Round 21: Dragons path to Top 8 blocked by pouncing Panthers
The Dragons enjoyed the bye in Round 20, a well earned rest following their 30-26 win over Brisbane a week prior. A Christian Tuipulotu hat trick and strong performances from Jaydn Su'a, Jack de Bellin and Jacob Liddle helped set up the victory that moved them to the brink of the top 8.
They get back Origin stars Zac Lomax and Ben Hunt for this one, forcing Mikaele Ravalawa and Jesse Marschke out of the side. Raymond Faitala-Mariner is back on deck after being a late withdrawal against the Broncos due to back spasms, forcing Luciano Leilua to the bench and Jack Bird 18th man. Mat Feagai and Blake Lawrie have both been named among the reserves as they look to come back from shoulder injuries.
Penrith meanwhile came off a Round 19 bye into a hard fought Round 20 win, downing the Dolphins 28-26 in Golden Point. Nathan Cleary's return from a hamstring injury was worth the price of admission, with the star halfback picking up two try assists and the game winning two point drop goal. Other star performers include Sunia Turuva, James Fisher-Harris, Matt Eisenhuth, Moses Leota and Daine Laurie.
Origin trio Jarome Luai, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo and Brian To'o will make their returns after Penrith gave them a week off. Dylan Edwards is unavailable due to a knee injury, so Laurie remains at the back. Liam Henry goes to the bench and Luron Patea is pushed out of the extended squad completely. Despite his strong performance against the Dolphins, Eisenhuth will be the 18th man.
The Panthers struggles in attack haven't really been rectified, largely due to the absence of Cleary, with 22.6 points per game around the league average. But they do have the best defence in the NRL, allowing just 15.7 points per game. St George Illawarra meanwhile are pretty much middle of the road in both, averaging 21.4 and conceding 24.7
Last meeting: Round 13 2024 - Panthers 10 Dragons 22
Who to watch: This match may not be won or lost by the halfbacks, but they'll certainly go a long way towards deciding the outcome. And fresh off a somewhat disappointing Origin series, Ben Hunt will have a point to prove. He's been brilliant for the Red V this season, with 21 try assists, 12 line break assists and 11 forced drop outs, but his performances in big games have been questioned. That's something he needs to quash if the Dragons can win this one.
For Nathan Cleary meanwhile the job is simple - more of the same please. As mentioned earlier he was at his absolute best against the Dolphins, his first game in 10 weeks. If he picks up from where he left off against the Dragons his Panthers should be much too strong.
The favourite: Penrith are heavy favourites in this one.
My tip: The Dragons are gonna need almost everything to go right in order to even have a sniff in this one. It probably won't. Panthers by 20+
