Penrith Panthers v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Cowboys come up trumps in epic derby win over Broncos
5 hours ago | Andrew Ferguson
Panthers v Sharks preview
The Cronulla Sharks look once again like they will be among the top teams in the regular season, but a litmus test against the Penrith Panthers this week could prove whether they are ready to take the next leap.
Cronulla has more often than not been in the finals picture in the years since lifting the Provans-Summons trophy in 2016, but time and time again the Sharks have just fallen short in September.
It was the case again last year when they went down to the Storm, and the Panthers in particular have been particularly tough for Cronulla to get past in the postseason.
The Sharks have a poor record in general against Penrith, who have won five straight and nine of the past 10 matches between the two sides.
The Panthers are coming off a 26-0 statement win against the defending premiers, which signaled the NRL's most dominant side in recent memory won't repeat last year's slow start to the season.
It wasn't the most clinical performance you will see from Penrith this year regardless of what the scoreboard said, but the way the Panthers scrambled in defence to deny the Broncos would have pleased coach Ivan Cleary.
As for the Sharks, they put the cleaners through the Titans in a 50-10 thumping on Saturday afternoon as established halves pairing Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall enjoyed one of their best games as a combination.
In team news, there are no changes to either side's 19-man squad with Liam Martin (calf) and Teig Wilton (shoulder) both unavailable.
Last meeting: Round 1 2025 - Panthers 28 Sharks 22
Who to watch: When the Panthers announced they had signed Jack Cogger it was primarily viewed as insurance for Nathan Cleary and for the most part, that is the role the premiership-winning playmaker will have. But Cogger proved last week against the Broncos that he can be more than that, even when Cleary is healthy. Ivan Cleary injected Cogger into the game for the last 20 minutes or so and he had an immediate impact, as was the case in the 2024 grand final, straightening up and simplifying Penrith's attack while allowing Nathan Cleary to play a more instinctive style of football. Having Cogger there, whether it is late in games or even earlier, frees up Cleary by easing the pressure on him to do all the long-range kicking and steering the side around. While teams may eventually expose Cogger by targeting him defensively through the middle, until that happens he will continue to be an underrated weapon off the bench.
As for the Sharks, former Panthers second rower Billy Burns is one of the more remarkable stories in the NRL. Burns was considering life as an electrician when, without an NRL contract, he was suddenly handed a lifeline by Cronulla. He made the most of it and now has established himself as a genuine weapon in a stacked Sharks forward pack that also includes the dangerous Briton Nikora. Burns struggled for consistency in his game during his time at Penrith, but has thrived with a larger role at Cronulla and is putting himself in the shopfront window with every strong performance this year given he is off-contract at the end of the season.
Favourite: Clearly no one buys Cronulla as genuine premiership threats because the Sharks are paying over $3 despite last week's big win.
MY TIP: This will be a lot closer than the bookies expect. The Sharks have the kind of workrate up front to stick with the Panthers while they have speed and power out wide to trouble Penrith's edges. The Panthers haven't been particularly great at Bathurst recently, but they will be keen to right the wrongs of last year's disaster against the Knights. Penrith by 8.
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To'o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Isaiah Papali'i 12. Luke Garner 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Jack Cogger 15. Billy Phillips 16. Scott Sorensen 17. Kalani Going 18. Izack Tago 19. Freddy Lussick
1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. KL Iro 5. Samuel Stonestreet 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Thomas Hazelton 11. Briton Nikora 12. Billy Burns 13. Jesse Colquhoun 14. Siosifa Talakai 15. Toby Rudolf 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Hohepa Puru 19. Chris Veaila
Referees: Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials: Belinda Sharpe, Daniel Luttringer; Video Referees: Chris Butler;