Live Coverage | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round 10
The undefeated Penrith Panthers host second-placed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at 3.45pm Friday to kick off Round 10 of The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - streamed live on NSWRL TV.
Saturday's match sees St George Illawarra Dragons up against South Sydney Rabbitohs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, which gets underway at 12.40pm and is live on Fox League.
The round concludes with four games on Sunday including NSWRL TV coverage of Western Suburbs Magpies v Newcastle Knights at 2pm, and Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles v Newtown Jets at 3pm.
Panthers v Bulldogs
Penrith Panthers v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Bulldogs overcome early sin-bin crisis, condemn league leaders Penrith to season-first loss
Stewart Moses
Game Summary
It’s taken ten rounds but the unbeaten reign of league leaders, Penrith has come to an abrupt end at the hands of a brave and committed Bulldogs outfit that have won six in a row and lie just one point behind the Panthers after their 30-12 win at BlueBet Stadium this afternoon.
In a Bulldogs lineup featuring the likes of Hayze Perham, Blake Wilson, Toby Sexton, Liam Knight, Jake Turpin, Poasa Faamausili and interchange forward Zane Tetevano, it was back-rower Kitione Kautoga, who was both the villain and star for the visitors.
Having been put on report and sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes for a late tackle on Panthers half Brad Schneider in just the second minute of play, soon followed by his team mate Toby Sexton for a professional foul in the 4th minute of play, the Bulldogs backrower returned to put his side ahead 6-0 after 15 minutes with a barnstorming charge to score next to the posts from close range.
Kautoga had a double ten minutes following a similar bullocking charge at the line from close range to put the visitors up by 12 with Sexton again converting successfully.
A sweeping backline move following a late penalty call from the referee, resulting in a simple try to winger Jeral Skelton in the south-east corner and the Panthers were left shell-shocked trailing 18-0 inside the opening 30 minutes.
The Panthers finally opened their account with the last play of the opening half. Having had several repeat sets inside the Bulldogs 20, the visitors’ defence finally cracked when quick hands left winger Jesse McLean to score in the northwest corner.
Trent Toelau’s successful sideline conversion, the home side trailed 18-6 at the break.
The Panthers’ comeback looked well and truly on when a Toelau show and go fooled the Bulldogs’ defence and the half, deputising for Schneider who succumbed to injury following the Kautoga incident earlier in the game, scored underneath the posts from 10m out to put the home side within a converted try.
But despite ex-Panther Zane Tetevano dropping the ball cold with a try seemingly in the bag following some quick work from dummy half Romano Cook, the Bulldogs soon made amends with a try midway through the second half.
Quick hands inside the Panthers 20 ended with centre Hayze Perham laying on a superb flick pass to put his winger, Blake Wilson over in the north-east corner to extend the Bulldogs lead back out to 24-12, with Sexton again successful with his sideline conversion.
Once again the Panthers’ left edge defence was found wanting when some brilliant hands inside the Panthers half put Wilson away again down the eastern touchline, with the winger providing this time, placing a well-weighted kick in the in-goal for Sexton to score and complete an impressive 30-12 win for the Bulldogs.
The win cements their spot in second place and puts them within just the point of the defeated competition leaders.
Key Points:
Despite the loss of Paul Alamoti (NRL) and Jordan Grant (injury), the Panthers arguably came into this game looking stronger with the inclusion of Tyrone Peachey, Brad Schneider and Matt Eisenhuth. The Bulldogs came into this game having only won 2 of last 10 games played at BlueBet Stadium and only 6 wins from 20 games played against the Panthers. Bulldogs back-rower Kitione Kautoga, faces a nervous wait having been replaced on report in addition to spending ten minutes in the sin-bin for his late and dangerous tackle on Brad Schneider in the 2nd minute of play. The Panthers half eventually succumbed to the injury sustained from the incident having come from the field in the 15th minute of play. The win represents the Bulldogs’ sixth win in a row having not been beaten since their Round 3 34-10 loss, ironically at the hands of the Panthers. The loss for Penrith represents their first in nine games played in season 2024.Play of the Game
It’s not often a game-defining moment happens within the opening fifteen minutes of the game, but the Bulldogs made a real statement with their commitment in defence early on when having to play eight minutes of the game with just eleven men following the sinbinning of both Kautoga and Sexton.
The opening try to Kautoga, who had only returned to the field just seconds before Sexton returned at the end of that eight minute, was the start of a 18 point run for the visitors and proved to be the difference as both sides traded two tries a piece thereafter.
What's Next
Next week represents the Cup’s Magic Weekend round at North Sydney Oval as the Bulldogs look for seven wins in a row when they take on the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles on Sunday while the previous day, the Panthers will be looking to atone for tonight’s surprise loss when they take on the New Zealand Warriors, the only other side the league leaders have failed to defeat so far in season 2024.
St George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Warriors v Sydney Roosters
Western Suburbs Magpies v Newcastle Knights
Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles v Newtown Jets
North Sydney Bears v Parramatta Eels
