Newcastle have snapped a three-match losing streak by upsetting Penrith 20-12 at Pepper Stadium.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Penrith Panthers 12
Newcastle Knights 20
The Penrith Panthers will be looking for an improved, 80-minute performance when they host the Newcastle Knights. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3pm (AEST).
In their last three matches – against Manly, Canberra and the Titans – Penrith have come back late to snatch improbable victories.
That has catapulted them back into fourth spot on the ladder, but even their most diehard fans know that they can’t keep relying on great escapes.
This week the Panthers will be without Blues five-eighth James Maloney, who’s out with a knee injury, and Tyrone May takes his spot. Prop James Tamou returns from a leg injury, pushing Moses Leota to the bench, while interchange forward Jack Hetherington is suspended after being reported during last week’s win over the Titans.
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown has named an unchanged line-up, although fullback Kalyn Ponga is reportedly struggling with an ankle injury.
The Knights will be keen to snap a three-game losing streak, after being beaten by the Warriors, Wests Tigers and Cowboys to now sit 11th on the ladder.
Defence has been a real problem for Newcastle this season – they have the worst defensive record of any team in the competition, leaking an average of 25 points a game.
Prediction
There will be no big Panthers comeback necessary this week, they’ll lead all the way.
Penrith by 10.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3pm (AEST).
Gus O
Guest
My observation From the game, after hearing one of the commentators say that Pierce had clearly outperformed Cleary, it looked to me that both these recent NSW halfbacks looked very ordinary compared to Ponga. We might have won the 2018 Origin series, but Qld still looks likely to have a lot more strike in Morgan, Ponga and Munster than we have in Cleary or Pierce.
Gus O
Guest
Boring footy game. Who ever thought Penrith was a chance this year? Or last year. Or the year before. They had a group of talented youth coming through (including Moylen and Cartwright), and had a couple of old bulls to help bring them through (Soward and Wallis)... but they have missed their premiership window and have had to go back to the original strategy of bringing in another old bull (Jimmy) to organise play while Cleary completes his apprenticeship, and to try to salvage a plan ruined by the now departed young prima donnas. Penrith get out of jail late in games by throwing the ball around and playing ad-lib touch footy when it is too late for this to cause any harm... When there is nothing to lose. That's when they throw out their game plan. They can't deliver Griffith's game plan and that is why he is gone. It is obvious. Its not a soap opera, it's footy. The Swans have the righ idea with their "no dickheads" policy. At some point footy clubs will realise that success requires them to behave as professional athletes, not boofhead part time drunks...
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
Panthers have just gone from strength to strength since they canned Griffin.
steveng
Roar Rookie
What a turup, Gus is doing a great job at the Panthers, is IC still available? This is great for the Bunnies all we need to do is win the next 2? lol
soapit
Guest
just give the other team the option of playing the extra minutes if theyre behind and need them
Muzz
Guest
You're doing a great job, Gus.
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.
Concerned Observer
Guest
Penrith getting what they’ve richly deserved both for on-field performance and the antics of Gould. We saw the real panthers today, a deeply unprofessional group of players that threaten to take the ball home because they’re losing and it’s totally not fair! Dirty, easily affected by their emotions, sore losers, unprofessional and arrogant. I guess the Team’s reflecting their Manager perfectly now. Here’s to another few years under the 5 year plan because no team that carries on like that when things aren’t going their way has a hope of winning the Comp.
Nat
Roar Guru
Do glass chins/eye sockets count toward the points? :o SKD got that fellas pretty good and come in from the side.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Match report NEWCASTLE 20 PENRITH 12 Newcastle have snapped a three-match losing streak by upsetting Penrith 20-12 at Pepper Stadium. It was a gutsy performance from the Knights, but Penrith only have themselves to blame after another sloppy handling performance. There was no miracle comeback today like there has been in their past three matches. The Knights led 14-6 at half-time and the margin could have been more. They bombed an overlap by throwing a forward pass in the fourth minute and a potential Shaun Kenny-Dowall four-pointer in the corner went begging. Eight minutes later, Newcastle ran the ball on the short side and Aidan Guerra charged onto the ball to score their first try out wide. They were in again six minutes later after Kalyn Ponga put in a deft grubber kick and centre Cory Dennis led the chase to score. Ponga played five-eighth today in a late positional switch and looked dangerous. Penrith hit back with a try against the run of play in the 25th minute, after a jolting tackle by Corey Harawira-Naera forced the ball from young Newcastle fullback Nick Meaney as he was returning a kick. Young Panthers’ five-eighth Tyrone May was on hand to pick up the scraps and score under the posts. Harawira-Naera turned from hero to villain though in the restart set, losing the ball early. The Knights made them pay in the next set with centre Sione Mata’utia charging onto the ball to score. The second half settled into an arm wrestle before Newcastle scored with ten minutes to go after running the ball on the last. Winger Ken Sio showed his great finishing skills to put the ball down in the corner after taking advantage of a good ball from Ponga. With four minutes to go, a fight broke out after Kenny-Dowall dived on a loose ball and resented a flop from Panthers backrower Viliame Kikau. Four players were sin-binned for throwing punches as the situation escalated: Kenny-Dowall and hooker Danny Levi from Newcastle, and Kikau and May for the Panthers. Newcastle received the penalty from the incident. Wayde Egan scored a consolation try for the Panthers with two minutes left, but it was too late for Penrith to mount another comeback. Their luck has finally run out and they’ll need to fix their ball control quickly to have any chance in the finals in September. The loss today leaves them vulnerable to dropping out of the top four if St George or Cronulla have good victories tonight.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Don't think any cheeks were broken though. But if macca gets 90 points for rubbing a guys chin then there's probably a few there likely to sit out for a week
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think there's a difference between getting involved in a fight that's started and trying to start another once the first one stops
Nat
Roar Guru
If Curtis Scott got 3 wks???
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I think they wanted to start one given they were losing
Emcie
Roar Guru
It'll be interesting to see what the judiciary do after this game
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Guess you have to look after you're mates if they get belted unnecessarily - I can understand it
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
So, no 4 tries in 6 minutes like against the Sea Eagles. Those penrith players are so dumb, fell for everything in the book including getting into a fight when you are behind with a few minutes to go.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Well played Knights - Panthers finally get what they've deserved for the past month.
Nat
Roar Guru
There were 2 cheap shots in there that deserve to be looked at further.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Full-time The hooter sounds and it's victory for the KNIGHTS! PENRITH 12 NEWCASTLE 20