[2024] R8 Cowboys v Panthers - Game Day Thread

2025 Game Day Archive 2024
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2024_R8

Game Day Information
:rugby_football: Match North Queensland Cowboys v Penrith Panthers
:stadium: Venue Qld Country Bank Stadium, Townsville QLD
:clock10: Time Saturday, April 27 7:35pm
:tickets: Tickets Tickets via Ticketmaster
:rugby_football: Other Matches NSWCUP New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers 27/4 10:00am*
JFLEGG New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers 27/4 8:00am*
:sun_behind_rain_cloud: Weather :full_moon: Mostly Clear 24°C (:cloud_with_rain: Chance of Rain: 17% / :wind_face: Wind: E 16km/h)
:tv: Broadcast :tv: Fox League (Channel 502) [LIVE]
:desktop_computer: NRL Live Pass [LIVE]
:kayo: Kayo Sports [LIVE]
:radio: ABC Sydney 702AM [LIVE]
:radio: 2GB Sydney 873AM [LIVE]
:radio: MMM Sydney 104.9FM [LIVE]

* NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Matches to be played at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland.

:rugby_football: Telstra Premiership | Full Time
40px Penrith Panthers 26 Tries SBrian To’o, Dylan Edwards, Paul Alamoti, Liam Martin.
Goals Nathan Cleary (5/5)
40px North Queensland Cowboys 20 Tries Semi Valemei, Valentine Holmes, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Jeremiah Nanai.
Goals Valentine Holmes (2/4)

:rugby_football: Knock On Effect NSW Cup | Full Time
40px Penrith Panthers 22 Tries Jesse McLean (2), Isaiah Iong, Trent Toelau.
Goals Jack Cole (3/4)
40px New Zealand Warriors 22 Tries Luke Hanson, Makaia Tafua, Kayliss Fatialofa.
Goals Taine Tuaupiki (5/5)

:rugby_football: Jersey Flegg Cup | Full Time
40px Penrith Panthers 20 Tries Nick Murphy (2), Jaxen Edgar, Blake Moore.
Goals Joseph Nohra (2/4)
40px New Zealand Warriors 28 Tries Robin Herbert, Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea, Alvin Chong Nee, Nganaiaiafu Vake, Motu Pasikala.
Goals Etuate Fukofuka (2/2), Sialetili Faeamani (2/2), Motu Pasikala (0/1)

Postgame Media

MATCH REPORT

PRESS CONFERENCE

HIGHLIGHTS

FULL MATCH REPLAY

PANTHER PRIDE MOTM VOTING

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Team

Telstra Premiership Knock on Effect NSW Cup Jersey Flegg Cup
:rugby_football: Cowboys v Panthers v Tigers :rugby_football: Warriors v Panthers :rugby_football: Warriors v Panthers
:clock3: Saturday 27/4 7:35pm :clock3: Saturday 27/4 10:00am :clock3: Saturday 27/4 8:00am
:stadium: QLD Country Bank Stadium :stadium: North Harbour Stadium :stadium: North Harbour Stadium
TEAM
1. Dylan Edwards 1. Isaiah Iongi 1. Jaxen Edgar
2. Sunia Turuva 2. Jesse Mclean 2. Casey Mclean
3. Izack Tago 3. Tyrone Peachey 3. Angelis Hotere-Papalii
4. Taylan May 4. Mavrik Geyer 4. Lachlan Blackburn
5. Brian To’o 5. Paul Alamoti 5. Nick Murphy
6. Jarome Luai 6. Jack Cole 6. Joseph Nohra
7. Nathan Cleary (C) 7. Trent Toelau 7. Blake Moore
8. Moses Leota 8. Preston Riki 8. John Sagaga
9. Mitch Kenny 9. Luke Sommerton 9. Billy Scott
10. James Fisher-Harris 10. Jordan Grant 10. Ahmani Leilua
11. Scott Sorensen 11. Harrison Hassett 11. Francis Manuleleua
12. Liam Martin 12. Ativalu Lisati 12. Riley Wake
13. Isaah Yeo © 13. Riley Price 13. Billy Phillips
INTERCAHNGE
14. Daine Laurie 14. Daeon Amituanai 14. Cooper Egan
15. Lindsay Smith 15. Niko Apelu 15. Jakeb Vailolo
16. Liam Henry 16. Luron Patea 16. Hokofonu Lemoto
17. Luke Garner 17. Zac Lipowicz 17. Aston Warwick
RESERVES
18. Matt Eisenhuth 18. David Fale 18. Jirah Liddiard
19. Paul Alamoti 19. Fletcher Haycock
20. Brad Schneider 20. Cooper Ferrari
21. Mavrik Geyer 21. Josh Ruxton
22. Tyrone Peachey
COACH
HC Ivan Cleary HC Ben Harden HC Jono Rolfe
AC Peter Wallace
AC Ben Garnier

:small_red_triangle::small_red_triangle_down: Promoted/Relegated | :small_orange_diamond: Positional Change

Match Officials

Telstra Premiership K.O.E NSW Cup Jersey Flegg Cup
Referee Kasey Badger Daniel Luttringer Paki Parkinson
Sideline Official Nick Morel Paki Parkinson Jack Feavers
Jarrod Cole Joseph Green Liam O’Brien
Video Referee Adam Gee - -

Referee Success Rate

Referee Active Since 2024 Overall Pen. For Pen. Against Ratio
Kasey Badger* 2023 (0/0) 100% (0/0) 100% 0 0 1.00

* First Panthers match adjudicated.

