, winger Brian To'o could be a late inclusion after being named as part of the extended squad.

Debuting with the Panthers during Cleary's first stint as coach back in 2012, Josh Mansour will play his 150th game for the club.

Coming into the final quarter of the season in seventh position, the Cronulla Sharks will be desperate to claim a major scalp heading towards the finals.

Locked in a fierce tussle against the Titans before Kevin Proctor's dismissal saw the side power home to a 30-18 victory last Saturday, the Sharks have yet to defeat a top eight team in 2020, leaving plenty of questions over their ability to make an impact during the business end of the season.

Winning five of their past seven visits to the foot of the mountains, coach John Morris will be aware of the consequences of Friday's match with the side capable of finishing the weekend as high as equal fourth or as low as eighth pending other results.

In the only positional change from the squad that downed the Titans, Toby Rudolf will start at lock with Scott Sorenson reverting to the bench.

Last meeting: Round 9 2020 - Sharks 24 Panthers 56

Who to watch: Spending his first two seasons in the top grade as a back-up playmaker, Jarome Luai has made the Panthers' number six jersey his own in 2020. Beating out Matt Burton and Tyrone May in the race to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves, the 23-year-old Samoan international has been a focal part of the side's deadly left side attack with the third-most try-assists in the league (12) and a dozen forced drop outs. Contracted to the foot of the mountains until the end of next season, Luai will be sure to cause the Sharks plenty of headaches close to the line having recorded nine line break assists and 27 tackle breaks already this season.

Trialling with Cronulla over the off-season after managing a single NRL appearance in his time at Canberra, interchange forward Royce Hunt has proven to be the latest gem unearthed by John Morris. Helping the Sharks win seven of their past nine matches after making his club debut in Round 6, the 25-year-old front-rower has progressively increased his work rate to average 86 metres and 15 tackles in 28 minutes of game time each week. Rejuvenating the side's forward pack with plenty of punch off the bench, Hunt looks set to go from strength-to-strength after penning an extension for the next two seasons.

The favourite: On track to become the first team since Melbourne to record ten straight wins three years ago, the Panthers are expected to prove too strong back on home soil.

My tip: While the Sharks will do their best to get the best of a premiership contender, the momentum of the home side should continue for a tenth straight week. Panthers by 10.