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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers make mockery of calls to suspend 'unfair' NRL comp as Cleary's heir shines
Ivan Cleary was left stunned and proud of his Penrith Panthers outfit after defeating the Warriors, despite missing his State of Origin stars, as fans urge the NRL to stop the competition during the rep schedule. There have been growing calls for the NRL to come up with a solution during the Origin period with a number of teams ravaged by injuries and selection issues. In the first bye round, the Panthers were decimated with five representatives ruled out. The Newcastle Knights hammered Penrith in their clash, which led to frustration over the quality and depth of teams forced to play during the Origin period. Coach Cleary was also left fuming prior to the clash against the Warriors knowing Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Liam Martin would not fly from Perth to New Zealand and play against the Warriors. The coach was obviously fearing a similar result to the one against the Knights a few weeks ago considering he was fielding a similar said. Speaking last weekend, Cleary labelled the situation "unfair". He said: "The Origin players won't be playing because they can't. I don't think it's fair that we can't play... we should be able to make that decision. Through flights, we just can't get them there." The Warriors were flying-high and many predicted the home side to put another cricket score on the Panthers missing all their representatives. However, the Panthers showed pride in the jersey and their performance having defeated the Warriors 28-18. "Obviously the context is important, but just the way the boys went about it. Every time there wasn't something great, they got on with it and made up for it," Cleary said when asked about the win missing his Origin stars. "Just very happy for the boys and hopefully something we can build on. "I should mention the leadership, Scott you lose the calibre of the guys we had you need that leadership to step up. And it just helps the younger guys. Our leaders tonight were outstanding." When asked about the loss to the Knights a few weeks back, Cleary admitted it was on their mind. "I definitely think that was probably the starting point - they just wanted to prove to themselves and everyone that we're certainly better than what we showed that night," he added. "We've tried to build a culture here where it doesn't matter who's playing and you deliver a certain standard and whether you win or not." Fans were stunned at the Panthers win after so much was made of their missing stars. The depth of the Panthers made a mockery of the competition, but it was also a worrying loss for the Warriors who have been carrying so much momentum in recent weeks. Brave win by the Panthers tonight without their Origin stars. The Warriors had some big moments but they were matched by even bigger plays by the Panthers. There's a further blow for the Wahs with DWZ (ankle), Niukore (HIA) failing to finish while Metcalf (quad) limped off. — The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) June 21, 2025 Origin depleted Panthers on the road against a near full strength(?) Wahs team in front of a packed out home may still fall short at the end of Round 27 but this will be no doubt one of the best, if not the best win of the season. #NRLWarriorsPanthers #pantherpride — Parra Panthers (@letsgopenrith) June 21, 2025 No origin players.. Okaaayyy Panthers 👏🏽 I just know they're gonna make the 8 😑😂 — . (@__seraphinatee) June 21, 2025 The Warriors seemed to go in overly confident tonight being at home and Panthers having their origin stars out— but man the panthers should be proud of themselves. 👏🏻 Their senior players really stepped up aswell. — Chloe Jones (@FinalGirlChloe) June 21, 2025 Sorensen was player-of-the-match with two tries for his side. But it was also the performance of young recruit Blaize Talagi that had fans excited. Without the influence of Nathan Cleary in the halves, Blaize Talagi enjoyed one of his best games in the jersey. The 20-year-old didn't start the beginning of the season with coach Cleary looking at Jack Cole to partner his son Nathan. Talagi was expected to slot right in after his move from the Parramatta Eels, but bided his time. But the Panthers five-eighth was instrumental for his side with his chief playmaker missing. Talagi scored a stunning solo try, but also assisted another when he took advantage of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak limping in the defensive line. And fans are feeling the Panthers team are starting to hum in time to make a late run to finals footy. Although Cleary made no excuse and claimed the team will finish where they deserve. "We'll finish where we deserve ... we're playing a bit of our brand of footy so at least we give ourselves a chance." Blaize Talagi is starting to show why Penrith brought him to the club. He's developing slowly but nicely. Great try here plus a nice pass to put Sorensen through for one of his tries as well.#PantherPride — Peter Lang (@PeterVLang) June 21, 2025 Warriors coach Andrew Webster was left shellshocked at his team's performance having entered the clash as heavy favourites. "I don't look at the personnel of the opposition, I look at the way we play, our style," Webster said. "If we played our best game tonight, and they played their best game, and we got beaten by that scoreline, then I'd be upset but we didn't play well. I think we beat ourselves tonight, and they were very good, the Panthers, but we just didn't get our game on at all."