4

This is our best squad we can put on the park so we will have no excuses but Cowboys are quite an odd team.

First couple of games they looked like worldbeaters but since then have fallen into a heap.

They can score points and fast as well so our challenge will be to hold them out for the first 20 minutes.

If we can get through the first 20 to 30 minutes points will come for us and we will win.
Cleary is key of course and how he returns is key for us, just hope he is fully fit and we haven’t brought him back too soon.

If he is fully fit we will win going away but Cowboys would have been embarrassed by last weeks loss and will be dangerous especially given its at home which is why is important to keep them shut out for the first 20 to 30 minutes.

They are the ones under immense pressure and this will hit them hard if we can start to put points on them, they will fall apart.

sounds easy but we need to execute our game plan and take the crowd out of the game along with the risk of dubious ref calls.

Of course it is key for us to perform at our best and to see a much better cohesive effort from our entire squad.

Cleary is key.

1 Like
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Anyone know where Soni Luke is…is he injured or completely out of favour?

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No info on Luke. I don’t see much option for him in 1st grade. With way way Kenny is being used, successfully, he is basically on 80 min guy now, so no opportunity for a 2nd D/H, just a utility like Laurie.

1 Like
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Not happy with the ref, she will not keep up and as such there will be some ridiculous penalties given so she can catch her breath.

8

A strong start from cows, yet we hold our own in defense, and end up with a nice lead at half time.

Alamoti is something special, makes Cleary’s decision to have him play instead of Turuva look like a master stroke.

Edwards is sublime.

Let’s not get cocky, get through our sets and get this job done.

1 Like
9

Very tradesman like game from the Panthers. Our defence has held up under pressure, and we have taken our chances. Alomoti’s intercept try would have broken the Cowboys hearts. That might just have put the game out of reach for them.

10

Our decision to use our challenge early almost cost us the game. If we still had the challenge when Edwards knocked on, that probably would have been overturned, and Cowboys wouldn’t have got on a roll, getting back into the game.

Despite the score, our defence was good. With so much possession & field position against us, letting in only 4 tries is a good indication of how good we are defensively.

I have to question why we didn’t take the field goal in the last 5 minutes to wrap up the game?

2 Likes
11

Gee the refs tried hard to give the cowboys a leg up.

A mountain of work in defence.

Will Turuva be back? Alamoti doesn’t look out of place and has only had 2? games

Bit rusty at times, but quite a few changes so to be expected.

Good to get the two and onto next week

4 Likes
12

Well glad we held on to win, a great defensive effort.

Yes, I thought Cleary took the wrong option twice in the last 5 minutes, when he should have gone for the field goal. Glad it didn’t come back to bite us.

Haven’t seen the stats yet, but I reckon we didn’t see any more than 30% of the possession in the second half, which speaks volumes of our effort.

No poor players in our side. Edwards for mine was an obvious standout. Some of Kenny’s defensive efforts set us up for the win.

I think this will be a real confidence building game, I feel we are looking good for this season.

2 Likes
13

Apparently we had 44% possession. Not sure if I believe that!!!

2 Likes
14

:mega: Panther Pride Man of the Match voting is now open here.

15

The game played out as suggested.
Cleary the coach spoke on something in the presser which we haven’t seen often but when we hit 24-4 we slacked off and almost got our pants pulled down.

On the merit of our win, we had less possession, more six agains, more penalties and the worst ref calls but still got the job done.

I am bitterly disappointed by their 20 as would the Coach but we got the 2 points which at this time of year is key.

On the team, Edwards is really maturing into a world class player and you can see how he is verbalising to his team mates.

Too returned to form and Alamotti despite a couple of mistakes which he will learn from had a good game.

Nathan looked like he needed last nights run as he was average in defence and some of his kicks in general play were not what we have come to expect from him.

That being said i think we missed Leota big time last time, we struggled to bend them in attack, we were tradesman like but we just weren’t creating time and space for the backs.JFH just doesn’t look right to me although he did bigger minutes last night.

and maybe there is more on the Turuva change but Alamotti did well.

Importantly our defensive system held up well despite a ref effort which was close to abysmal.

On that, its odd how the bunker can “whisper” to the ref about something in general play but a blatant strip on Edwards goes un noticed. Let alone the Cowboys wrestling us in every tackle, so much so our players were still trying to remove them even when playing the ball. Cowboys players were Klingon’s and it was allowed, yet we were being held in tackle namely by Feldt and we get penalised.

I had a bit of time for Badger but last night she was horrible, let alone all the “conversations” she was having with Cowboys players in breaks of play.

The NRL should ban this from any player and or ref…IF there is a conversation the opposing Captain should be called in to listen and respond.

anyway, we got the chocolates but will need to improve big time.

Get home and get ready for a Souths squad who will be wounded and dangerous.

3 Likes
16

I wondering if the resting of Leota and Sorro may be Cleary’s long game thinking reading the short turnaround?

1 Like
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Agree, and i called it, this was so obvious. What about that play the ball that had to be re-done 3 times for a foot variance…that extra 5 seconds to an athlete is everything. Kasey obviously used her position to accommodate her needs. NC came off and said he was gassed and lungs were burning, imagine how she felt. It’s not right!

2 Likes
18

Leota maybe, but Sorro has already missed a few games, so I doubt he was rested. Would have been better off resting Garner if that was the plan

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