That's all she wrote! To'o goes over in the corner but the Bunker quickly reviews it after Todd Smith's referral and confirms he put it out. Roosters win!
Numbers to the left... Young knocks it down, but it's a penalty! Cleary's going to take the two to reduce the margin to a converted try!
Penrith throwing everything at this, with the one-man advantage. They force a drop-out with less than 3 minutes remaining.
Cleary's conversion attempt HITS THE POST. He's NOT happy either.
Penrith move quickly and McLean scores after an errant pass catches the Roosters short a defender anyway.
Foketi gets marched for ten minutes after a tackle which makes contact with the head.
Cleary bangs over a penalty goal to reduce the margin to two converted tries with under 7 minutes remaining.
Smith misses to the left, just.
Dom in the corner and the game is all but won!
Unsuccessful. Penrith have no challenges left. Roosters scrum on halfway.
Time off with the Panthers Captains Challenging a lost ball on halfway.
The Roosters are holding firm and still making solid metres when they have the ball. Penrith look very much on the back foot.
Smith converts his own try and the lead stretches to 10!
Smith scores straight away and holy wow, the Tricolours lead by eight, ktc.
Sandon's conversion is wide, the first missed kick of the night.
Tupou? More like TWO-pou! The winger has a double after some clever fast hands to the left corner.
Penrith with a big opportunity straight off the back of that try but the Roosters survive after a Young intercept, and work it off their own end.
Cleary makes it easy - and scores are level once more.
Dyl gets on the end of a Cleary grubber and scores close to the posts.
A penalty for the Panthers has them advancing up the field quickly!
Sandon converts from in front and the visitors lead by six.
CONNOR HAS A DOUBLE! The Roosters have the perfect start to the second half.
Cleary bangs the extras over from in front and we'll head to the break with scores level once more.
A wild kick into the middle is somehow taken uncontested by Henry and the hosts will level the scores on the halftime siren.
Liam Martin is taken off for a HIA after getting his head in an awkward spot in a tackle.
Sandon swings it in from the touchline!
Tupou! The lanky winger gets his first try of 2025 on the end of a sweeping move to the left.
Nath from the sideline.... perfect.
To'o puts in on the to'e and gets around the line to ground it!
Sustained pressure here by Penrith, the Roosters give away a high tackle penalty.
Penrith have a full set from the Roosters' 30m, a big test for the visitors here.
End-to-end footy, bit of an arm wrestle developing between these sides now. Penrith's Lindsay Smith has passed his HIA after being taken off earlier.
The visitors' last tackle option sees the ball go dead. Panthers' 20m restart.
The Roosters not only defend out the set but get a penalty coming out of their own end and will now get into Penrith's half...
The Roosters with an error that gives Penrith good field position.
Is this real life? The Tricolours by six!
Connor Watson has the Roosters' second and they're in front!
Sandon Smith levels the scores.
Mark Nawaqanitawase dummies on the left edge and turns inside! Great quick hit-back from the visitors.
Nath boots the extras.
Paul Alamoti slices through the guts of the Roosters' feeble defence to open the scoring.
KICKOFF. We're underway. In their white away jersey, the Roosters have first use of the Steeden.
Stand up, flags up! Penrith trot out onto their new home, where the Roosters side awaits them. They lost Isaiah Papali'i from their 17 named earlier this week, Liam Henry comes in on the bench. For the Roosters, Lindsay Collins is out, Losalu starts in the forwards and Savala debuts on the bench.
Friday night action comes to you from Commbank Stadium - the Panthers are the home team at their new temporary abode against the Roosters tonight. A lot's changed since these teams met in a Qualifying Final last season - the Panthers are red-hot favourites for this after Brisbane put 50 on the Tricolours last week.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Todd Smith
Touch Judges: Belinda Sharpe, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Grant Atkins
PENRITH PANTHERS (32)
Tries: Paul Alamoti, Brian To'o, Liam Henry, Dylan Edwards, Casey McLean
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Nathan Cleary (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Nathan Cleary (2/2)
SYDNEY ROOSTERS (38)
Tries: Mark Nawaqanitawase, Sandon Smith, Connor Watson (2), Daniel Tupou (2), Dominic Young
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Sandon Smith (5/7)
Penalty Goals: