Penrith coach Anthony Griffin says he’s proud of the resilience his side is showing in the midst of a horror injury crisis.
The Panthers roared into second spot on the NRL ladder last night with a 22-14 win over Canterbury but lost fullback Dylan Edwards to a shoulder injury in the first half.
It left James Maloney as the last man standing from Penrith’s first-choice spine, with Nathan Cleary and Peter Wallace both missing last night.
Wallace will most likely return next week after he was a late withdrawal from the Bulldogs clash with a neck injury.
Edwards will have scans today to determine the full extent of the shoulder problem.
“The doctor had to put it back in in the sheds so it’s not good,” Griffin said after the game last night.
The Panthers can’t take a trick at the moment with up to 10 first graders missing.
“We’re going through a bit of a patch but there’s always opportunities,” he said.
“On the other side of adversity there is always opportunity.”
Griffin said Tyrone May is likely to return against the Cowboys next weekend, relieving some pressure in the halves.
“He has his last appointment with the surgeon on Monday so if he gets cleared he’ll be available,” he said.
“He’s trained really strongly over the last month… he’s back with the main group.
“He’s a class player. Obviously he would be short of a run but we might be able to use him off the bench.”
The Panthers had to come from behind last night against a Bulldogs side that was aggressive in defence but fell away when it mattered in the second half.
It was Penrith’s sixth win of the season and leaves them in second spot on the ladder behind only St George-Illawarra.
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.