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PANTHERS 22, ROOSTERS 16
Happy cats: Penrith prevail for a ninth win straight win over the Roosters.Credit: Getty
KEY POINTS
PENRITH ARE STILL NO.1: As if this was in doubt. Even with Nathan Cleary’s hamstring laying low the game’s best player, their system just keeps ticking with Swiss watch precision. Brad Schneider didn’t need to do anything but kick well, make his tackles and pick the right ball-playing option, presented to him just as Cleary gets them, because the likes of Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin and Izack Tago all know their roles and lines so well. Isaah Yeo is the kind of man you’d let date your sister and even more trustworthy as the best lock in the NRL. This Roosters team muscled up for 40 metres after being on top of the world last week and were still given a bath. Whatever the bookies have Penrith at for a fourth premiership, it’s too much.
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TURUVA TIME, BUT WILL HE CASH IN? This masthead revealed Penrith have Fijian winger pegged at $350,000 a year in their tightly wound salary cap, prompting his management’s plans to take him to market next week. Not a bad time to score your first career hat-trick.
On the wing, that’s a reasonable price, though Dally M rookie of the year honours do point to a better wage, particularly after the Tigers and Dolphins went hard for him the last time he came off-contract. Both clubs still have cash to play with. Fullback – where Turuva played much of his junior footy – is the wildcard and his chance to earn a big payday. It’s been a highly impressive first 12 months in the NRL for the 21-year-old, surely someone comes in with $500,000 or so for him.
ROOSTERS ARE OFFERING RIVALS AN EDGE: The obstruction call against Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who went well through the line, only for Dylan Edwards to collide with him and see a critical try to Joey Manu denied… wowee. It was the difference between what should have been a 14-12 halftime scoreline, but not a 22-16 loss. The Roosters did not deserve to get as close as they did.
Just as Manly did in round 2, Luke Keary and Joseph Suaalii’s left-edge defensive combination was hammered and ruthlessly picked apart. The Sea Eagles sent Haumole Olakau’atu repeatedly at Keary, while Penrith wound up Izack Tago. Tough ask. But the Chooks are getting found out there, especially when they hand over so much cheap possession.
