Finals Week 1: Panthers v Roosters preview
The minor premiers host the defending premiers in a blockbuster to open the 2020 NRL finals.
The Penrith Panthers have defied pre-season expectations as they marched their way to the club's third minor premiership on the back of a 15-match win streak that started way back in round six.
Defence has been a hallmark of Penrith's 2020 season having conceded 238 points, the least points conceded in the competition. The Panthers have only conceded 20 points or more on two occasions this season and just once since the competition restarted after the COVID-19 break.
Not only has their defence been a big part of the club's success in 2020, but the Panthers have also scored the second most points in the competition which includes scoring 20 points or more in 13 of their past 15 matches. Their dominance has been highlighted by the fact that only five of their last 15 matches have been decided by 10 points or less.
Penrith will host the Roosters at Panthers Stadium this Friday night, a venue where they have failed to lose a single game this year which included a six-point victory over the Roosters in round one earlier this year.
The Panthers have Dylan Edwards, Stephen Crichton and Viliame Kikau returning into the side this week whilst Daine Laurie, Matt Burton and Spencer Leniu drop out of the 17 with Tyrone May and Kurt Capewell shifting to the bench.
After a shock 54-point loss to the Rabbitohs, the Sydney Roosters finished in fourth place as their quest to become the first team since 1983 to win three premierships in a row.
The Roosters have showed throughout the season why they were the favourites entering the season, but this recent loss may put a seed of doubt in their minds on the eve of the finals.
A 54-point loss isn't exactly the kind of result you'd want heading into a finals series but if there's any team that can bounce back from it, it's the Roosters, a side ladened with finals experience. The defending premiers put together a string of five convincing wins prior to that loss, including wins over the Raiders, Knights and Sharks, despite routinely resting players as they prepared for an assault on the premiership.
The main worry for the Roosters is that they failed to beat both the Storm and the Panthers during the home and away season, something that'll need to be rectified if they are to capture their third straight title.
The Roosters are going to be without Jake Friend this week, who is out with a concussion but will otherwise be fielding a strong side with Brett Morris, Joey Manu, Isaac Liu returning to the starting 13 and Lindsay Collins included on the bench. Freddy Lussick will start at Hooker and Mitch Aubusson, Nat Butcher, Poasa Faamasusili and Matt Ikuvalu will miss out this weekend.
Nothing in the Panthers recent performances suggest that they'll lose this fixture on Friday night, but will the finals experience of the Roosters side prove to be the deciding factor?
Last meeting: Round 1 2020 - Panthers 20 Roosters 14
Who to watch: The battle of the New South Wales halves will light up the television screen on Friday Night. Incumbent New South Wales halfback Nathan Cleary will line up against his probable Origin halves partner, Luke Keary. The Panthers halfback has had an exceptional year and is a favourite to take out the Dally M medal. Cleary has recorded a career high in both try assists and forced drop outs with 15 and 26 respectively. The 22-year-old has built an incredible partnership with his halves partner, Jarome Luai as the childhood friends have guided their Panther's side to a minor premiership. They'll be a key part to the Panthers finals campaign.
Lining up in the tricolours, five-eighth Luke Keary is currently eyeing off his fourth premiership at the age of 28. Expected to make his Origin debut at the conclusion of this season, Keary has provided his side with 15 try assists and 15 forced drop outs in 18 appearances this season. He is a less controlling figure than Cleary but his value to his side is arguably the same. He was the man who created the winning try for the Roosters in last year's grand final as they beat the Raiders. Keary enters this finals series without Cooper Cronk and will take a greater load into the 2020 finals series. His short-side play will be a key weapon that he'll utilise in their qualifying final against the Panthers on Friday night.
The favourite: The Panthers enter this clash as favourites after losing just one game all year. They also defeated the Roosters in their only match this season although this did occur in the very first game of the season. The Roosters are coming of a 54-point loss last weekend, but they are the defending premiers and are equipped with invaluable finals experience which their opponents for this weekend lack.
My tip: The Panthers are playing some of the best footy their club has ever seen and are tasked with taking on the Roosters as they seek a third straight premiership. On form alone, the Panthers should earn themselves a week off, but the star-studded Roosters will be fired up for this clash to turn the critics in their favour after their embarrassing loss last weekend. This is going to be a mouth-watering match and I expect it to come down to the wire, but I expect the Roosters star players and finals experience will get them over the line. Roosters by 4.
