The undefeated Penrith Panthers have produced another supreme display to down Melbourne 50-10 at Western Sydney Stadium.
Thomas Jenkins scored his fifth double of the new season as the Storm conceded a half century of points for the first time since 2003 in what was their biggest defeat since the 2008 grand final.
“Definitely shocked at the score line,” Ivan Cleary said in his press conference.
“We played well, I guess that’s fairly obvious.”
That’s one way of saying it.
In one of the most complete displays in recent NRL history, the Panthers scored nine tries to two, with eight different try scorers as the Panthers laid down a marker to the rest of the competition, saying they are favourite to regain the premiership in October.
The Panthers started quickly, with Liam Martin, in his 150th NRL game, scoring the opener, while replacement hooker Freddy Lussick dived over from dummy half to double the tally.
Martin scored a try in his 150th game. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
Manaia Waitere scored as the Storm — who completed at 94 per cent (34 from 36) but were limited to just 1,122 run metres compared to the Panthers’ 1,892 — buckled under the power of the Panthers defence and wilt in the face of its brilliance in attack.
The Panthers added more scores before the break though Jenkins, Nathan Cleary and a magical solo effort from Casey McLean, before Brian To’o continued where they left off by scoring immediately after the restart by rising highest to claim a cross-field Dylan Edwards kick.
Luke Garner, Edwards and Jenkins all scored to bring up the half century, while Sua Fa’alogo’s fine finish was barely a consolation.
The victory allowed the Panthers to underline just how far ahead they are of the rest of the competition, their attack harmonious and defence resolute, all the while allowing their star players the leeway to display their individual class throughout.
McLean scored a stunning try in a dominant first half for the Panthers. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
“I think this early in the season, [it’s] probably [the best we’ve been],” Nathan Cleary said in his press conference.
“The first two rounds this year were kinda clunky in attack, the last three have been really good.
“It’s nice to see our defence still being the foundation of what we do.
“I thought the last play tonight summed that up, there were seven, eight, nine guys screaming in to save a try when the score was what it was.
“I think that’s the most pleasing thing.”
For dad, Ivan, the fact that the team continues to get up for each and every week was the best part.
“I’m just stoked at the discipline the boys are showing in terms of how they come down from the game and prepare for next week,” Cleary senior said.
“And we’re getting better.”
Stephen Crichton ‘out for a while’ with AC injury
Stephen Crichton will need scans on Saturday on a suspected AC Joint injury. (AAP Image: Mark Evans)
Earlier, Stephen Crichton went off with a shoulder injury, prompting another new-look halves pairing, with halfback Sean O’Sullivan replacing him off the bench, as the Bulldogs lost 32-24 to Souths in front of a bumper Good Friday crowd at the Olympic stadium.
“It’s not looking great in there,” Cameron Ciraldo said.
“They [the medical team] are saying a high grade two, grade three possibly AC — that’s the initial thoughts on it so he’ll be out for a while.
The 44th-minute injury was a blow but, according to Canterbury coach Ciraldo: “He couldn’t have done much about that in the second half unless he could have taken the whistle off the referee.”
The Bulldogs lost the penalty count 8-2 but also completed at just 61 per cent on the back of 16 errors.
At the time their star centre went down the tunnel, Canterbury were leading 18-12 thanks to tries to Marcelo Montoya, Lachlan Galvin and Sitili Tupouniua.
But they finished the second half by completing just 40 per cent of their sets, conceding six penalties and making 12 errors.
Alex Johnson and Latrell Mitchell both scored first half tries for the Rabbitohs, who cut loose in the second half as Tallis Duncan, Cameron Murray and Mitchell all crossed in the second half, with Mitchell adding two penalty goals.
Only a late try to fullback Connor Tracey prevented Souths from keeping the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.
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Thanks for being with us
Right, we’ll wrap things up here.
Your bumper Easter weekend of NRL action continues with the Dragons taking on the Cowboys and the Titans hosts the Broncos in another Queensland derby.
