Tyrone Peachey scored a double as Penrith Panthers came from behind to beat Canberra Raiders 40-31.
The game started at a high pace with two tries in the opening seven minutes. James Tamou opened the scoring for the Panthers after Sione Katoa’s offload. Then Joseph Leilua responded after tapping the ball and bumping away James Maloney to score.
Sam Williams’ penalty gave Canberra a short-lived lead before Tyrone Peachey sliced through to score for Penrith. But Elliott Whitehead scored his ninth NRL try to give the Raiders back the lead and the momentum.
Jordan Rapana and Leilua combined for the latter to score his second try before Rapana went 90 metres to score just before the break.
Down 26-12, Penrith mounted a fightback. Dean Whare ran through and stepped Nick Cotric to score. But the comeback was shortlived as Rapana provided Leilua with his hat-trick try.
Peachey’s second try, a replica of his first, got Penrith back to within six with plenty of time still to play but Williams slotted a field goal to give Canberra a two-try lead.
Peachey provided Dallin Watene-Zelezniak with a try before Josh Mansour scored after a great pass from Maloney. Then Maloney sealed it himself under the posts.
Panthers: Peachey, Mansour, Blake, Whare, Waetene-Zelezniak, Maloney, Cleary, Leota, Katoa, Tamou, Kikau, Yeo, Fisher-Harris; Interchanges: May, Merrin, Harawira-Naera, Campbell-Gillard
Tries: Tamou, Peachey 2, Whare, Waetene-Zelezniak, Mansour, Maloney; Goals: Cleary 6
Raiders: Cotric, Abbey, Austin, Leilua, Rapana, Sezer, Williams, Soliola, Hodgson, Paulo, Tapine, Whitehead, Papalii; Interchanges: Lui, Boyd, Havili, Bateman
Tries: Leilua 3, Whitehead, Rapana; Goals: Williams 5; Field goal: Williams (67)
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express.
