Panthers roast chooks

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Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers

The Panthers worked hard to get a well-earnt 10-0 halftime lead, but a 7 minute blitz shortly after halftime saw them take the game completely away from the Roosters.

Penrith came out of the sheds at the very start of the game running hard and tackling even harder, making their intentions clear from the very outset. They dominated field position for the majority of the game, helped by the Roosters ill-discipline handling the ball especially.

The game opened with an old-school 10 minute softening up period. In the third minute, Issah Yeo in the middle and close to the Roosters line, saw a gap, burrowed down low and got himself to the line. He was awarded a try but the Bunker intervened and found a double movement, denying the brilliant Lock a try.

In the 11th minute, Penrith spread the ball from left to right where Stephen Crichton received the ball, drifted towards the sideline before getting himself between the two outside defenders and he sliced through to score. He failed to convert his try.

The game started to open up, with plenty of offloads and second phase play for the next 20 minutes from both sides, but the Roosters consistently turned the ball over cheaply. 

In the 36th minute, Penrith extended their lead when a bustling Liam Martin run through the middle saw him make 40 metres before he linked with Dylan Edwards just past halfway, who raced 40 metres to score a brilliant try. Crichton converted. The Panthers very nearly scored from the restart when Scott Sorensen made a break down the left side, found Edwards in support, but Edwards' last pass was intercepted. At halftime Penrith lead 10-0.

Penrith wasted no time after the break with Yeo ran onto a crash ball and burrowed over for a try in the 46th minute. Crichton converted from in front.

In their next set after the restart, Sorensen made another break but couldn't find any support and was tackled 20m shy of the Roosters line. On the next play the Panthers spread the ball to the right courtesy of some great stepping by Jarome Luai, before Brian To'o received the ball outside his defender and he raced over to score in the corner. Crichton converted.

Another great stepping run by Luai followed by a quick play-the ball allowed Sunia Turuva to make a bust from dummy half down the sideline, before he turned the ball inside to Izaak Tago who scored a good try that began on halfway. Crichton added the extras and in the space of 7 minutes, Penrith's lead had extended from 10 to 28 points.

In the 60th minute the Roosters finally got on the board through a determined and typically spirited run by James Tedesco, bumping out of tackles, changing direction before powering through defenders to score. Luke Keary converted from the sideline.

Play became quite spirited between the forwards shortly after with Jared Warea-Hargreaves at the centre of it. First he had a heavy collision with Liam Martin, which left the Panthers forward with a cut on his head and forced to come off for an HIA. Just a few tackles later and Moses Leota had a head clash with Warea-Hargreaves, forcing the Panthers prop to also leave them field for an HIA.

Just a few minutes later and Spencer Leniu had a fiery clash with Warea-Hargreaves which lead to an all-in scuffle, during which the Roosters enforced squirted water from his water bottle at Leniu, before lobbing the empty bottle at him. The referee sent both men to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

Crichton kicked a penalty goal to give Penrith a 30-6 victory in a highly entertaining encounter.