Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins travel to Penrith for the first time this Sunday afternoon to take on a Panthers side with question marks hanging over it following Wednesday’s State of Origin decider in Brisbane.
One thing we know for sure is that Dylan Edwards and Isaah Yeo will be rested, not named in the squad at all by coach Ivan Cleary on Tuesday.
Jarome Luai, Liam Martin and Brian To’o were all named on the extended bench, but we’ll have to see if they are included in the final 17 late in the lead-up.
With Origin and byes now out of the way, Penrith begins the final run to September with no further breaks until a possible rest in week two of the Finals, should the Panthers finish in the top four and win their Qualifying Final.
I’d prefer coach Cleary to rest players one at a time when needed over the next seven games, versus sitting multiple players out in one go, but he knows the fitness of his troops best.
But you just never know how the ladder is going to play out over this final period, so it’s critical to bank every possible win and then assess the last couple of weeks of the season once finishing positions become clearer.
The Dolphins will certainly be no easybeats on Sunday. Bennett has again surprised his critics by having the Redcliffe-based side in Finals contention, and after last week’s win over Souths they find themselves in sixth spot and with a real shot of playing deep into September.
Bennett has got the Dolphins playing for each other. They may not have the flashiest side in the NRL and they may well get found out in the Finals, but they’re at least giving 100 per cent and you can rely on them for that effort every single week.
Their defence, however, has left plenty to be desired this season. In fact, they have the second worst defensive record of the teams currently in the top eight.
But one weighing up the likely outcome of this match would perhaps combat that defensive stat with the fact that Penrith has scored the second lowest points of any side currently in the eight. Only Penrith and Canterbury have scored less than 400 points this season.
In the midst of that though are some gritty, low-scoring wins – like the 14-6 defeat of Brisbane a fortnight ago. That was actually one of the side’s most impressive wins of the season, despite the score sheet being reasonably low.
The big factor in this game is of course the return of Nathan Cleary. It changes the complexion of this Penrith side completely, and I’d expect the team to be looking much more structured from this weekend.
Cleary may take some time to find his feet, but it will be the little things that make all the difference, and the game management abilities when it’s time to put the foot down in the second half of games.
Without Cleary, the Panthers have at times lacked the ability to get themselves out of trouble; something Cleary is so brilliantly good at.
I’m excited to see his clash with Isaiya Katoa, who returns to the foot of the Mountains in Dolphins colours.
This should be a decent game of footy on Sunday, and I think the Dolphins will put up a good fight. But Cleary is the best in the NRL for a reason, and his return should be enough.
Tip: Panthers by 12.
The Panthers and Dolphins play at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday, July 21 from 2pm. The game is live on Fox League.
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.