League
1News

As it happened: Panthers down valiant Warriors 27-12 in NRL playoffs to end Kiwi club's season

September 8, 2018

Welcome to 1 NEWS NOW's live coverage of this NRL finals encounter between the Warriors and the Penrith Panthers at ANZ Stadium.

(Tries Peachey 2, Maloney, Crichton; Cleary 2 pen, 3 con; Maloney fg) PEN 27-12 WARR (Tries Luke, Fusitua; Johnson 2 con)

80 mins: It's all over for the Warriors in 2018 and happy trails Simon Mannering. The Warriors were valiant in the second half but after taking a 12-2 lead they conceded 25 straight points and lost the second half 9-0. The Warriors will be better for this, they weren't overawed but couldn't match Penrith's control. Final score 27-12.

69 mins: PENALTY! Cleary has got his short kicking game on a string and pins the Warriors in-goal again. Johnson's drop out doesn't go 10 and Cleary kicks the goal. Penrith are home here, with 10 to go.

61 mins: FIELD GOAL!!   Penrith are just doing a professional job on the Warriors here. Maloney kicks the point to extend the lead past two converted tries. The Warriors have made nearly 80 more tackles in the game and it's starting to tell as we head into the final 20.

54 mins: TRY!! Crichton goes over in the right corner for Penrith. The Warriors were gallant after Penrith forced three repeat sets in a row. Cleary converts.

48 mins: Cleary and Maloney controlling things here, force back-to-back-to-back sets and the Warriors are hanging on by a thread.

44 mins: Issac Luke has hit Maloney like a concrete mixer. The biggest hit of the year hands down. He knocks it on, and then the Warriors get a penalty. Is that a momentum turner, we'll see. The Warriors take it into Penrith territory. Another penalty for the Warriors.

41 mins: We're back into it, Luke kicks off to Penrith.

40 mins: It's halftime and the Warriors had a chance late but the Panthers hold on. 18-12 at the break.

36 mins: A strained ACL for Tuivasa-Sheck and he's done for the night, but no rupture. That's the good news. Can the Warriors find some character? There's been no grind in this one, just end-to-end action. The Warriors trying to get their off-load game going and Johnson finds touch on the Penrith 20.

31 mins: TRY!! Cleary puts Peachey over in the right corner and Kata is having a shocker. A mis-read after the earlier error  and the Warriors are on the rack here. Cleary misses the kick.

28 min: The Warriors are in a hole right now. Tuivasa-Sheck has done a knee and is being carried off. Very sad. Then Kata knocks on from dummy half and Penrith surge onto attack. Hiku to fullback, Beale to the centres. 

26 min: TRY!!! Katoa gets the Warriors out of dummy half, Mannering wasn't watching and misses the tackle and Maloney following down the middle goes in under the sticks. Penrith lead, and we've had 26 points in 26 minutes.

24 min: The Warriors are killing themselves here. Luke kicks the kick-off out on the full and Penrith surge onto attack again.  But they defuse the attack.

23 min:  TRY!! Penrith kick a 40-20 and surge onto attack. Then a lovely grubber from Cleary and Tyrone Peachey has the Panthers first try. Cleary converts.

18 min: TRY!!! Try of the year and Fusitua is in! Johnson, Hiku, Harris, Fusitua! Off loads and down the right side, it's the NRL's most potent edge. Quick passing, then Hiku breaks, a great offload in the tackle to Johnson who finds Fusitua who dives one-handed in the corner. Johnson converts from the sideline.

14 min: Penrith attack the Warriors line but the Warriors defuse. Then they win a relieving penalty.

9 min:  TRY!! Johnson grabs a loose ball and streaks away. He's in the clear and is going in for all money, but the ground gives way and he falls over. But the Warriors win a penalty and the Warriors turn down the penalty. Then Luke crashes over from dummy half. After an eternity, TMO says TRY!! Johnson converts.

4 min: A mistake from Parsi, he's tackled Maloney in the air after a kick , Penrith get a penalty and Cleary gives Penrith the lead.

3 min: The Warriors complete their first set with a bomb from Johnson and Penrith returns the football.

2 min: 39 seconds in and Gavet's down. He ran into Campbell-Gillard's shoulder and he's not well. But he gets up and plays the ball.

1 min: We're underway. Penrith kick-off to the Warriors.

7.40pm: Tuivasa-Sheck leads the Warriors out after a seven year absence.

7.37pm: Gearing up for kick-off, a big crowd and plenty of Kiwi support. Who can dominate the middle? That's the experts big questions tonight, Bluey McLennan, Brent Webb. In the dressing room, the Warriors are looking relaxed. Kick-off coming up.

7.30pm: Good evening everyone, what a night. A bit of rain at ANZ Stadium for tonight's clash, we're 10 minutes from kick-off. The Warriors are on the ground, they look calm, Johnson, Mannering looking calm.

Richie Barnett, on the preview show, says Johnson's got to run tonight. A big key.

PANTHERS 0 - 0 WARRIORS - 7.40pm NZT

PRE MATCH

After a seven year wait, the Warriors are back playing in September and among the eight teams competing for the NRL premiership.

Having finished eighth on the ladder, the Warriors travel to Sydney to face the fifth-placed Panthers in the elimination final at ANZ Stadium.

The two teams split their clashes this season with the Warriors securing a 36-16 win over Penrith at Mt Smart less than a month ago while an under-strength Panthers thrashed the Warriors 36-4 in round 17.

For the Warriors, Blake Green returns to the side after two weeks out, while both Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Simon Mannering have recovered from their injury concerns.

A loss would end Mannering's career, but a victory would send him back to NSW for at least one more week with the winner of tonight's clash to play either the Roosters or Cronulla next week.

TEAMS

Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), 2. David Fusitu'a, 3. Peta Hiku, 4. Solomone Kata, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Blake Green, 7. Shaun Johnson, 8. James Gavet, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Agnatius Paasi, 11. Adam Blair, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Simon Mannering.

Interchange : 14. Jazz Tevaga, 15. Isaiah Papali'i, 16. Bunty Afoa, 17. Gerard Beale,

Panthers: 1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 2. Josh Mansour, 3. Waqa Blake, 4. Tyrone Peachey, 5. Christian Crichton, 6. James Maloney, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Trent Merrin, 9. Sione Katoa, 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11. Viliame Kikau, 12. Isaah Yeo, 13. James Fisher-Harris.

Interchange: 14. Tyrone May, 15. Moses Leota, 16. Corey Harawira-Naera, 17. James Tamou.

SHARE ME