Summary
Flipping heck, that was good. As absorbing a rugby league contest as you could wish to see.
We’ve seen tries galore and scoreboards ticking over like F1 odometers this season, but nothing to rival the intensity of what the two Western Sydney rivals delivered tonight.
From the kick-off neither side gave an inch, and it remained that way for 80 minutes with barely a stoppage. Despite the unrelenting pace and pressure fatigue never seemed to kick-in and both defences stuck to their tasks throughout.
Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses played superbly, and any moments of real danger came from their boots. There was little creativity outside them though with both coaches happy to play percentages on a night with such fine margins.
Defeat was tough on the Eels, who had enough territory and possession to bag more than six points, but they rarely stretched Penrith’s black wall. The Panthers will be relieved to reach the preliminary final, but they head there after consecutive bruising encounters and lacking their early season zip. Melbourne Storm will be licking their lips.
Thanks for joining me tonight. We’ll be back to do this all again next weekend.
Full-time: Penrith Panthers 8-6 Parramatta Eels
That was intense, brutal, bruising, suffocating, and more besides. Penrith edge it 8-6 and they are through to face the Storm for a place in the grand final.
FULL-TIME. The West Is Ours.#pantherpride #NRLFinals#NRLPanthersEels pic.twitter.com/kX7DFKTnH3
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) September 18, 2021
Updated
80 mins: Two tackles ebb away with little penetration - then Paulo drops the ball.
79 mins: Penrith go nowhere fast and Cleary kicks from 25m. Dunster runs to 45. Parramatta have only got two, three drives most remaining. They have the run, but do they have the guile to unlock this black wall? Moses kicks, it’s off feet and Gutherson scoops up expertly. He darts 5m from the line, looks foe the offload and Capewell sticks out a paw to knock-on in the act of attempting an intercept. Scrum to the Eels 5m out!
77 mins: Ferguson, Campbell-Gillard, Niukore, the Eels are busting holes in Penrith’s line and reach 10m out. And play is stopped! Miles behind play Kenny is on the ground after being trodden on in a tackle. Play should not stop for that. And there’s consternation that Pangai Jr is allowed back on despite Penrith using up all their interchanges. Play resumes to the left edge but Gutherson is outmanned. The kick goes to the right and Burton flies for the umpteenth time tonight to deny the Eels.
75 mins: The Eels cut left early but there’s no room. Papali’i then destroys the Penrith line through the middle. 3m out, Papali’i gets another run after Stone feeds him short. Moses kicks, and it’s touched down for a line drop-out. GAH!
74 mins: There’s a loose ball on the ground after a Koroisau carry. The Eels get the call but Penrith challenge - unsuccessfully! Parramatta have a scrum feed 20m out. Huge play coming up.
74 mins: Edwards and Koroisau make darts, the momentum is building - Cleary kicks on the fourth, what’s he thinking? Gutherson is across to gather the loose ball and he has space to run into, galloping to the 30m line, and then there’s a quick set restart. Downfield Parra travel and Moses lofts the garryowen but it’s secured easily in defence. How has fatigue not blown this game apart yet? This is incredible discipline from both units.
72 mins: Penrith probe again in Parramatta’s half. It’s all central, the Eels defend superbly, and Gutherson shows incredible composure to react to the bouncing ball and end the set. Moses is forced to kick from downtown though and the Panthers reload.
70 mins: STONE AGAIN! He fumbles from dummy-half and Penrith are let off the hook. That was a very very stiff call against the hooker. It was a handling error, but the ball went backwards. Still, the No 9s third poor error in a short space of time.
70 mins: Out of nowhere Ferguson is away down the right touchline. With defenders advancing he kicks ahead for Penisini but Penrith smother and clear. The Panthers are suddenly on the back foot and Cleary is forced to kick from inside his 30m line. What a game.
68 mins: ... Nope. Penrith spread to the right, there’s space if they can execute - but they can’t. Momirovski drops the footy under pressure and the Eels escape yet again.
67 mins: Luai tries to dart left but the outside defence is brilliant from Parramatta. Yeo and Capewell try the middle, but still there’s no room. Koroisau surely! But no! He’s held up inches short. What about the kick? Ferguson reads Cleary and concedes the drop-out.
Another set for the Panthers, surely, surely they score.
