ROUND 21 Match Thread - plus the Great Slider Debate and Ice Cream Furore - plus a rant

[Graham]

Game 1

 Thursday:

Penrith have lost their captain Matt Moylan to injury as the club continues its fight for a spot inside the NRL’s top eight.

The Panthers sit one game outside the eight and have six rounds to catch up and earn a shot at finals.

They essentially need to beat Canterbury at Pepper Stadium on Thursday night to keep the dream alive.

At the Bulldogs, things are a little more dire.

Word out of Belmore is coach Des Hasler is on his last legs at the club, and another bad loss to Penrith would just be another nail in the coffin.

[Graham]

Bulldogs Head Coach Des Hasler has finalised his 17 for the Round 21 clash with the Penrith Panthers at Pepper Stadium thanks to CrownBet.

Brett Morris has been ruled out of tonight’s game with illness and will be replaced by Kerrod Holland.

Asipeli Fine, Brenko Lee and Francis Tualau all drop out of the squad that was named on Tuesday.

NRL Round 21: Bulldogs v Penrith - Pepper Stadium, Thursday July 27th, 7-50 pm local time

1    Will Hopoate
20  Kerrod Holland
3    Josh Morris
4    Chase Stanley
5    Marcelo Montoya
6    Josh Reynolds
7    Matt Frawley
8    Aiden Tolman
9    Moses Mbye
10   James Graham
11   Josh Jackson
12   Adam Elliott
13   David Klemmer
14   Sam Kasiano
15   Raymond Faitala Mariner
16   Danny Fualalo
17   Michael Lichaa
 

[Graham]

Panthers coach Anthony Griffin has finalised his squad to face the Bulldogs at Pepper Stadium on Thursday. James Fisher-Harris will start at lock while Bryce Cartwright makes his return to the NRL via the bench. Moses Leota drops out and will play for the Panthers ISP side against Wyong Roos on Saturday.

The Panthers will wear their 2017 Home Jersey.

Panthers v Bulldogs

1. Dylan EDWARDS
2. Josh MANSOUR
3. Tyrone PEACHEY
4. Waqa BLAKE
5. Dallin WATENE-ZELEZNIAK
6. Tyrone MAY
7. Nathan CLEARY
8. James TAMOU
9. Peter WALLACE (c)
16. Tim BROWNE
11. Corey HARAWIRA-NAERA
12. Isaah YEO
17. James FISHER-HARRIS

10. Reagan CAMPBELL-GILLARD
14. Sione KATOA
15. Leilani LATU
18. Bryce CARTWRIGHT

[Vichyssoise]

No Moylan tonight? That Cleary kid will run a nice show anyway.

[Vichyssoise]

Question (which will probably come back to haunt me): Will the Bulldogs break the 12-point bareer?

[Graham]

Freddy Mercury lookylikey is a birthday boy.

[Graham]

4 minutes played 

0-0

[Graham]

Penalty goal early on (Cleary)

2 - 0 Panthers

Ch 9 coverage

[Graham]

Wallace try after a couple of despairing Dogs efforts to get the ball dead.

Converted by Cleary.

8-0 Panthers.

20 minutes gone.

[Farmduck]

Just switched this on, forgot all about it. One of the drawbacks of never knowing what day it is.

[Vichyssoise]

DWZ may have big hands but he's got terrible feet.

[Graham]

Dogs having more of the game. They capitalise on possession and penalty and Reynolds scores a try by the sticks.

 

[Graham]

8-6 Panthers

[Graham]

Yes, what day is it?

[Vichyssoise]

Big Sam or rather Sore Sam

[Vichyssoise]

Poor options by Penrith

[Graham]

Dogs well in this. Panthers making errors and choosing some poor options.

[Vichyssoise]

10 minutes ago, Vichyssoise said:

DWZ may have big hands but he's got terrible feet.

Add poor hands to it...

[Graham]

Snap!

[Graham]

Penalty goal

8 all 38 minutes played

[Vichyssoise]

How's Misi going for the Rovers, Graham? Every time I see this pic (which is often!!!), I can't help but remember his time at Cronulla.

[Graham]

Panthers 8 - 8 Bulldogs

Today's comestibles duck a l'orange

[Graham]

2 minutes ago, Vichyssoise said:

How's Misi going for the Rovers, Graham? Every time I see this pic (which is often!!!), I can't help but remember his time at Cronulla.

He's a class act.

Totally professional and of course he's now a senior player. 

Misi is a well respected player and bloke.

Put him near a try line and he's more likely to score than most.

[Graham]

Dogs doing it for Des?

[Vichyssoise]

 

1 minute ago, Graham said:

He's a class act.

Totally professional and of course he's now a senior player. 

Misi is a well respected player and bloke.

Put him near a try line and he's more likely to score than most.

Cool. I always liked him. Not a star, but one of the few positives during the Sharks darkest days. He had his moments though. I was a bit disappointed when they let him go.