Roosters vs Panthers
VENUE & TIME: Sydney Football Stadium, Sat September 18, 7.45pm (AEST)
COVERAGE: LIVE Click Here
HEAD TO HEAD Played 75, Roosters 46, Panthers 28, draws 1
LAST TIME: Panthers 28 – Roosters 6 at CUA Stadium, Round 5, 2010
The Roosters are building a bit of a reputation as a never-say-die club and that was highlighted again last Saturday night against the Tigers when they rose from a 15-2 deficit early in the second-half to steal an epic 19-15 win after 100 memorable minutes of footy. That euphoric result combined with the some major gongs on Dally M night must now have last year's wooden spooners feeling super confident that they can conquer almost any obstacle tossed at them in the remaining weeks of the finals. Full marks to coach Brian Smith for turning this train wreck of a club into a well oiled machine in such a short space of time. Some big wins over teams not participating in the top-eight leading into the finals gave Penrith fans hope that their team was back on track at the right time of the season, but they were quickly jolted back to reality last Saturday night at CUA Stadium when the Raiders snuck away with a 24-22 victory. The loss of key forwards Pritchard and Waterhouse during the match, combined with Civoniceva's forced absence, failed to assist the Panthers' cause against the powerful Raiders pack. It's now do-or-die for the team that finished the premiership rounds in second spot.
Braith Anasta proved he was a worthy winner of the 2010 Dally M captain of the year award against the Tigers last Saturday night, displaying great leadership skills to help pick his Roosters off the canvas and win the game from a seemingly hopeless position. Anasta's stunning field goal to take the game to extra-time was an extremely significant point in the game and the animated way he rallied the troops following his heroic snap at the posts was equally as important. Former Chook Sandor Earl showed incredible athleticism to post two second-half tries for the Panthers last Saturday night. His second effort to plant the ball down just inside the corner post whilst still airborne will feature in highlight reels for many years to come.
The Panthers have the wood over the Roosters of late, winning the previous two games the two sides have contested and by significant margins. But Saturday night is a cut-throat finals situation and the injury-free Tri-colours love nothing more than gracing the familiar turf of the SFS in September. They have won nine of their previous 10 finals at the ground and the happenings of last Saturday night will only further boost their confidence levels going into this one. In contrast, the Panthers have not tasted a victory in September since 2004 and coach Matthew Elliott is yet to guide a first-grade side to a finals win in six attempts. But what better time is there to produce the goods once again against the Roosters this season!
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