66 mins: Momirovksi and Edwards make ground. Pangai Jr hammers the defensive line, those massive thighs pumping like billy-o, he needs three Eels to stop him. Another drive - and under the posts Niukore is penalised for a high shot on Sorensen. A repeat set 2m out...
65 mins: Both teams resume belting each other either side of halfway, and for the second play in a row Stone is at fault, this time fumbling at dummy-half. Penrith will have an attacking set 35m out. How much longer can the Eels resist?
63 mins: Penrith attack the middle, then Edwards is wrapped up on the right. Then, inexplicably, Luai kicks on the third, and it’s a poor dribbler that Gutherson eats up for breakfast. The Eels have done well to resist so much pressure, and the massive boot of Moses sends them back into Penrith’s half.
62 mins: Luai lands two massive hits in succession as the Eels try to run clear. From the second he dumps Stone on his back and the Parra hooker loses the ball. Penrith have upped the ante in the past few minutes and now they have another set in A1 attacking position.
60 mins: The Panthers try the left edge, and end up 5m short. They they hit the middle, Cleary steps, and he’s almost through. Now Pangai Jr has an effort to burrow through a brick wall - and he’s held up over the line! This is unbearably tense.
59 mins: While the dust was clearing on that last set Marata Niukore was penalised for a late tackle and Parra have to hand the ball back to Penrith on their 30m line.
59 mins: Final quarter, two points in it, a preliminary final on the line. Who wants it? Not Edwards it seems, he knocks-on under pressure from Moses on the 30m line.
Behind play Fisher-Harris is on the deck holding his shoulder.
58 mins: Penrith go sideways for four tackles, a move highlighted by Ferguson drilling Burton into the Barrier Reef. The kick is poor and Parramatta can run clear. What a game this continues to be. It’s Origin-level intense.
57 mins: Fatigue is starting to set in now and the defensive lines are fracturing. Yeo busts the line and senses a dangerous offload. The Panthers play the ball quickly and with the Eels chasing their tails Cleary turns them around with a grubber and Gutherson concedes the drop-out. Big few minutes coming up.
55 mins: The Panthers are busy in possession but keep things safe until Clearly lifts a kick that’s claimed on the second effort by Cartwright. Penrith lock Parramatta deep in their own half with a high-pressure set and Moses is forced to kick long. Edwards shrugs off a weak first tackler and the Panthers have a set near halfway.
53 mins: That was a fun captain’s challenge from Parra. They retain the call but in the process they saw a knock-on upgraded to a penalty... Penrith have good field position finally.
53 mins: Parramatta have had a couple of long spells of possession and territory tonight without ever really threatening this superb Penrith defence. Moses is busy this set, so is Cartwright, then on the last there’s an attempted long floaty cutout pass to open up the left edge - is this the moment!? - no! Crichton leaps and takes a brilliant intercept that saves a certain try.
51 mins: Six-again for Parra on halfway and the Eels can continue their territorial dominance this half. Lane busts a tackle and there’s a half-chance of a break. He tries to offload but there’s nobody there and the momentum ebbs away. On the last Gutherson dribbles to the right corner with pace and there are bodies coming from all angles to compete for the touchdown. Edwards wins the race and the Eels get another set from a drop-out.
50 mins: Wow! Wow! Wow! Nathan Cleary! From nothing field position on halfway the NSW half sends up an absolutely howitzer of a kick that dips and swirls and teases Blake Ferguson. By the time it comes down from outer space Ferguson is nowhere near securing it. The chasers are up in a flash and a couple of passes later Naden touches down and the on-field call is a try. However, it’s pretty obvious soon afterwards the grounding is dodgy, but the TMO spots an offside before the tape is rolled that far.
48 mins: Cleary is forced to kick from just 20m from his own line, but he belts the Steeden a mile and the Eels have 70m to go. Pensini eats up plenty of those with a nice dart, enabling an attacking garryowen, but it’s taken comfortably by Penrith. This brutal match continues apace. It is relentless.
47 mins: Three tackles gets Parramatta inside 10m, but there’s little guile. They they carve left, Brown finds Moses, he takes a step, but nobody’s buying. On the last Burton takes a superb defensive mark and Penrith stand their ground.
46 mins: Penalty to Parra for a crusher tackle against Kenny on Ferguson, and there’s handbags afterwards. The second round of territorial pissing after Smith and Pangai Jr earlier. This is bubbling nicely. The Eels have a full set from 25m out.
