For the second week in a row the Panthers play a team coming off the bye, but Newcastle will be hoping for a much better result than St George-Illawarra got last Sunday.
You simply can’t beat Penrith when they are in that kind of attacking and defensive mindset. From the early minutes, it was obvious the Panthers had turned up to play and the result never really looked in doubt, even with the losses of James Fisher-Harris and Daine Laurie along the way.
Plenty of Penrith fans were concerned about the side’s Premiership defence this year, putting too much focus on early results and periods of the season without inspirational co-captain Nathan Cleary.
But the Panthers were always going to turn up for this part of the season. They’re simply too experienced to not be there when the whips are cracking and it feels now that the side has really flicked the switch and is ready to power home.
The mission now is to stay clear of the Roosters and the Sharks and finish second on the ladder to secure a home game in week one of the Finals.
The Minor Premiership probably appears a stretch too far, but the upcoming showdown with the Storm in Penrith will decide the chances of that.
Like the Dragons last week, Newcastle come into this game with so much to play for. They currently sit in 11th spot, just two points outside of the top eight. And their run home is not terrible, with games against the Tigers, Sharks, Rabbitohs, Titans and Dolphins to finish off the regular season. Their last two matches are at home too.
They could still play Finals without picking up this game against Penrith but there’s no doubt they’d love such a huge scalp to put them on the right track for the run home.
However, it just doesn’t feel within the realms of possibility. The Panthers are firing and Nathan Cleary appears in the kind of form that sees him determine the flow and momentum of matches from the outset.
The Knights have been too disrupted and inconsistent all season, right back to the beginning of the year when despite a full off-season they still hadn’t worked out their halves combination. And that issue is still dogging them, with Jackson Hastings dropped again and Phoenix Crossland to wear the number seven jumper on Sunday.
Penrith have named Isaiah Iongi to debut at fullback following Daine Laurie’s failed Head Injury Assessment last Sunday, and will start with Lindsay Smith in the front row after James Fisher-Harris picked up an injury.
The losses of Laurie and Fisher-Harris certainly aren’t ideal but Penrith have more than enough adequate cover to ensure it shouldn’t be too much of a problem on Sunday.
The Knights don’t lead the competition in too many categories this year but there is one where they are streaks ahead: short dropouts.
That suggests they find themselves under pressure a fair bit, and I have no doubt the Panthers will capitalise on that on Sunday with Cleary’s short kicking game and Jarome Luai chipping in too.
It’s hard to imagine Penrith dropping this one based on their recent form, Newcastle’s overall season and the home ground factor that has worked so strongly in the Panthers’ favour over the last few years.
Cricket season is still a little while away, but we may well get a cricket score on Sunday.
Tip: Panthers by 30.
Penrith and Newcastle play at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday, August 4 at 2pm. The game is live on Fox League and Kayo.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.