Check out the match preview and prediction for the round 22 clash between the Panthers and Sharks.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Penrith Panthers Vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Venue: BlueBet Stadium
Date: Saturday, July 29, 7:35pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Tyrone Peachey 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To’o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Zac Hosking 18. Jack Cogger 19. Luke Garner 20. Jaeman Salmon 21. Thomas Jenkins 22. Liam Henry
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Connor Tracey 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Toby Rudolf 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Jack Williams 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Thomas Hazelton 17. Royce Hunt 18. Matt Moylan 19. Kayal Iro 20. Braden Hamlin-Uele 21. Daniel Atkinson 22. Tuku Hau Tapuha
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
Matt Eisenhuth comes onto the bench in place of Spencer Leniu who suffered a knee injury last week in the only change for the Panthers. Izack Tago remains out with Tyrone Peachey holding the center position.
For the Sharks, Braydon Trindall has held his spot at five-eighth with Matt Moylan still on the outer. Skipper Wade Graham returns from injury, starting in the second row with Jesse Colquhoun out suspended. Cameron McInnes will start and look in the absence of Dale Finucane, while Siosifa Talakai has been named on the bench.
The Panthers were at their damaging best, easily handling the Bulldogs in a 44-18 victory at home last week. Nathan Cleary was sublime in his return from a hamstring injury, sending a warning out to the rest of the competition.
The Sharks’ struggles continued last week, as they let the Sea Eagles race out to an early lead that they could not run down despite a late fightback. Their record against top eight sides has been well documented and a loss this week to the Panthers will not only decimate their top four hopes but could even see them drop out of the top eight.
If Craig Fitzgibbon’s men are to have any chance, they have to start hot. The Panthers are experts at playing with the lead and grinding their opposition down, so the Sharks have to control the battle in the middle and put some scoreboard pressure on their opponents.
That’s easier said than done. The Sharks have won just once in their last six matches against Penrith and have not won at BlueBet Stadium since Round 18, 2018.
LAST TEN MATCHES
Panthers 5, Sharks 5
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Panthers by 12 points.
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