The Penrith Panthers host the St George Illawarra Dragons at Sportingbet Stadium on Saturday afternoon, kicking off at 5:30pm (AEST).
The Dragons broke their losing streak last week with a big win against the Sharks. They’ll be hoping to build some much needed momentum, but it won’t come easy against the table-topping Panthers.
Penrith snuck into top spot last week and will look to maintain that position and extend their winning streak to five matches.
If the Dragons are to win this match, they will need to overcome the loss of Josh Dugan and Trent Merrin, who have both been called upon for State of Origin duties.
The Panthers on the other hand have come through Origin selection unscathed once again.
Benji Marshall appears to be finding his feet at the Dragons, but his ability to maintain this improvement will be tested this week with the loss of quality support.
The last time these sides met was in Round 16 of last season, a match that saw the Panthers run out 26 to 10 victors.
If recent form is anything to go by, we could be in for a similar result.
The match will also be the first time that Jamie Soward faces up against his old club.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the Panthers vs Dragons clash from 5:30pm (AEST) on Saturday.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
The Panthers' system covers most situations, but how would it cope without iron man Dylan Edwards?
The paradox of parity is that even though we’re told we should want a wide open competition, the NRL seems to be more interesting…
Penrith have cruised to a 22-6 win over the Wests Tigers in Bathurst - but Benji Marshall was left bemused by a potentially match-changing…
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
This one will hurt. James Fisher-Harris’ unexpected exit from Penrith to the Warriors at season’s end not only has ramifications for those two clubs…
James Fisher-Harris is set to return home, with the marquee player announced as signing with the New Zealand Warriors. The New Zealand franchise has…