The first game kicks off at 5:30pm AEDT so I hope you’ll join us for that.
For now though, it’s good night and happy Easter from me.
‘It was pretty fun’: Nathan Cleary
Andrew Johns on Channel Nine said that this was the best Penrith have ever played.
Nathan Cleary isn’t so sure.
“It’s hard to compare,” he says.
“It was pretty fun, it was enjoyable.
“It’s pretty early in the season, we’ve had some pretty great performances
“As fun as it is, we just wanna keep getting better.”
However, at this stage of the season, he says it’s “probably” the best the team have ever played.
“I think this early in the season, [it’s] probably [the best we’ve been],” he says.
“The first two rounds this year were kinda clunky in attack, the last three have been really good.
“We’ve been getting better each week,
“It’s nice to see our defence still being the foundation of what we do.
“I thought the last play tonight summed that up, there were seven, eight, nine guys screaming in to save a try when the score was what it was.
“I think that’s the most pleasing thing.
“I think a lot of the time the defence sets up your attack.”
Cleary ‘shocked’ by score line
Here are the Cleary’s, starting with coach Ivan, who was stunned by the score, if not the result.
“Definitely shocked at the score line,” he says.
“We played well, I guess that’s fairly obvious.
“I’m just stoked at the discipline the boys are showing in terms of how they come down from the game and prepare for next week.
“And we’re getting better.
“The score line is a shock.”
Ivan Cleary adds that things are going well at the moment but it’s still early.
“Things are going well. It’s early in the year,” he says.
“The boys are preparing well, they have good cohesion and it’s going well.”
Storm ‘need to look in the mirror’
Harry Grant was in the Storm press conference too.
He says that in a closer game he would have carried on playing and been assessed on the run, but given the situation he was taken off very quickly.
He also says that he’s fine.
He says that the Panthers are a very good team, but the Storm didn’t feel they were far away at times.
“They’ve got a good balance,” he says.
“They’re defending well, they scored a few tries tonight off a lot of skill.
“Across the board they look like they’re playing free.
“They scored a few tries off offloads, we just need to be a lot better about staying in the contest.
“We just switched off and gave them too many opportunities.”
He says at half time, the Storm were still in the contest.
“It felt like we came in at half time and … it felt like if we could get in the flow of the game again we could get some points again,” he says.
“Credit to them, they’re a good side.”
He then adds that the Storm will only have to look at themselves to improve.
He did smile when Craig Bellamy said the only way to recover was to work harder in training, though.
“We need to look in the mirror and look at ourselves before we look at other teams,” he said.
Panthers are ‘impressive bunch’
More from Craig Bellamy’s press conference, where he is asked whether this Penrith team are the best he’s ever faced in the NRL.
“I’d have to have a think about that,” he says.
“Its not just how they’ve started the year, it’s how they’ve won.
“They’ve been very impressive.
“They’re certainly an impressive bunch.”
How do the Storm recover from this?
“We just go a little bit harder,” Bellamy says.
“If they don’t wanna go harder, they can go and play reserve grade. That’s how we’ve always handled these things.
“We’ve just got to learn and just be better.”
Bellamy: ‘You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to be good at defence, you just have to work hard’
Here’s Craig Bellamy.
He’s asked what his thoughts are about the game and laughs.
That’s probably as good a response as any, to be honest.
“Disappointing,” he said.
“We knew we were playing a good side.
“They’re the best side in the competition.”
That being said, Bellamy is unhappy with the way the team defended.
“I was just really disappointed in our defence tonight, to let that many points in, and the way we let those points in,” he says.
“Hopefully we’ll learn from it and move on.”
He continues on the defence.
“The disappointing thing for me was our defence,” he says.
“You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to be good at defence, you just have to work hard.
“We completed our sets, that was half of it, but some of our contact tonight was poor, at best.”