45 mins: Dunster with a rare break! He coped superbly under the high ball in the left corner and then just ran into space with no Panthers laying a tackle. He gets almost to halfway and the Eels have a platform. Smith and Papali’i make ground, Gutherson runs to 20, and Parramatta are building. They cut left on the last tackle but there’s no room and Gutherson is forced into a hurried grubber and Penrith do what they need to. However, in back play Cleary is holding his shoulder after laying the tackle on the Eels fullback.
43 mins: Penrith start the half on the front foot. They find an offload to reach halfway and allow Cleary to test Ferguson with his boot. Moses responds in kind, and we’re back to the ferocious grind. It’s been a night of one-out runs, and there’s no sign half-time has changed that.
41 mins: No rest for the wicked. The second 40 is underway.
Bunnies fan Harry Sachar has joined in - evening Harry, always a pleasure. “Well, I am in vicarious pain,” he emails. Me too! That was brutal. “A ferocious first half. Great defence by both teams. Though each team probably should have another try on the board having failed to take advantage of an excellent chance. Enthralling stuff, looking forward to the second half.”
I know it’s cliché, but Melbourne will be loving this. There’ll be some tired and sore bodies at the final siren.
Half-time: Penrith 8-6 Parramatta
Oomph! That was a heck of a half of footy. Barely a stoppage in the 40-minutes of play, few mistakes, just masses of hard running and even harder tackling.
All to play for in the second half.
Updated
Penalty! Penrith 8-6 Parramatta (Cleary, 40)
As the siren sounds Cleary slots the penalty goal.
40 mins: Penrith have good field position late in the half. They reach the 30m line on tackle three and Liam Martin is clocked on the bonce by a swinging Will Smith arm. Penalty, and a chance for some points.
39 mins: Parramatta gain good ground going through hands but they fail to recognise one extra pass could have opened up the left edge. Burton does well under Moses’ high ball and he’s awarded a penalty for a high-tackle on his way out.
Blake has passed his HIA for the Eels.
37 mins: Penrith rumble downfield efficiently and there’s a rare offload on the fourth tackle that allows Luai room to shark. Cleary again goes to the sky on the last but this time Dunster is on hand to defuse the bomb. This is relentless, tough, finals footy. I’m exhausted just watching it.
36 mins: Penrith enjoy a solid set that takes them from their own half deep into Parramatta territory. Nothing fancy, but very effective. Cleary goes to the air on the last but Gutherson reads the flight superbly. The Eels have to scrap their way out but Moses once again rescues his side with a magnificent long kick.
34 mins: Finally a half-yard of space for Gutherson in the left centre position, he has his winger outside him in space but he double-pumps the pass which wrongfoots everyone and Dunster fumbles. All that pressure, all that territory, all that ball, and Parramatta have nothing to show for it.
33 mins: Here they come, the Eels. Papali’i with a huge run to the line, then another, held up inches short. Moses drops a grubber through the posts and it’s ANOTHER line drop-out. Parramatta have owned the ball for the past five minutes, but Penrith have not conceded an inch.
31 mins: From the 10m scrum Parramatta break to the left but Momirovski lays a vital tackle. Back infield the Eels straighten , then Moses guides them to the right but Gutherson cannot find any room. They run on the last and there’s not much doing until Dunster nutmegs Crichton and forces Edwards to concede a line drop-out. This is the Eels’ moment.
30 mins: From the scrum Parramatta reach 30m then they’re awarded six-again. This is their first proper attacking field position all night. What can they do with it? It’s disjointed to begin with as they try to attack on the left edge, but they get another go when Kikau knocks-on a contested high ball when Moses dabs crossfield to the right. Big opportunity for the Eels, and they haven’t had many.
28 mins: Tackle busts and line breaks are as rare as hen’s teeth. Kikau is trying to make something happen but he’s lucky with one offload, then caught out with a second, passing hurriedly behind Burton and Penrith knock-on. The defensive pressure from both sides is extreme.
26 mins: This is a bruising, wholehearted contest. Parramatta have established parity again after Penrith wrestled the upper hand for ten minutes or so. Small margins in this one.
24 mins: Parramatta finally get a settling set in midfield. On the last Brown does superbly at first receiver to handle an awkward pass and launch a massive bomb. Edwards, for the second time tonight, is nowhere near the mark, and the ball lands Parra’s way. In a flash there’s a huge spiral out to the left and Blake dives into the corner! But it’s no try again! That huge spiral was ruled forward, and Penrith survive.
