Mitch Bourke reviews Penrith’s stunning win over Canberra. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 10th | Try Viliame Kikau (Penrith) | Penrith 4-0 |
| 12th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 6-0 |
| 16th | Try Liam Martin (Penrith) | Penrith 10-0 |
| 18th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 12-0 |
| 34th | Try Stephen Crichton (Penrith) | Penrith 16-0 |
| 36th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 18-0 |
| 39th | Try Brent Naden (Penrith) | Penrith 22-0 |
| 40th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 24-0 |
| 46th | Try Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Canberra) | Penrith 24-4 |
| 47th | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Penrith 24-6 |
| 56th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 26-6 |
| 64th | Try Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Canberra) | Penrith 26-10 |
| 65th | Goal Jarrod Croker (Canberra) | Penrith 26-12 |
| 79th | Goal Nathan Cleary (Penrith) | Penrith 28-12 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
Penrith can cross Canberra off their scoreless first half hit-list, with superb defence going hand-in-hand with lethal attack and laying the foundations for their eighth-straight victory. The Raiders had all the ball early and came close time and time again: Whitehead scored a try that was disallowed, and Papalii was miraculously held up by five Panthers. But they had no points to show.
The Panthers resisted, resisted, and resisted. It took 10 minutes for their first attacking set, but when the time finally came they pounced without hesitation. Prodigal son Nathan Cleary put Viliame Kikau through the line and there was no stopping the storming second-rower.
Penrith wasted no time piling on the pain: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad faltered under a bomb and Apisai Koroisau made him pay. In the ensuing set Koroisau darted left out of dummy half then quickly retraced his steps; he had Raiders defenders scrambling and a short ball sent Liam Martin over with ease.
Some Stephen Crichton magic added a third try whilst the Raiders were still scoreless.
On the cusp of half time, Penrith kept pushing on the already-suffocated throats of Canberra. Tyrone May threw a cut-out pass to Brent Naden, who had his sights set on the in-goal. Jordan Rapana delivered a heavy hit, but Naden’s body levitated out of the field of play whilst his palm stamped the exclamation mark on a killer opening.
2nd Half
Early errors threatened to mar any hopes of a Raiders second-half resurgence, but Nicoll-Klokstad stood up. He looked ways away from scoring and had five Panthers hanging off him, but kept driving closer, with the ball miraculously finding the stripe amongst a tangle of arms and legs.
The Panthers took no chances, opting for the two points after a close-range penalty, even with their three-try buffer.
The Raiders continued hounding the line and came up with points courtesy of Nicoll-Klokstad’s never-say-die attitude. Canberra were coming dangerously close to being restricted again by more sublime Penrith defence, but Nicoll-Klokstad produced a deceitful dummy and slid to the in-goal by the barest of margins with Panthers defenders clinging on; he single-handedly kept the Raiders alive.
A last minute penalty goal iced the result for Penrith: the 28-12 win equalling the 2003 club record of eight straight victories.
Nathan Cleary finished with a try assist and linebreak assist, but it was his kicking game that was decisive. Viliame Kikau got the wood over opposing number John Batemen, finishing with a try, tackle break and two linebreaks.
Canberra were comprehensively outplayed, but Nicoll-Klokstad was their shining light in his return from injury. He scored both Raiders tries, broke nine tackles, had two line-breaks, and ran 256 metres.
The Raiders showed plenty of their trademark character, but the Panthers were simply on another level. They’re looking very tough to beat, and showcased an all-round masterclass. Their defence was monumental, and they still piled on four tries before the Raiders had troubled the scoreboard.
Canberra didn’t play terribly tonight, and are still in the top four race with upcoming games against Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Canterbury-Bankstown.
Penrith are looming large; they have established themselves as the competition’s benchmark, if they weren’t already. They humbled a side that had been making a habit of winning against all odds.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
Penrith’s third try came courtesy of a Stephen Crichton sneak attack. Jarome Luai stabbed a well-weighted grubber to the in-goal, and Crichton scored a try he had no right to score. Nick Cotric was in front position but it counted for little; Crichton crept up with the pace of a cheetah and slipped his hands onto the loose footy.
SQUADS
Penrith Panthers: 1. Caleb Aekins, 2. Josh Mansour, 14. Tyrone May, 4. Stephen Crichton, 3. Brent Naden, 6. Jarome Luai, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. James Tamou, 9. Apisai Koroisau, 10. James Fisher-Harris, 11. Viliame Kikau, 12. Liam Martin, 13. Isaah Yeo. Interchange:ย 15. Spencer Leniu, 16. Moses Leota, 17. Zane Tetavano, 21. Daine Laurie.
Canberra Raiders: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Jordan Rapana, 3. Jarrod Croker, 4. Curtis Scott, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Hudson Young. Interchange:ย 14. Tom Starling, 15. Joseph Tapine, 16. Ryan Sutton, 17. Corey Harawira-Naera.
