1. Kieren Moss 2. Bureta Faraimo 3. Vai Toutai 4. John Folau 5. Honeti Tuha 6. Mitch Cornish 7. Luke Kelly 8. Rory O’Brien 9. Cody Nelson 10. Daniel Alvaro 11. Kelepi Tanginoa 12. Matt Woods 13. James Hasson Interchange: 15. Andrew Pearn 16. Nick Kassis 17. Blake Cook 19. Ryan Morgan

 

Ryan Morgan comes onto the bench for Sam Gorman.

 

Wenty receive the kick off and both teams start the game brightly completing solid sets. Wenty get the first attacking opportunity after the Panthers spill a Cornish bomb but there is a knock from from Cody Nelson late tin the count. Penrith reply quickly by making a bust up our middle. Kieren Moss makes a good tackle at the last line and the Magpies will defend their goal line. The Panthers shift it to their right where they look to barge over with Moses Leota but he is held up and loses the ball trying to free his arm.

 

The Panthers make an error near halfway as they look to try and create an overlap down our right. Hint of a chance there but they bobble the ball forwards from one player to another.

 

Scrappy work from the scrum win for the Magpies as the pass travels behind John Folau. He cleans it up and goes back into the defensive line and picks up a penalty as the Panthers get their hands all over the ball.

 

Nice offload from Avlaro to Kelepi there. Kelepi takes the tackle and then Moss darts down the left edge. Looks lively but the Panthers defend him well. Hasson takes the ball towards the posts before Cornish uses Kelepi on a bullrush unders line. Terrific defence from the Panthers to hold him out but he has sucked in too many defenders and a really well executed short side play from Cornish to Moss sees the newcomer fullback put Tuha over in the corner! Really nicely worked try there.

 

Try scored by Tuha. Conversion successful by Cornish.

Wenty lead 6-0

12 min gone

 

Good carry from O’Brien on the second tackle coming off our line but we try to get a it fancy on the third when Woods tries to flick offload to Toutai and Vai can’t reel in the difficult take.

 

Good chance for Penrith to hit back straight away here.

 

They go to our left edge initially before coming back to the posts. Wenty show good shape in defence through the early tackles before an excellent offload from Leota nearly opens us up. We scramble desperately and kill the play! On the last Penrith try to bomb Tuha but the kick it too heavy and sails into touch.

 

Plenty of dummy half work from our outside backs as we come out of our end. Cornish ices the set by finding touch 10m out from the Penrith goal line. The Panthers get through their next set but in the following set the Eels get a penalty when O’Brien picks up a penalty for catching out some defenders inside the 10m mark.

 

Alvaro busies himself with another carry before Kelly takes the ball down the right. He links up with Moss on the sweep but the Panthers set themselves well and get the 1-on-1 with Faraimo and Josh Hall who brings Bureta down. We go back to our left with a big sweeping movement that ends with Folau playing flat at the line for a short ball from Cornish but he grasses it. Penrith off the hook there it looks like.

 

The Panthers get a penalty coming out of their half as Wenty are done for holding down too long in the ruck. They find touch 30m out from their line and start the grind once more. Zach Dockar-Clay has a useful dart for the Panthers as they breach our half but out line holds well. O’Brien makes a tremendous cover tackle on Sam Clune as the half looks to open us up the middle but the fast play-the-ball catches us short down our left-edge as the Panthers run it on the last and simple hands is enough to get Malakai Watene-Zelezniak over in the corner.

 

Try scored by M.Watene-Zelezniak. Conversion unsuccessful.

Panthers trail 4-6

24min gone

 

Penrith picking up the tempo here as the get in behind our ruck and pick up another penalty. That one hurts as they resume play just in our half. Kieren Moss is called on to make another excellent last-line tackle on a rampaging #20 (maybe Fisher-Harris?) and cuts him down. The Panthers have us as sixes and sevens on our goal line as a result but come up with an error! Phew.

 

We roll our sleeves up and look to drive it out of our half but time is called off for an injured player. Oh no. It looks like it is Keiren Moss. Didn’t get up after making that brilliant tackle. They are calling for a stretcher. Gee this is unfortunate.

 

Moss is stretchered off after considerable delay. Our best wishes go with him that it is only precautionary.

 

Both teams settle themselves after the delay as they trade completed sets. The Panthers are slightly ahead in the territorial battle at the moment. They look to create an overlap for Josh Hall down their left but Vai Toutai is on the ball from the inside and cleans him up. Penrith get stuck running the ball on their last tackle and only some desperate second phase play lets them get a kick away. Faraimo scrambles back to pick it up as Wenty hold the Panthers out.

 

Honeti Tuha looks to have shifted to fullback interestingly enough. Morgan is playing on the left wing.

 

Wenty get to their kick as they try to win back the ruck. Cornish heaves it downfield but Zac Mackay is perfectly positioned to take it on the full. The Panthers rumble the ball right back into our red zone but once again we hold firm but on the last the Magpies cop an unlucky call when Alvaro looks to have knock a Penrith grubber backwards and then jumped on it. The ref sees it differently and the Panthers get a scrum.

