Penrith have capped off a week of drama with a golden-point 17-16 comeback win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.
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Final score
Gold Coast Titans 16
Penrith Panthers 17
The Penrith Panthers travel north to face the Gold Coast Titans after a week of coaching drama. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3pm (AEST).
Anthony Griffin was shown the door at Penrith on Monday, and caretaker coach Cameron Ciraldo has made one change to last week’s starting line-up, as State of Origin prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard returns in place of Moses Leota, who drops back to the bench.
Teams often put in a strong performance on the back of a coach being sacked, not that Penrith would be lacking for motivation – with just four rounds left, they can finish in the top four and secure a double chance in the finals if they finish the regular season strongly.
As for the 12th-placed Titans, they have little to play for other than pride. Coach Garth Brennan has made small changes to the team that lost to Parramatta last week, with young firebrand Keegan Hipgrave returning in the backrow and Will Matthews dropping back to the bench.
Defence has been a real problem for Gold Coast, as they leak an average of 24 points a game this season, and the Panthers have the attacking firepower to make them pay dearly for any lapses.
Prediction
Penrith by 10 in a high-scoring match.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3pm (AEST).
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Don't deserve to be in the eight! We have had Sam McKendry, Dylan Edwards, Time Browne, Peter Wallace out with season ending injuries. Cleary, Mansour, Blake, Luai and Leota out for more than 10 games each. Both our halves played SOO and came back busted and exhausted. Give me a break. Nobody else whose not in the eight deserves it more.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Unbelievable that the Panthers keep getting out of jail they way they do. The Titans didn't deserve to lose like that. May be they should have been up by more given their dominance. Thing is the Panthers have the ability to make something happen out of nothing so they are never out of it. They are a bunch of bludgers for 70 minutes and then finally start to put in when the game is on the line. Surely their luck won't last forever. Against quality opposition you would think they will get flogged.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Thanks for joining me on this afternoon’s coverage, hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave your comments on the game.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Match report PENRITH 17 GOLD COAST 16 Penrith have capped off a week of drama with a golden-point 17-16 comeback win over the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast. In a dramatic finish, the Panthers scored two tries in the last 10 minutes to claw back a 16-6 deficit. Halfback Nathan Cleary missed a conversion after the siren to send the match into golden point at 16-all. Cleary then had a 40-metre field goal attempt hit the crossbar in the 82nd minute before nailing his second attempt from 20 metres out two minutes later. It was an error-riddled match from both teams, but Penrith once again showed their ability to somehow scrap a win when all seemed lost. The Titans had a dream start to the match with Ryan James charging onto the ball from close range in the third minute and showing his strength to reach out and plant the ball down, despite the attention of the Penrith defence. The Panthers hit back in the 14th minute when a series of offloads cracked the Titans defence up the middle. Centre Waqa Blake finished the 60-metre movement by scoring in the corner. Penrith were reduced to 12 men in the 33rd minute when interchange forward Jack Hetherington was sent to the sin bin after being penalised for a high shot on Titans’ fullback AJ Brimson. The scores were locked at 6-all at half-time. Hetherington gave away another penalty as soon as he returned to the field early in the second half and the Titans scored in the next set to take the lead. Ash Taylor spun the ball wide and winger Phillip Sami crossed untouched in the corner in the 44th minute. Fifteen minutes later, Titans’ winger Anthony Don latched onto an intercept when Penrith were on the attack and raced 90 metres to score. The Panthers gave their fans some hope with ten minutes to go when centre Dean Whare fended off Kane Elgey and made a break. He drew Brimson before putting Cleary over near the posts. In the 79th minute, rampaging backrower Viliame Kikau busted the Titans’ defence again before putting winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak over to level the scores. The win keeps the Panthers’ top four hopes very much alive, but caretaker coach Cameron Ciraldo will be disappointed with the Panthers’ discipline and sloppy handling in his first match in charge.
Daveski
Guest
Not today though hey ?
steveng
Roar Rookie
Gee that unjust, the Titans should have won that, they deserved it! The Panthers don't deserve to be in the 8 and it really p***es me off having a side that wins games in this fashion and has a lose cannon like Hetherington, who is always a grub, this kid will not last long in the NRL.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
3 undeserved wins in a row... I'll take that.
DP Schaefer
Guest
No excuse for losing that. Terrible last 10, you just shouldn't lose from there.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Full-time PENRITH 17 GOLD COAST 16
John Coomer
Roar Guru
84’ Cleary nails the field goal! Penrith have got out of jail again! GOLD COAST 16 PENRITH 17
John Coomer
Roar Guru
83’ Taylor’s long-range field goal attempt misses by a mile and goes dead. 20 metre tap for the Panthers. GOLD COAST 16 PENRITH 16
John Coomer
Roar Guru
82’ Field goal attempt by the Panthers from 40 metres out by Cleary hits the cross bar! GOLD COAST 16 PENRITH 16
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Golden Point 81’ The Titans complete their set with a clearing kick, Penrith in possession 25 metres out from their own line. GOLD COAST 16 PENRITH 16
Scott Pryde
Expert
Oh Penrith....
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Penrith kick off to start golden point!
John Coomer
Roar Guru
I think the stats might reveal something like that...
John Coomer
Roar Guru
The try before that was scored by DWZ after a great break from Kikau. Golden point about to start! GOLD COAST 16 PENRITH 16
Emcie
Roar Guru
Why do the panthers only seem to play for the last ten minutes? I swear if games only went for 70 minutes they'd be in the bottom 4...
John Coomer
Roar Guru
He's missed it, we're going to golden point!!
John Coomer
Roar Guru
The hooter has sounded and Cleary has a chance to win the game with a conversion 10 metres in from touch!