Blake leaves the field for an HIA after sustaining a knock in his diving effort.
22 mins: Play is called back for an offside and Penrith reload. They work the ball smoothly from left to right, there’s an overlap, and between them Momirovski and Crichton butcher a certain try. The Eels are on the ropes here but the Panthers cannot find the killer blow.
21 mins: Penrith are turning the screw now. From good field position, thanks to Campbell-Gillard, the Panthers attack down the right and are indebted to Crichton for keeping the move alive. Cleary then kicks to the right corner and Blake knocks-on. From the scrum, the Panthers execute a textbook training ground move that ends with Luai dancing in the left corner - but the referee isn’t interested after spotting an obstruction earlier in the move, and he is backed up by the TMO.
19 mins: Campbell-Gillard is on report and penalised for a sloppy high shot as Naden ran back the restart kick. The kind of ill-discipline that would have Brad Arthur tearing his hair out - if he had any.
TRY! Penrith 6-6 Parramatta (Capewell, 17)
Five tackles of probing: right, left, and through the guts, comes to nought. What can Cleary produce with his boot? Magic, that’s what. Under extreme pressure, with the defensive line rushing up, Cleary dabs a delicate grubber that bounces up perfectly for the onrushing Capewell to gather, carry a couple of Eels bodies over the line with him, and flop down for the score.
Cleary backs up with an easy conversion.
Capewell is just too strong! 💪
— NRL (@NRL) September 18, 2021
The Panthers even up the game to 6-all.#TelstraPremiership #NRLPanthersEels pic.twitter.com/YuORYVPLr5
Updated
16 mins: A handling error from the Eels with an attempted offload disrupted in the tackle by Fisher-Harris and Penrith have a full set in Parra’s half. They keep it tight for four tackles but then throw it around to the right edge and there is pure chaos with the ball going to ground repeatedly in broken field. Eventually there’s order but it’s soon back to chaos with the Panthers eager to get the ball wide to the left where the overlap is waiting, but ball movement is slow, and during the move an Eels hand gets in the way to make a tackle and knock-on. It’s originally not spotted, but a captain’s challenge confirms Penrith deserve a repeat set inside 10m.
14 mins: The Eels back up with a strong restart set and a good defensive effort that forces Cleary to kick from inside his own 40m line. There is precious little on offer from either side. It is fierce, hard-running, hard-tackling, middle of the park footy.
TRY! Penrith 0-6 Parramatta (Blake, 11)
What a brilliant kick from Moses! On the last tackle, from halfway, Moses smashes a huge bomb that swirled and mongreled in the Mackay sky, deceiving poor Dylan Edwards. He eventually had to allow the Steeden to bounce, but as he did the ball took a wicked deflection off the turf and straight into the arms of the onrushing Blake, who burst unopposed under the posts. Early advantage Parra!
Moses adds the simple extras.
Oooofffttttt! 🔥
— NRL (@NRL) September 18, 2021
Waga Blake CLEANS UP! #TelstraPremiership #NRLPanthersEels pic.twitter.com/jQg3r0HTmp
Updated
10 mins: Penrith continue to grind their way into promising areas, targeting Burton on the left, but Parramatta are defending resolutely. A dangerous Cleary chip is claimed brilliantly in the air by Blake and the Eels look threatening on the counter, but Brown is pinged for a knock-on at the play-the-ball. It’s the first stoppage after 10 minutes of unbroken play - and it’s met with a captain’s challenge. A successful one! Parramatta lose momentum but retain possession.
7 mins: Finally a break! Both sides continue to defend superbly but the Panthers gradually began to pinch territory. Four tackles into the set, and over halfway, Koroisau darts from dummy-half, away from Brown, and he has Cleary in support. Charging towards the line he’s hauled down a couple of metres short and can’t extend his arm to complete the try. From the final tackle the ball is fired out to the left but the Eels have enough bodies to smother and survive.
5 mins: Cleary lays a strong tackle in the middle to deny the Eels decent kicking position. It remains a tough midfield scrap with neither side giving an inch.
4 mins: We’re still error-free in these early stages, but the Eels have looked slick on their left edge, while for the Panthers, Brent Naden has got off to a good start with a jinking run through a couple of tackles.
