Panthers v Wests Tigers: Cleary fields near-full-strength side as minor premiership race tightens
Ladder-leading Penrith Panthers hosted bottom-half Wests Tigers in the final round of the NRL regular season, with Penrith chasing top spot ahead of the finals; the match opened with the Panthers leading 6-0 after a Brian To'o try.
Penrith Panthers hosted Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Round 27, the final round of the NRL regular season. Although the two clubs sit at opposite ends of the ladder — the Panthers fighting for top spot and the Tigers sitting 14th with nothing but pride to play for — the derby carried extra edge, with several former Panthers now on the Tigers roster.
Minor premiership race
According to Nine.com.au, the Panthers and Warriors went into the round separated by just one for-and-against point at the top of the table. Because the Warriors played their Round 27 fixture against Manly a day earlier, Penrith knew exactly what was required: if the Warriors beat the Sea Eagles by 10 points, the Panthers would need to beat the Tigers by 12 or more to finish as minor premiers. Coach Ivan Cleary's decision to name a near full-strength team, rather than resting stars as he has in previous years, reportedly surprised commentators Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler, who suggested Penrith valued finishing first — and avoiding a wounded top-four rival like the Roosters in the finals — over the associated prize money.
Team changes
Panthers captain Isaah Yeo returned from three games out with a pectoral injury, coming onto the interchange in place of Scott Sorensen. Hooker Mitch Kenny played just his seventh game of the season after recovering from a leg injury. The match doubled as a tribute to the late Panthers figure John Farragher OAM, with the club wearing a Special Event Jersey — also Penrith's last home game at CommBank Stadium before returning to Helloworld Stadium in 2027.
For the Tigers, Latu Fainu returned from a hamstring injury onto the interchange, while prop Vaka Aho made his NRL debut off the bench. Sione Fainu replaced Tony Sukkar, who was managing delayed concussion symptoms. Prop Terrell May played his 100th NRL game.
Stats and match action
The Panthers have won six of their last seven meetings with the Tigers, while Tigers five-eighth Jarome Luai has lost all three games against his former club. Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins has scored six tries in his last three matches against the Tigers. As reported by NRL.com, Penrith has won 14 of its last 15 games played in September or October.
According to Nine.com.au's live coverage, the match started strongly for Penrith: a passing chain through Lindsay Smith, Nathan Cleary and Liam Martin sent Brian To'o over for the opening try, which Cleary converted to make it 6-0.
