The Sydney Roosters are looking to make a strong start to their finals campaign against the Penrith Panthers this Saturday at Allianz Stadium, after securing the Minor Premiership last weekend with a victory over their nemeses from South Sydney.
The Roosters were pushed hard in the final 15 minutes, almost succumbing to the pressure of the Rabbitohs’ attack. It was only the boot of James Maloney that pulled the Roosters through. The five-eighth slotted all five of his kicks to secure a 22-18 victory.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson will have his sights set on a seventh consecutive win on Saturday night, but is under no illusion that the task will be easy.
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“We’ve played good quality footy to get ourselves in this position and our defence has been good in the last month, but now we need to kick again,” said Robinson.
The Roosters recent success is due in no small to halves pairing Mitchell Pearce and the aforementioned James Maloney, whose tactical direction and kicking displays have given the Tricolours a serious chance at winning back-to-back premierships, and their 14th overall.
“I am not surprised that we are in this position,” Pearce said. “We have had our focus on every game but maybe subconsciously we weren’t totally committed or playing to the best of our ability, but the last four weeks we have improved.”
Pearce and his men face a Penrith outfit full of confidence after downing a dogged Warriors side at Sportingbet Stadium on Sunday in their final regular-season match.
The Panthers were relentless in attack, dominating possession with 57 percent of the ball, completing 32 sets to the Warriors’ 15, and scoring higher in every attacking statistic than their opponents. The Warriors were forced to make 350 tackles to Penrith’s 262, with Nathan Friend clocking up 65 personally.
Coach Ivan Cleary will be aware of the need to repeat this performance if the Panthers are to halt the Roosters’ progress at six consecutive wins.
Additionally, 19-year-old Dallin Watene-Zelezniak continued his dream debut season, scoring two tries against the New Zealanders, justifying his continued inclusion in the side.
In injury news, Roosters Coach Trent Robinson has indicated lock Frank-Paul Nuuausala will not return from a foot injury sustained in Round 25, and Jake Friend and Heath L’estrange are both still sidelined with a chest and knee injury respectively.
Aidan Guerra and Dylan Napa are both ruled out for the Roosters following ill-discipline against the Rabbitohs, with Kane Douglas being tipped to fill Napa’s shoes.
Concerningly for Penrith, their injury roster is almost as long as their team sheet. Seven players are missing from action, with Kevin Kingston the latest addition to the physio’s rounds, sustaining a broken leg in Round 24 against the Storm.
Other notable absences for the Panthers include Peter Wallace, Bryce Cartwright, Isaac John and Elijah Taylor. The fact that the Panthers have finished in fourth place with such an injury-depleted squad will breathe hope into their finals campaign.
Last five meetings
| Winner | Score | Venue | Round | Season |
| Sydney Roosters | 32-12 | Allianz Stadium | Round 19 | 2014 |
| Sydney Roosters | 42-6 | Sportingbet Stadium | Round 21 | 2013 |
| Sydney Roosters | 30-6 | Allianz Stadium | Round 8 | 2013 |
| Penrith | 28-16 | Sportingbet Stadium | Round 20 | 2012 |
| Penrith | 18-0 | Allianz Stadium | Round 2 | 2012 |
Players to watch
A look at the stats will tell you that it’s the Panthers’ backline that’s profiting from their hard-hitting pack of forwards. With Nigel Plum and Adam Docker (who’s missing this week) setting the platform, the back seven have been able to shine.
New-found talent Dallin Watane-Zelezniak has impressed since his debut on the wing for the Panthers in April this year. He has speed to burn, and is surprisingly strong for a player who has not yet completely filled out. On the other side, Josh Mansour has been a titan, with 14 tries and over 3000 run metres for the year.
Jamie Soward has also been in career-best form, and has stepped up in the absence of injured half Peter Wallace. The seven jersey seems to have settled well on his shoulders, with the Panthers four and two since he took chard, only losing to the Storm and the Sea Eagles since Wallace’s injury, while they have beaten the Cowboys, Bulldogs and a desperate Warriors team last week.
The Roosters have quality all over the park, but none moreso than in the forwards. Their front six did a tremendous job of laying a platform for Mitchell Pearce last weekend against South Sydney, and keeping Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sonny Bill Williams fit and on the paddock will be their main priority as they continue their march in the post-season.
They’re also getting plenty from their lesser-knowns, though the loss of Dylan Napa and Aidan Guerra will test their depth.
| 2014 | Jamie Soward (PEN) | Josh Mansour (PEN) | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (PEN) | Sonny Bill Williams (SYD) | Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (SYD) | James Maloney (SYD) |
| Position | Five-Eighth | Wing | Wing | Second Row | Prop | Five-Eighth |
| Matches | 23 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 24 |
| Tries | 7 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Goals | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 |
| Field Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Points | 144 | 56 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 207 |
| Tackles | 231 | 128 | 51 | 406 | 658 | 421 |
| Running Metres | 801 | 3419 | 894 | 2234 | 2450 | 1318 |
| Hit Ups | 0 | 50 | 12 | 137 | 207 | 0 |
Roosters team list:
1. Anthony Minichiello (capt)
2. Daniel Tupou
3. Michael Jennings
4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6. James Maloney
7. Mitchell Pearce
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9. Mitchell Aubusson
10. Sam Moa
11. Boyd Cordner
12. Sonny Bill Williams
13. Isaac Liu
Interchange:
14. Jackson Hastings
15. Remi Casty
16. Dylan Napa
17. Kane Evans
19. Heath L’Estrange (one to be omitted).
Panthers team list:
1 Matt Moylan
2 Josh Mansour
3 Dean Whare
4 Jamal Idris
5 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
6 Will Smith
7 Jamie Soward
8 Sam Mckendry
9 James Segeyaro
10 Brent Kite
11 Sika Manu
12 Matt Robinson
13 Nigel Plum
Interchange
14 Lewis Brown
15 Jeremy Latimore
16 Ben Murdoch-Masila
17 Sam Anderson
18 Dave Simmons
The bookies are favouring the Roosters, but we all know that finals are a brand new competition. Will the Panthers begin their brave new world? Or is this going to be another memorable year for the Roosters?
Join The Roar on Saturday from 5:50pm AEST for a live call of the action, and stick around afterwards for banter and video highlights.
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