 

The starch in our defence completely disappears from the resultant scrum as they play it down our left-edge from the scrum win. I’m not entirely sure who is to blame there but the ran it through our line inside Folau for a very, very soft try.

 

Try scored by the Panthers. Conversion successful.

Penrith lead 10-6

34min gone

 

Decent set of defence from Wenty following the concession of points. Tuha takes their kick on the full for a solid kick return and on the following tackle Faraimo breaks into the secondary! Terrific individual work as he is pulled down on Penrith’s 30m mark. Wenty look for a quick shift down their left-edge but there is a miscommunication between Cornish and Tanginoa that results in a knock on. It looked like the right option was out the back there from my vantage point. Penrith will get the ball regardless though.

 

Huh. Very ordinary set from the Panthers now. Caught going through the motions before a miscued kick is fielded by Morgan. A bustling carry from Tuha nets Wenty a penalty and a late chance to secure some points.

 

Alvaro and Kelepi take early charges up the middle. Cornish takes it down the left but we are rebuffed. Cornish runs it back to the posts and finds Alvaro back inside on his left but the cover defence is willing and makes the effort to cut the Polar Bear down. The Magpies take it down their right last in the count and give Bureta Faraimo a one-on-one opportunity on the goal line and Faraimo deadset steamrolls over Josh Hall. That was beautifully ugly stuff.

 

Try scored by Faraimo. Conversion successful by Cornish (it JUST had the legs, bouncing up off the black dot and then taking a fortunate bounce).

Wenty lead 12-10

 

Kelly traps the ball off his foot from the kick off, takes a casual glance up at the scoreboard and decides to throw the ball into touch. Fun little fact, that would have been a short-arm penalty in Rugby Union (unless they changed the rules from when I last played quite a few years back).

 

Half Time

Wentworthville Magpies 12 LEAD Penrith Panthers 10

 

Second Half

 

Wenty kick off to the Panthers.

 

Nice driving tackle from Cody Nelson mid-count but Penrith recover set momentum with two strong carries from the forwards. They run the ball on the last with ZDC scooting from hooker but Wenty scramble well and force them to kick where Tuha cleans it up.

 

Bizarre stuff to finish Wenty’s reply set. There is a defender obstructing the play-the-ball but the ref doesn’t blow a penalty which allows the Panthers to push up on the last tackle. It ends with Kelepi putting in a shocker of a kick that Toutai catches and then loses after getting hit by a defender.

 

Faraimo jams in early in the tackle count to make a solid tackle. Nice audible crunch there. Penrith kick early looking to punish our right-edge for pushing up but we drop back swiftly and recover the ball just outside our goal line.

 

It looks like a tough set for Wenty as they try to fight their way out of their own half but a late penalty comes out way on the back of a gusty carry from Tanginoa. Gee that was useful.

 

Alaro and Kassis get the early charges in this set. Kelepi comes infield for another ruck carry on the third before Kelly stops and props down the right and then turns the ball back inside to Kassis. The Magpies then venture down their left where Cornish uses his temporary custodian in Tuha out the back. Honeti double pumps to Toutai and then uses Morgan who just manages to stay in the field of play to score in the corner!

 

Try scored by Morgan. Conversion unsuccessful by Cornish.

Wenty lead 16-10

47min gone

 

More quality work from Kelepi to start this set. Kassis and Alvaro follow him up with good runs with Kassis having a second helping late in the set that earns a penalty! Tremendous work from the nuggety prop.

 

Kelly finds touch 25m out from the Penrith goal line.

 

Kelepi gets the ball two passes in for the first tackle. Alvaro trundles in towards the posts on the second and on the third the Magpies show their hands with a rapid raid down their left. Cornish to Tuha is the play once more but this time Honeti holds onto the ball with limited space down the left-edge and just forces his way over. Grima obviously gave his charges a dressing down at half time as the boys look one or two gears better to date in the second stanza.

 

Try scored by Tuha. Conversion unsuccessful by Nelson (who has relieved Cornish of the kicking duties).

Wenty lead 20-10

51min gone

 

Tanginoa and Woods the first gowads used this set. Kelepi takes the third carry as well as he continues to work his tush off. Kassis and then Kelepi once more round out the set. That last run leaves Kelepi very dusty as he slowly regains his feet. Time is called off but he seems okay.

 

Cornish completes the set with a long kick. It is taken on the full by the Panthers but not without drama as their winger and fullback fail to call for the ball and nearly run into each other. They avoid the potential disaster and secure possession.

 

Mediocre set from the Panthers now as they complete it with a rushed kick from a grassed pass. Tuha races up and catches it and then shows some hot feet to beat a couple of defenders. Wenty roll the ball into Penrith’s half and look for an attacking bomb but it is defused comfortably by the Panthers. The locals are restless in the stands and are baying for a penalty. The ref obliges to a chorus of slightly bogan cheers.

