Impressive Panthers Kick Off Premiership Defence with a ‘Rusty’ Victory Against Cronulla Sharks

The Penrith Panthers have once again demonstrated their title-winning potential, overcoming the Sharks in a thrilling matchup in Las Vegas.

The reigning champions managed to fend off a late resurgence from Cronulla in the latter stages, securing a 28-22 victory.

It was a challenging beginning for the Panthers, with winger Casey McLean leaving the field for a head injury assessment just three minutes into the game. Unfortunately, McLean did not return to the match.

It was Cronulla who struck first, as Jesse Ramien broke through Penrith’s defence, exposing Luke Garner, a second-rower playing out of position at centre.

In the 26th minute, the Panthers finally got on the scoreboard with Isaah Yeo scoring, followed quickly by Izack Tago to extend their lead.

Cronulla responded before the half-time break, with Briton Nikora crossing the line to trail 12-10 at the interval.

Penrith came out firing in the second half, with Daine Laurie and Paul Alamoti both finding the try line. Alamoti’s try was a result of slick passing involving Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards, leading Andrew Johns to make a bold season prediction.

“They are exceptional; there’s no doubt they’ll be contenders again by the end of the year,” he remarked during Nine’s coverage.

Despite trailing 24-10, Cronulla wasn’t finished yet. Kayal Iro scored his first NRL try in the 58th minute, before star recruit Addin Fonua-Blake powered over Penrith’s defence with just ten minutes remaining.

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Penrith sealed the game in the dying moments when Laurie scored his second try, ensuring the result was beyond doubt.

“There was certainly a bit of rust in Penrith’s performance, but what remained was their hunger, determination, and the resilience we’ve come to expect,” Billy Slater noted.

Cleary echoed this sentiment, describing the match as “rusty” during his post-game interview with Nine.

In addition to McLean’s early departure, there was cause for concern regarding Isaiah Papali’i, who exited the match in the 74th minute with a towel covering his face. Nine’s Danika Mason reported it as a “laceration to the face,” and like McLean, Papali’i was unable to return to play.