[VIDEO] Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels: NRL live scores, blog, highlights

GAME SUMMARY

FULL-TIME: Panthers 38 – Eels 12

Impressive victory to the Panthers, way too good for the Eels tonight. Soward and Wallace led the team around the park beautifully and Soward’s kicking game was at its best with 17 kicks for 469 metres.

Tyrone Peachey was also sensational tonight – a real breakout game for him with 3 tackle breaks, 16 runs for 183 metres and 2 tries – including a stunning individual effort in the 51st minute. Josh Mansour also outstanding for the Panthers with a double of his own and his usual 200+ metres out of his own end – has he put his hand up for an Origin call-up with both Morrises gone?

For the Eels, no Jarryd Hayne is always going to hurt you but they didn’t gel at all tonight – looked to promote the ball from very early on but made several errors and never really regained cohesion. Notably, Will Hopoate struggled a bit tonight, particularly in defence as the Panthers left-hand attack had something of a field day down his side and Peachey made him look ordinary on a couple of occasions – will this affect his Origin chances?

In the end it was all the Panthers tonight and that’s three in a row for them in front of a sold-out crowd at Sportingbet Stadium – they’ll hold their spot in the top 4.

GAME PREVIEW

It’s time again for the always-entertaining ‘Battle of the West’, as the Penrith Panthers host the Parramatta Eels at Sportingbet Stadium. Join us at 7:45pm AEST for score updates and debate on our live blog.

After a string of seasons to forget, these two western Sydney sides have finally got their acts together in 2014 and currently sit third and fourth on the NRL ladder.

In Round 10 the Panthers broke their season’s win-loss-win-loss pattern when they downed the Raiders for consecutive victories. They come into this match looking to make it three wins in a row. Their cause will be helped by the return of second-row workhorses Elijah Taylor and Lewis Brown.

In other team news, James Segeyaro retains his role as sole hooker, his form over 80 minutes in the last two games giving coach Ivan Cleary no burning reason to rush back injured veteran Kevin Kingston.

The Eels, meanwhile, will also be looking for their third win on the trot after disposing of the Sharks in Round 9 and destroying the Dragons 36-0 a fortnight ago.

The blue-and-golds are in red-hot attacking form, their back five particularly devastating, having scored 37 of their team’s 44 tries so far this season.

Fullback Jarryd Hayne is the only player from either side who participated in Wednesday night’s Origin clash, and his ability to back up will be crucial to Parramatta’s chances.

Hayne has been channelling his Dally M winning form of 2009 and if he is on song and firing, the Eels will always have plenty of points in them. He was certainly firing the last time these sides met in Round 4, his stats of one try, one try assist, 12 tackle breaks and 144 metres gained very much the catalyst for the Eels’ 32-16 win.

The Panthers are expecting to sell out Sportingbet Stadium, showing that the fans of these two sides are rallying behind the cause in 2014. This one has all the makings of a Friday night classic.

Which of these two clubs will win the Battle of the West, making it three victories on the trot and consolidating their place in the top four?

I’m tipping the Panthers, unaffected by Origin and in front of their home crowd, to win in a tight one.

Penrith by 6.