2 mins: Very strong defensive set from Penrith, Cleary kicking-off deep and Parramatta making little ground in response. Moses does brilliantly with his first kick, launching from 30m out and setting up his chasers to tackle on Penrith’s 20m line.
Kick-off!
Who will take on Melbourne Storm for a spot in the grand final next weekend?
And they’re joined by the Panthers in - for mine - the best kit in the NRL. Top to toe in black with accents of colour. Lovely stuff.
Out jog Sterling’s Parramatta in their familiar blue and gold.
Channel Nine really isn’t overthinking tonight’s coverage. They’re currently broadcasting Peter Sterling, almost in tears, emoting about how special an Eels premiership would be for him - all while a soft-rock cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” drones on in the background.
Updated
As with last night, conditions in Mackay are perfect. It’s warm, clear, and dry on the mid-Queensland coast, with only a slight easterly breeze to consider.
Here’s what happened last night when the Sea Eagles were just too good for the beleaguered Roosters.
Focused.#PARRAdise #NRLFinals #NRLPanthersEels pic.twitter.com/bKHOyvwtQZ
— Parramatta Eels (@TheParraEels) September 18, 2021
Yoooooo 🤘🤘@PenrithPanthers turning upppp! #NRLPanthersEels pic.twitter.com/DRcnCx2Usw
— NRL (@NRL) September 18, 2021
Eels XIII
Just the one change for the Eels with Ryan Matterson deemed fit enough to replace Makahesi Makatoa on the bench.
Brad Arthur remains unable to call on long-term absentees Maika Sivo, Reed Mahoney, and Nate Roache, while Joey Lussick is still on the sidelines with a calf strain.
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Haze Dunster 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Ray Stone 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Marata Niukore 13. Nathan Brown
Interchange: 14. Will Smith 15. Isaiah Papali’i 16. Bryce Cartwright 17. Ryan Matterson
Panthers XIII
The headline news for the Panthers is the late withdrawal of Brian To’o, arguably the form winger in the competition this season, with an ankle knock. Brent Naden comes in on the left flank.
In better news, Dylan Edwards, Moses Leota, and Scott Sorensen have all been listed in the 17, replacing Charlie Staines, Matt Eisenhuth, and Spencer Leniu.
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Stephen Crichton 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Matt Burton 20. Brent Naden 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. James Fisher-Harris 17. Liam Martin 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 11. Viliame Kikau 14. Mitch Kenny 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Tevita Pangai Junior
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Penrith Panthers v Parramatta Eels in the second NRL semi-final. Kick-off at BB Print Stadium in Mackay is 7.50pm.
There are five sides still alive in this season’s NRL premiership race, but soon that will be reduced to four. Whoever wins tonight will join Souths and Manly in the penultimate round of the season, but they will also face the most daunting prospect in rugby league, a rested Melbourne Storm in red hot form.
The Panthers must barely believe they have been forced into an extra game following a second consecutive home-and-away campaign that saw them cruise to the postseason with only three defeats. But they looked sluggish against the Rabbitohs and have faced an awkward week waiting to set the record straight.
“Certainly, the idea was that we preferred not to have to play this week but it is a different path, so we are playing,” Ivan Cleary said during the week. “I think when you do lose, it is natural to just want to get out there and perform better. That is the whole focus this week and the vibe is very good as usual here, so we are looking forward to the challenge. Last week was just a hiccup really and we have got to play better.”
On paper, the Eels, with a 16-9 record and a sixth-placed finish wouldn’t be in the conversation, but finals do funny things to logic. Unfortunately for Parra fans, that often counts against them, with the club not winning consecutive finals matches since 2009 and failing to convert regular season form into a premiership push.
Parramatta’s season can be summed up in consecutive late-season weekends when they earned a memorable victory over the Storm only to come crashing to earth with a 34-point defeat to the Panthers. That reflects the upper hand Penrith have enjoyed in this duel over recent outings.
And it is no ordinary duel. These Western Sydney rivals do not like each other. Former Panther, now Eels forward Bryce Cartwright understands the enmity in both camps. “When you’re a young footy player from Penrith coming through you’re brought up to hate Parramatta, it’s just what it is,” he said. “Both clubs hate each other, it’s always been like that and it will never change.”
Light the blue touch paper and stand well back.
I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
