Ivan Cleary has stated that his Panthers team has “turned a corner” after they made their way into the top eight for the first time this season.
Just weeks ago, the Panthers were languishing at the bottom of the ladder, but they climbed to sixth place on the live standings following a 28-18 victory over the Warriors in Auckland, marking their third consecutive win.
Remarkably, they achieved this success without any of their representative stars, as the club opted not to have Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o, Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin, and Isaah Yeo undertake the seven-hour journey from Perth.
The starting line-up largely mirrored the one that suffered a 25-6 defeat to the Knights in Bathurst prior to Origin I, which had seen the four-time defending champions struggling at the bottom of the table.
Blaize Talagi and his Panthers teammates celebrating after scoring in the second half. Getty
“It was a fantastic win and an impressive performance, but I want to treat it as a standalone achievement,” Cleary remarked post-match.
“There’s still a long way to go, and we will ultimately end up where we deserve to be. Our early season displays didn’t merit victories, and as a result, we weren’t winning.
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“I believe we’ve uncovered a few lessons, and we’ve turned a corner in terms of our preparation.”
“We’re showcasing a better standard of football, which gives us a fighting chance.”
Coach Ivan Cleary and acting Panthers skipper Mitch Kenny addressing the media following the team’s victory over the Warriors in Auckland. Nine
Thomas Jenkins opened the scoring for his side in the 17th minute, only for the Warriors to respond three minutes later and take a 6-4 lead.
Scott Sorensen crossed for a try in the 38th minute, giving the Panthers an 8-6 edge at halftime after stand-in kicker Paul Alamoti failed to convert both opportunities.
Early in the second half, the Warriors regained the lead, but as injuries began to take their toll on the home side, Sorensen added a second try, followed by touchdowns from Blaize Talagi and Alamoti, sealing the deal for Penrith.
Moala Graham-Taufa, who had earlier been involved in a concerning friendly-fire incident with Marata Niukore, managed to score a late consolation try for the Warriors.
“We did enough to secure the win,” Cleary remarked.
“While the performance wasn’t perfect, we can take pride in our efforts.”
The Panthers will next host the ladder-leading Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium next week, followed by a bye before Origin III.
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