Penrith Panthers v Wests Tigers
Titans find Des-ire to win in Hasler’s 500th
30 mins ago | Robert Crosby
Panthers v Wests Tigers preview
Penrith are looking to continue their push towards the top four while the Wests Tigers are hoping to keep their faint top eight hopes alive on Saturday afternoon when these two fierce rivals meet.
For the Panthers, the early-season struggles are a distant memory of the past.
Ivan Cleary's men have won six in a row to surge up the ladder and while the Warriors' last-second win over the Knights was a dent to their top-four aspirations, Penrith still remains only five points behind Andrew Webster's side.
Their 30-10 victory over the Rabbitohs last week was particularly impressive considering they were without Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin and Izack Tago.
While the understrength Panthers pulled off a similar win a fortnight ago against the Warriors, they weren't burdened by the weight of expectations then.
It would have been easy for complacency to set in, especially with a top-eight berth looking increasily safe now for the defending premiers.
Instead, a Dylan Edwards masterclass inspired the Panthers to victory while Casey McLean continued to flash his enormous upside after a shaky start to his first full season in the NRL.
In team news, Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo return for a near full-strength Panthers team with Liam Martin on the extended bench and a chance of featuring in Saturday's game.
As for the Tigers, it is hard to see them challenging for the top eight but they remain in the mathematical hunt after last week's golden point win over the Titans.
Perhaps in a bid to make sure his team doesn't get too overconfident or carried away with the result, Benji Marshall called it the Tigers' "worst game" of the year in his press conference.
"In the first half we were looking for things that weren't there and to me it looked like our heads weren't on the job," Marshall said.
"We addressed some things at half time and in the second half we completed well and gave ourselves a chance at least.
"To get the two points it helps, but we have a lot to improve on."
Considering the quality of opposition, especially with the Titans losing skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, maybe he was right but either way you can guarantee Marshall will have his players focused for a tilt at the defending premiers on Saturday.
The only major change to last week's side is the inclusion of Izaac Thompson on the wing in place of Charlie Staines, while Apisai Koroisau starts.
Last meeting: Round 14 2025 - Wests Tigers 14 Panthers 18
Who to watch: Tom Jenkins had a hat-trick the last time these two teams met and has quickly become one of the best feel-good stories of the 2025 season. Having progressed through the grades at Penrith before making his NRL debut in 2022, Jenkins moved to Newcastle in 2024 after he struggled to get consistent playing time. He wasn't able to make much of that change in scenery through and potentially looked lost to the NRL until the Panthers threw him a lifeline and now Jenkins has been playing so well that he has been keeping Paul Alamoti out of first grade. He has been remarkably safe under the high ball and a slick finisher too on set plays while also improving his defensive connection with McLean.
One of the players who kept Jenkins out of first grade during his time at Penrith was Taylan May. Saturday's game will mark the first time May has faced his former teammates and he was an instant success for the Tigers last week, scoring in his club debut. May is a dynamic threat in the centres and his inclusion allowed the Tigers to shift Adam Doueihi to the middle of the field. That, in turn, gives the Tigers two genuine scoring options on either side of the field in May and Starford To'a given Doueihi at this point of his career after all his injuries struggles to beat his opposite man when playing in the centres.
Favourite: The Panthers are well-backed to continue their winning ways.
My tip: With the Knights and Titans to follow in the next two weeks, the Panthers could very well be on their way to winning nine games in a row. But it can be easy to look too far ahead and with the return of both Cleary and Yeo, there is also the risk of falling into old habits and gifting a hungry Tigers team cheap field position with errors and yardage penalties. The Panthers should still have too much class, but don't be surprised if this is closer than many expect, especially given the Tigers traditionally put up a fight in this fixture. Panthers by 8.
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Izack Tago 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Luke Garner 12. Isaiah Papali'i 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Brad Schneider 15. Liam Henry 16. Luron Patea 17. Liam Martin 18. Paul Alamoti
1. Sunia Turuva 2. Izaac Tu'itupou 3. Taylan May 4. Starford To'a 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Jarome Luai 7. Latu Fainu 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Alex Twal 11. Alex Seyfarth 12. Tony Sukkar 13. Adam Doueihi 14. Tristan Hope 15. Jack Bird 16. Fonua Pole 17. Sione Fainu 18. Krystian Mapapalangi
Referees: Peter Gough; Sideline Officials: Daniel Luttringer, Chris Sutton; Video Referees: Chris Butler;