Check out the match preview and prediction for the NRL Finals Week 1 clash between the Penrith Panthers and the Sydney Roosters.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Penrith Panthers Vs Sydney Roosters
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Date: Friday 13 September, 7:50pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards, 2. Sunia Turuva, 3. Izack Tago, 4. Paul Alamoti, 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. Trent Toelau, 15. Lindsay Smith, 16. Liam Henry, 17. Luke Garner, 18. Matt Eisenhuth, 19. Brad Schneider, 20. Casey McLean, 21. Daine Laurie, 22. Luke Sommerton
Roosters: 1. James Tedesco, 2.Daniel Tupou, 3. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Dominic Young, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Spencer Leniu, 9. Connor Watson, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Angus Crichton, 12. Sitili Tupouniua, 13. Nat Butcher, 14. Zach Dockar-Clay, 15. Naufahu Whyte, 16. Siua Wong, 17. Terrell May, 18. Michael Jennings, 19. Blake Steep, 20. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 21. Jake Elliott, 22. Salesi Foketi
Referee: Ashley Klein
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
The 2024 NRL Finals are here at last. The three-time defending premiers Panthers open the finals series on Friday with a mouth-watering clash against a wounded but dangerous Roosters side who lead the competition in points scored.
For the Panthers, there’s only one change and it’s a huge inclusion, with Nathan Cleary named to return at halfback. As a result, Jarome Luai moves back to five-eighth, with Brad Schneider dropping to the reserves.
For the first time in a few years, the Panthers have hit the finals series with a bit of a wobble. Their form hasn’t been the greatest over the past month, and while they’ve been able to grind out some wins, they’ve had key players missing or nursing injuries. All eyes will be on Cleary and how he holds up under the pressure of a finals game after missing the past three weeks. No doubt the Roosters will run plenty of traffic his way, with Angus Crichton lined up against him to test out the strength of his shoulder throughout the night. The Panthers have the home ground advantage though, and with one of the best defensive records this year, they’ll be out to make sure points are hard to come by for the flashy Roosters attack.
For the Roosters, star wingers Dom Young and Daniel Tupou return after both missing last week. Lindsay Collins and Nat Butcher also return in the forward pack, with Terrell May and Naufahu Whyte moving back to the bench. De La Salle Va’a, Blake Steep, Mark Nawaqanitawase, and Fetalaiga Pauga drop out of the 17.
The bigger challenge awaits the Roosters as they make the trek out to BlueBet Stadium. They’ve only managed three wins against other top eight teams this year. In addition to that, the Panthers haven’t lost a finals game in four years, but that won’t deter Trent Robinson’s men. Two weeks ago disaster struck when they lost two key members of their spine in Brandon Smith and Sam Walker. For most teams in the competition, that would be enough to cripple any chances of a premiership win. However, this Roosters side still has plenty of class across the park to match it with the defensive powerhouse that are the Panthers. If anything, they now have extra motivation to go to Penrith and cause an upset that could turn this finals series on its head.
Check out the NRL Finals Stats Number Crunch here.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Check out all the NRL Predictions here.
Panthers by 4 points.
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