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Panthers take on Warriors without Origin stars
It's one of the toughest road trips in the NRL and Penrith will have to play the Warriors away without five of their finest players. NSW guns Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin were all absent from the squad named by Ivan Cleary for the clash in Auckland on Saturday afternoon. It was always a bridge too far to get the five from Perth to New Zealand and give them a reasonable recovery time. The coach alluded to it, and the unkind draw, after last week's win over Wests Tigers. "The Origin players won't be playing because they can't. I don't think it's fair that we can't play them but through flights we just can't get them there," Cleary said. Brad Schneider (half), Daine Laurie (fullback) Matthew Eisenhuth (lock), Paul Alamoti (wing) and Isaiah Papali'i (second-row) have all been elevated into the starting side. In other team news, NSW centre Bradman Best makes his return from a hamstring injury for Newcastle against the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday while winger Dom Young makes his return to the Knights on the wing after playing last week for Sydney Roosters before getting a release. Canberra winger Jed Stuart, son of Ricky Stuart, makes his NRL debut away to Wests Tigers on Friday night after replacing the injured Savelio Tamale. South Sydney have named Cody Walker (groin) and Campbell Graham (back spasms) on an extended bench for the home clash with Melbourne on Saturday night, with Englishman Lewis Dodd getting a recall to replace Jayden Sullivan (calf). Brisbane welcome back-rower Jack Gosiewski's return on the bench from a broken arm against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. North Queensland and Sydney Roosters have named all of their Origin players for the showdown at Accor Stadium. Parramatta will have a new-look halves pairing of Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins at home to replace Dylan Brown (suspended) and Mitch Moses (calf) in the final match of the round against Gold Coast on Sunday night. The Titans have listed boom second-rower David Fifita at No.18 in his possible return from ankle surgery. It's one of the toughest road trips in the NRL and Penrith will have to play the Warriors away without five of their finest players. NSW guns Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin were all absent from the squad named by Ivan Cleary for the clash in Auckland on Saturday afternoon. It was always a bridge too far to get the five from Perth to New Zealand and give them a reasonable recovery time. The coach alluded to it, and the unkind draw, after last week's win over Wests Tigers. "The Origin players won't be playing because they can't. I don't think it's fair that we can't play them but through flights we just can't get them there," Cleary said. Brad Schneider (half), Daine Laurie (fullback) Matthew Eisenhuth (lock), Paul Alamoti (wing) and Isaiah Papali'i (second-row) have all been elevated into the starting side. In other team news, NSW centre Bradman Best makes his return from a hamstring injury for Newcastle against the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday while winger Dom Young makes his return to the Knights on the wing after playing last week for Sydney Roosters before getting a release. Canberra winger Jed Stuart, son of Ricky Stuart, makes his NRL debut away to Wests Tigers on Friday night after replacing the injured Savelio Tamale. South Sydney have named Cody Walker (groin) and Campbell Graham (back spasms) on an extended bench for the home clash with Melbourne on Saturday night, with Englishman Lewis Dodd getting a recall to replace Jayden Sullivan (calf). Brisbane welcome back-rower Jack Gosiewski's return on the bench from a broken arm against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. North Queensland and Sydney Roosters have named all of their Origin players for the showdown at Accor Stadium. Parramatta will have a new-look halves pairing of Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins at home to replace Dylan Brown (suspended) and Mitch Moses (calf) in the final match of the round against Gold Coast on Sunday night. The Titans have listed boom second-rower David Fifita at No.18 in his possible return from ankle surgery. It's one of the toughest road trips in the NRL and Penrith will have to play the Warriors away without five of their finest players. NSW guns Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin were all absent from the squad named by Ivan Cleary for the clash in Auckland on Saturday afternoon. It was always a bridge too far to get the five from Perth to New Zealand and give them a reasonable recovery time. The coach alluded to it, and the unkind draw, after last week's win over Wests Tigers. "The Origin players won't be playing because they can't. I don't think it's fair that we can't play them but through flights we just can't get them there," Cleary said. Brad Schneider (half), Daine Laurie (fullback) Matthew Eisenhuth (lock), Paul Alamoti (wing) and Isaiah Papali'i (second-row) have all been elevated into the starting side. In other team news, NSW centre Bradman Best makes his return from a hamstring injury for Newcastle against the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday while winger Dom Young makes his return to the Knights on the wing after playing last week for Sydney Roosters before getting a release. Canberra winger Jed Stuart, son of Ricky Stuart, makes his NRL debut away to Wests Tigers on Friday night after replacing the injured Savelio Tamale. South Sydney have named Cody Walker (groin) and Campbell Graham (back spasms) on an extended bench for the home clash with Melbourne on Saturday night, with Englishman Lewis Dodd getting a recall to replace Jayden Sullivan (calf). Brisbane welcome back-rower Jack Gosiewski's return on the bench from a broken arm against Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. North Queensland and Sydney Roosters have named all of their Origin players for the showdown at Accor Stadium. Parramatta will have a new-look halves pairing of Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins at home to replace Dylan Brown (suspended) and Mitch Moses (calf) in the final match of the round against Gold Coast on Sunday night. The Titans have listed boom second-rower David Fifita at No.18 in his possible return from ankle surgery.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
