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The Panthers are one win away from a grand final following one of their greatest ever wins over the Roosters.
Penrith never gave in despite being in difficult positions throughout the match.
The Roosters seemed to have them at their mercy on several occasions in the second half but the Panthers just wouldn’t go away.
Soward once again with a superb field goal to seal the deal.
The Panthers will now enjoy a home preliminary final.
FINAL SCORE:
Roosters 18
Panthers 19
The Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers face off for the right to seal a home preliminary final in two weeks’ time. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5:50pm (AEST).
This time last year the Panthers were preparing for mad Monday after finishing near the bottom of the ladder.
12 months later and Penrith are now facing reigning premiers Sydney in a qualifying final.
The turnaround at Penrith has been nothing short of outstanding. Despite dealing with several injuries to key players throughout the course of the year, the Panthers kept turning up to play week in, week out and have been rightfully rewarded with a top four berth.
The Panthers have made a habit of beating teams that underestimate them and could easily defeat the Roosters tonight if the reigning premiers turn up thinking of next week and play with complacency.
The problem for Penrith tonight however, surrounds the fact that the Roosters have peaked at just the right time of the season.
While their complacency got the better of them in defeats to the Sharks and Knights, those performances are now in the past.
Sydney has since won six straight matches to seal the minor premiership and such a run once again solidifies their standing as the team to beat in the finals.
In short, the Roosters at their best remain a class above Penrith. If Mitchell Pearce, James Maloney, Michael Jennings, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams all continue their strong form, Sydney should win this fairly comfortably.
These two sides, however, have only met once this season – with the Roosters emerging as comfortable winners during a time when they were not playing at their best.
As mentioned earlier though, the Roosters can ill-afford to be complacent. The opening 20 minutes or so will dictate what type of attitude the Roosters have brought with them to the contest.
If the Roosters play direct and manage to post quick points, chances are that they will dominate this qualifying final against a spirited Penrith side with nothing to lose.
Tip: Roosters by 14
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 5:50pm (AEST).
If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.