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 five 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 five 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.
Richard POWELL
Roar Rookie
The Panthers are a crazy, hectic, chaotic team as they’ve shown all year. It’s easy enough to say that, but why is it so? What’s wrong is fairly basic. 1. Penalties. To concede so many for the same reasons week after week means two things. They are an undisciplined rabble and they don’t trust their team mates. When you lie all over a tackled player, hold down or rush up inside the 10, it means you think your teammates won’t do their job, so you have to even things up by breaking the rules. 2. Ball control. Dropped balls and throwing stupid passes – again lack of the discipline to concentrate on the job in hand. 3. Missed tackles – the worst in the NRL. Comes down to lack of team work and ill discipline again. The best defending teams hunt as a pack and trust the man on either side of them to match each individual’s commitment. The Panthers have no structure in defence and their all-in mentality often results in players spoiling their own team mates. These things frustrate me as a fan and I was even more frustrated that Anthony Griffen either couldn’t see them or couldn’t rectify them. I hope Cameron Ciraldo can.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
If Ciraldo can get this team beyond Week 2 of the finals the gamble’s paid off..it’s not so much about winning now,but winning when it really matters..
Emcie
Roar Guru
well I'm not argueing that, I just disagree with miles assertion that an unconvincing win against a bottom 8 team proves that Griffin was right in saying that they're premiership contenders
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
They have excuses for not being convincing. The turmoil at the club has been going of for weeks.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
They didn't really win as it was a draw and both teams deserved a point. The NRL have the full time score as 17-16 but it was 16-16 at full-time and 17-16 was the golden point score. The NRL should have a competition where all games are played for 80 minutes and you only get 2 points for winning in that time. Finals knock out games should play extra time each way and only use golden point if still equal after extra time and no points are involved. Silly concept is golden point.
kk
Guest
Let us not forget Ashley is on $1M per season. Yuk!
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
Shame the Foxsports commentators spent the first half bagging the refs and the games rules. Just call the game.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Which is it? The win proves they're potential grand finalists or they have excuses for not being convincing?
Tom G
Guest
Anyone talking up the panthers premiership potential can’t be serious. They have ridden a wave of luck against underperforming sides for three straight weeks now and when up against it will fold badly
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
I thought the change of coach was supposed to be a good thing? Wasn't Ciraldo supposedly responsible for everything good the Panthers have done? Or have I been mishearing Gus?
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
You are right and I don't think this weeks media onslaught and change of coach would have any impact at all. No distraction to the players, just business as usual......
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
The Titans have been watching too many Raiders games and have learnt how to blow match winning leads with less than 10 minutes to go.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I'm not sure drawing level in the final minute against a team coming 12th makes you a GF contender...
Fraser
Guest
I was at the game and noticed that he was swanning out in the centres when Titans were trying to get out of their own end near the end of the game. He should have been right in the thick of it barking orders. Very poor performance.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Once again when his team needs him to step up Ash Taylor goes missing
Miles
Guest
Is this the same Penrith team that were miles away from being GF contenders earlier this week....& whose win was this attributed to Hook - Gould or Ciraldo....