 

Good form from Wenty in the face of plenty of shifting ball on their goal line. They hold out until the last and then force the error with a cohesive jam from Toutai and Faraimo. Quality stuff.

 

Folau, O’Brien and Morgan get the Eels out of danger and Kelly wants to slow the tempo of the game down as he finds touch 20m out from the Penrith goal line. Not a bad option with the lead and 23min left in the game.

 

The Panthers get into our half on the back of a very good little dart from ZDC and then an astute kick from Clune traps Morgan in-goals. Excellent response from the Panthers who have looked a bit down on energy in this half.

 

Cornish drills a flat drop out 48m deep as Leota scoops it up from the ground himself and then carts it back. The Panthers catch us massively short down our right for reasons unknown but Vai Toutai somehow forces the ball loose over the line! No clue how he has pulled that off but Wenty will get the 20m restart. Massive play from Toutai!

 

As with most seven tackle sets the team with the ball just keeps it simple and makes easy metres. Cornish is caught running it on the sixth so Kelly will take over the final play duties and he decides to run it. Looks a poor option if truth be told as he uses Woods with a flat ball who is promptly wrapped up.

 

Solid metres in reply for the Panthers but they are in dissaray on their last which sees Zelezniak make the kick. Faraimo eats it up and goes on to pinch 20m in kick return metres. Tuha follows him up with an up-beat carry and offloads to Kelly for a bigger gain. Alvaro then offloads to Cook but on the following tackle Cornish makes a mistake as he tries to run through the sliding defence on the Penrith goal line.

 

The Panthers are getting a bit desperate here. All semblance of structure is going out the window as they throw it around willy-nilly. Wenty keep themselves honest in defence and simply kill the ball. Tuha fields an ordinary kick on the last.

 

Tanginoa and Alvaro takes us over halfway with the latter earning a penalty for a strip in the tackle. Kelly takes his time before deciding to find touch and does so 28m out from the Penrith goal line. Folau has a great carry from the tap as he fights his way though a 12m gain. On the next tackle Rory O’Brien powers his way through to the try lien and then offloads to Nelson who is barely stopped! Outstanding effort from O’Brien who stood tall through contact.

 

It opens the Panthers right up and on the next play Kelepi Tanginoa strolls through untouched from a short ball delivered by Cornish. It won’t get credited to the big prop but that try was all on O’Brien.

 

Try scored by Tanginoa. Conversion unsuccessful by Nelson.

Wenty lead 24-10

67min gone

 

Hasson and Folau do the ugly work for Wenty early this set. Folau carrying the ball strongly as well, looking to use his size. Wenty pick up another penalty as the ball is reefed loose on halfway, much to the chagrin of the locals in attendance!

 

Kelly finds touch once more, this one is marked on the Penrith 38m mark. Tanginoa and O’Brien add another run each to their name before a gorgeous ball from Cornish puts James Hasson over! That was a understated overs line from Hasson (as odd as that sounds) and it catches the tiring defence out. Wenty have killed them in the second half.

 

Try scored by Hasson. Conversion successful by Woods (is everyone having a crack today?).

Wenty lead 30-10

71min gone

 

Short kickoff from the Panthers and they look to have regathered it from a bat-back. Hang on, nope. It is coming back for a Wenty scrum. The ball was lost forwards with no advantage to the Magpies.

 

Guess who is there for the first carry? None other than Tanginoa. Folau makes a half break on the second tackle as he throws his size around and Tanginoa comes in for a second charge this set. Hasson and O’Brien look to round out the set with Rory offloading to Nelson to bring up the last. Cornish takes the ball down the left-edge shortside on the last and ices play 10m with a long grubber. Really composed stuff from Cornish and Kelly today.

 

Late penalty for Penrith here as Andrew Pearn is pinged for hands over the play-the-ball.

 

The Panthers attack our right-edge initially before building for a big play down the opposite edge but the end up running the ball at Woods. Wenty bring up the last on their goal line at which point the Panthers find the carpet in-goals with a grubber that sees Faraimo run it dead with 5min on the clock.

 

A few offloads for Penrith early in this set but Wenty rebound to shut the ball down. Dockar-Clay runs from second receiver and looks to take the line on himself but he is wrapped up. The Wenty defenders do however concede a penalty for holding him down.

 

Penrith go down our right but are turned away before yet another penalty comes as they bring the ball back to the posts. Offside I think?

 

Good defence from Cornish and Tanginoa down our left from the tap. Read and jam nicely together. It takes them almost 40m to add to their half time score but the Panthers finally breach our goal line defence in the second half. Second phase football sucks us in near the posts and they get the ball out to their right edge where the cross right in the corner.

 

Try scored by the Filino for the Panthers. Conversion unsuccessful.

Penrith trail 14-30

79min gone

 

Better intensity in the final set of defence for Wenty as the try looks to have jolted them awake. Penrith drive the ball to halfway and then stab a kick in behind but Tuha shows good awareness to be in the right place. The Magpies run it out from dummy half for two tackles and that will bring an end to play!

 

Full Time

Wentworthville Magpies 30 DEF Penrith Panthers 14