WESTS TIGERS 0 PENRITH PANTHERS 68
STEPHEN IBBETSON, CommBank Stadium, Sydney, Sunday

PENRITH cemented their position as strong title favourites with a club-record win.

Ruthless from Paul Alamoti’s well-worked opening try to the centre’s conversion of Freddy Lussick’s twelfth and last, the Panthers are now six points clear in their quest to regain the crown.

Nathan Cleary was at his brilliant best, burrowing over for Penrith’s second try, directly assisting three others and kicking nine goals.

When Thomas Jenkins scored almost off the kick-off following a dummy-half Lussick effort to make it four converted tries in the opening quarter, the tone was truly set and Wests never recovered.

Further first-half tries came from Isaah Yeo, via a Cleary break, and Brian To’o, accepting a Tigers gift, for a 36-0 score at the break.

Cleary’s long kick for a To’o double started another spree in the second half, followed in short time by Jack Cogger and Izack Tago supporting breaks by Alamoti and Jenkins respectively.

Lindsay Smith barged through shattered defence before second tries by Jenkins and Lussick ensured the victory surpassed a 72-12 margin against Manly set in 2004.

Pre-game, this was considered to be a good indication of how improving Wests measured up against the best. In the event, they didn’t measure up at all.

TIGERS: 1 Jahream Bula, 2 Jeral Skelton, 3 Sunia Turuva, 4 Heamasi Makasini, 5 Faaletino Tavana, 6 Jarome Luai, 7 Jock Madden, 8 Terrell May, 9 Api Koroisau, 10 Fonua Pole, 11 Mevrik Geyer, 12 Kai Pearce-Paul, 13 Charlie Murray. Subs: 14 Latu Fainu, 15 Alex Seyfarth, 16 Royce Hunt, 18 Bunty Afoa (not used), 19 Satrford To’a (not used), 20 Tristan Hope

PANTHERS: 1 Dylan Edwards, 2 Thomas Jenkins, 3 Paul Alamoti, 4 Casey McLean, 5 Brian To’o, 6 Blaise Talagi, 7 Nathan Cleary, 8 Moses Leota, 9 Freddy Lussick, 10 Lindsay Smith, 11 Isaiah Papali’i, 12 Liam Martin, 13 Isaah Yeo. Subs: 14 Jack Cogger, 15 Scott Sorensen, 16 Liam Henry, 17 Izack Tago, 18 Luke Garner (not used), 21 Billy Scott (not used)

Tries: Alamoti (7), Cleary (12), Lussick (18, 79), Jenkins (20, 74), Yeo (27), To’o (36, 52), Cogger (56), Tago (58), Smith (68); Goals: Cleary 9/11, Alamoti 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-24, 0-30, 0-36; 0-42, 0-46, 0-52, 0-58, 0-62, 0-68

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Terrell May; Panthers: Nathan Cleary

Penalty count: 1-4; Half-time: 0-36; Referee: Grant Atkins; Attendance: 21,803