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Penrith were well below their best and the Gold Coast put in one of their better performances for the season but the premiers were still too good.
The Titans gave the Panthers an almighty fright at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday night and with the Broncos resting up with a guaranteed two points from the bye this round, Ivan Cleary’s troops at times looked in danger of slipping up in the race for the minor premiership.
But after sealing a 40-14 victory, their eighth on the trot, heading into the final two rounds and with Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds already ruled out of next week’s clash with Canberra due to a calf injury, the Panthers are well placed to maintain their stranglehold on top spot heading into the finals.
Titans young gun Jayden Campbell is unlikely to play again this year after limping off with a non-contact knee injury with club officials hopeful scans will clear him of an ACL tear.
Jarome Luai. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said there was “lots to like” in the win even though they were nowhere near their peak.
The tone for the match was set in the second minute when Titans forward Klese Haas cut through the Penrith defence for a rousing individual try.
Penrith hit back via Dylan Edwards then skipped to the lead in lucky circumstances with Isaah Yeo crashing over despite Jarome Luai appearing to fumble the Steeden before the play-the-ball that led to the lock’s try.
Tyrone Peachey was denied a try due to an imperfect putdown midway through the first half but opposing centre Aaron Schoupp was marched for tackling Zac Hosking without the ball in the lead-up.
Peachey made amends a couple of minutes later by strolling through the gap in the defensive line that Schoupp had left vacant.
When young winger Tom Jenkins – deputising for Brian To’o – touched down just before the break, Penrith led 22-6 and it looked like they would cruise to victory on the Glitter Strip.
The brilliance of Penrith never ceases to amaze us! ????
But the home side ensured it was no working holiday for the visitors with Alofiana Khan-Pereira and David Fifita exposing some uncharacteristically lazy Penrith right-edge defence to cut the gap to eight with half an hour to play.
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“That was a tough period for sure … we opened the door for them and they were good enough to step through it and then they just got a bunch of possession, and they’re dangerous,” he said.
“For us to hold tough for that period and score next … it was a key moment of the game. (It was) a bit up and down, but lots to like and just getting a win at the moment is pleasing.”
Gold Coast were the better team over the middle stages of the second half but when Edwards streaked over for his second try in the 65th minute after a Stephen Crichton break and Liam Martin grabbed a try of his own a short time later, the contest was effectively over.
Martin provided Crichton with a well-deserved try late in the piece to blow the final scoreline out to a 26-point margin which greatly flattered the Panthers.
The Titans had nothing to play for after their faint finals chances were quashed the previous week by Cronulla but they showed the kind of all-round resilience which would have beaten most teams in the NRL.
To’o, Scott Sorensen and Mitch Kenny were late withdrawals for Penrith and Ivan Cleary insisted they were all injured rather than rested.
Kiwi international James Fisher-Harris might have a red line put through his availability whether he likes it or not next week after he was penalised for a hip-drop tackle which is likely to attract a charge from the match review committee.
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Apart from Campbell’s knee problem, utility back Phil Sami suffered a foot injury so he is unlikely to be sighted again in 2023.
“Obviously we’re gonna have to get it scanned, hopefully it might be just a (dislocated) kneecap, which will probably be a best case situation,” Titans coach Jim Lenihan said.
“There was a bit of fear it could have been an ACL but obviously we’ll have to just see what happens with scans but fingers crossed.
“We’re still not happy with the fact we still had 40 (points) put on us at the back-end. We might have excuses and they’re a very good side but we’ve got to keep evolving ourselves and keep working hard.”