How New South Wales supersub Connor Watson learned to become a State of Origin matchwinner
Connor Watson still isn't quite sure of how the pass happened, he's just glad that it did. The New South Wales utility put his stamp on another Origin as he latched onto a Zac Lomax pass close to the line, twisted his way through four Queensland defenders to pop a miracle ball up for Dylan Edwards to score the try that wrapped up Game I for the Blues on Wednesday night. It was a great show of skill and desire, albeit one Watson didn't get to see finished given he was trapped under a pile of Maroons defenders as Edwards crashed over but the noise was unmistakable. "When I threw that ball I didn't know what was going to happen and then I heard everyone cheering — far out, no way that just came off," Watson said. "It was a bit of a fluke — Lowy (Zac Lomax) got me the ball, the line was so close even though I knew I wouldn't get there myself. "I just tried to throw it up and Dyl, being a great fullback, was in support got it across the line." It's the second Lang Park match in a row where Watson has come on fresh in the final stages of the match with the game in the balance and come up with a key play to steer the Blues home. In last year's decider, when he also came on with 15 to go and the match in the balance, he dribbled an offload to Jarome Luai deep in his own half that gave the New South Wales five-eighth the space to take on the Queensland defence, slice through and find Bradman Best for the breakout try of the game. Watson's versatility opened the door for him to become part of the New South Wales side but through three games it's his impact late in matches that's come to the fore. In 30 minutes of game time combined across his last two matches, the Roosters hooker has made more of an impact than some players do in their Origin careers. It isn't easy to sit on the bench for over an hour and wait for your number to be called. It takes a lot of patience, both to ride it out and to not be too frantic when you come on in an effort to make the most of it. The latter was something Watson struggled with in the early stages of his career but has now mastered, especially for New South Wales. Like all good bench matchwinners, Watson understands that 15 minutes can be more than enough time to find a winning play. "Early in my career, and I had this conversation with some of the younger guys at the Roosters this year, I'd chase it almost too much because when you get little time you want to make as much of an impact as possible," Watson said. "But bring energy, putting yourself in different positions and those opportunities will come, you don't need to force them. "When I was young I'd go on and try to go crazy, but you can burn out doing that. "Coming on with 15 minutes to go is still plenty of time to make an impact, you just have to trust that opportunity will come. "I was itching to get out there and it can take a while but it's worth the wait. "I focus on my defence and in attack I just push, do that and things will be alright." After winning their first Lang Park decider in 30 years last series, making further history of their own was a focus for Laurie Daley's side in the lead up to Game I. They've now won back-to-back games at Lang Park for the first time in over a quarter-century and a win in Perth in three weeks' time would be their fourth consecutive victory and give the state it's longest winning streak since 1996-97. With Watson and his cohorts getting more and more acclimatised to the Origin furnace, it would take a brave punter to back against them doing so. "Every Origin game I've played the physicality and the intensity of the contact stands out, that's what separates it from the NRL," Watson said. "The ruck is a bit slower but the speed of the ball moving is higher, defences and attack moves faster. The more you play it, the more you understand what it's like. "It's great to get a win up here, but there's still two games to go yet."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New South Wales take State of Origin series lead
New South Wales beat Queensland 18-6 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to take a 1-0 series lead in the State of Origin. The Blues scored three first-half tries, with winger Zac Lomax grabbing two and Brian To'o the other. That left the Maroons with a mountain to climb but Xavier Coates cut the deficit in the second half after capitalising on a handling error by Latrell Mitchell. But any hope the Maroons had of a late comeback were quashed seven minutes from time as Lomax found Connor Watson after a brilliant one-handed take, who set-up full-back Dylan Edwards to go over. "That was massive, the way that we started - our fight and courage was unbelievable," said victory means defending champions New South Wales claimed back-to-back wins at the Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1998. Queensland must win in game two in Perth on 18 June to keep the series alive before game three in Sydney on 9 July.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
CLUTCH link-up delivers Blues the dagger
State of Origin: The NSW Blues put the final dagger in the hearts of Queensland due to some individual brilliance from Nathan Cleary, Zac Lomax, Connor Watson and Dylan Edwards.