Long way back for the Storm
Thanks Simon, I would like to point out a few positive aspects for the Storm………. ummm …….. ah, let’s see…… there was…. leave it with me, I’ll get back you.
– Mike
They are missing personnel, of course.
But this is a sobering defeat for the Storm.
It’s an awful long way back from here for them.
Yes, it’s just one game, but with the long-term absences that they have, it’s hard to see how they come back and present a reasonable case for a run at the premiership this year.
The fall is swift sometimes – even for the Storm.
Although I’m not confident in ruling out Craig Bellamy yet…
Storm’s biggest defeat since the 2008 grand final
They lost 40-0 to the Sea Eagles that night.
They are on another level
Thanks so much for the blog Simon. What a privilege to witness Penriths superb play tonight – an absolute treat.
– KB
FT: Penrith hammer Melbourne 50-10
It’s really hard to know how to feel when you’re watching an era of greatness.
But this Penrith team are giving us more and more reminders at their class – putting 50 on the Storm to remain unbeaten through five rounds and odds on favourites to regain their NRL premiership.
What a stunning display.
The Storm are out of form. They are missing players. But nobody expected this (except Jon Healy, who told me he expected the Storm to get “pumped” tonight – so well done him).
There are individual moments of absolute brilliance, yes.
But the team work and collective brilliance of the Panthers is on another level.
Even at the last second of the game, six, seven players converged to make a tackle to ensure the Storm wouldn’t score.
Remarkable.
Nine tries to two.
And the Storm still completed at 94 per cent.
Storm concede 50
It’s the first time in 581 NRL games.
The first time since 2003.
THAT’S how good this Penrith team are.
77′ Jenkins gets a double!
Incredible!
Tom Jenkins has scored yet another double! It his fifth consecutive double to start the year!
There was a goal line drop out forced by Sua Fa’alogo.
The Storm took it short. Jenkins got up high – no Storm players got anywhere near it.
Jenkins scoots over and scores.
The Panthers are a kick away from the half century.
The kick is good!
For the first time since 2003, 581 games, the Storm have conceded fifty!
75′ Wishart held up over the line
Tyran Wishart has a dig from dummy half and gets himself over the line.
However, there are FIVE Panthers on hand to hold him up and keep them from scoring.
72′ Panthers score another!
Perfect from the Panthers.
Nathan Cleary took the ball to the line, passed wide to Brian To’o, who got the ball back inside to Cleary again, who has options again, Dyland Edwards the lucky man who gets the pass and crosses for another score.
It’s just so good from the Panthers, exploiting every small weakness in their opponents with such ruthlessness.
The kick is good, and it’s 44-10.
71′ Storm knock on
Oh dear – the Storm had a chance there.
Dylan Edwards was out of position so the ball got kicked in behind and Joe Chan got their first but knocked the ball on.
Harry Grant says he’s OK to come back on
That’s according to Fox Sports.
I can’t imagine why they’d let him, though…
67′ Sualauvi Fa’alogo scores!
The Storm finally get to the edge in an attacking position.
They finally get the ball to Sualauvi Fa’alogo.
He beats his marker for pace and gets the ball over the line in the corner.
Lovely try for the Storm.
They got the benefit of a penalty, which was taken quickly after Nathan Cleary attempts a strip.
The kick is missed and the Storm trail 38-10.
65′ Isaiah Papali’i drops one over the line!
Jenkins does so well to make some extra metres, mazying his way through the line.
But when Isaiah Papali’i was played in at first receiver, diving over the line, he dropped it cold.
A rare mistake.
64′ Alamoti almost makes a magic score of his own
That was great from Paul Alamoti – skipping past a challenge on the right edge and then kicking ahead.
Only Tyran Wishart’s tap back denies the Panthers another try.
62′ Harry Grant is down
Oh this is not good for the Storm.
Harry Grant is down and holding his knee.
He is limping his way off the ground.
Just got himself in an awkward position in trying to make a tackle.
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