Round 9 NRL Preview: Panthers v Storm
Friday 4 May 2012 4:27 PM
Penrith Panthers v Melbourne Storm
Round 9, 2012 NRL Premiership
Saturday, May 5, 2012
NRL Kick-Off 7:30pm, NYC Kick-Off 5:15pm
Centrebet Stadium
Referees: Steve Lyons/Henry Perenara
ROUND 9 GAME PREVIEW
Coming In To Round 9
Penrith Panthers are 0-4 in their last four games, and are coming off a 34-14 loss to the Knights.
They have averaged 7 ppg since Round 5, and have conceded 27.2 ppg in that period.
They sit 14th on the competition ladder, 4 points out of the Top 8.
Melbourne Storm are 4-0 in their last four games, and are coming off a 32-14 victory over the Warriors.
They have averaged 30 ppg since Round 5, and have conceded 15 ppg in that period.
They sit 1st on the competition ladder, 2 points clear of the Broncos.
Last Time They Met
Round 22, 2011 - Watch game highlights of the Panthers v Storm clash last season.
Last 10 Games - Panthers 1, Storm 9.
The Storm are going for 10 in-a-row, with the Panthers last win coming in June, 2005.
Check back on
http://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/ later this week for a tasty Head to Head feature on Cameron Ciraldo v Kevin Proctor.
Team Changes and Late Mail
Find all the Panthers Team and Injury News from Tuesday and full Round 8 Lineup here.
Penrith Panthers
L Coote, D Simmons, M Jennings, G Daniela, B Tighe, B Austin, L Walsh, S McKendry, T Burns, D Weston, C Ciraldo, D Galea, L Lewis (c).
Bench:R Simpkins, D Weston, C Newton, M Robinson, C Armit.
Melbourne Storm
B Slater, M Duffie, D Nielsen, W Chambers, A Quinn, G Widdop, C Cronk, J Bromwich, C Smith (c), B Norrie, K Proctor, R Hoffman, T Lowrie.
Bench: R Hinchcliffe, R Kostjasyn, S Vave, J Ryles, A Quinn, J Lowe.
Bottom Line
Coming off their fourth straight loss, Round 9 is the ultimate test for the Penrith Panthers who face the undefeated Melbourne Storm at Centrebet Stadium.
The Penrith men will have to overcome a horrible record which has seen them lose their past nine matches against the competition front-runners, including their tough loss last year after being tied at 6-6 half time.
Not making the task any easier is the mounting injury toll the Panthers suffered on Monday night, with Luke Walsh, Michael Jennings captain Luke Lewis all under serious injury clouds.
However, Panthers home fans will be looking to get right behind their troops at home, in what is one of the most passionate support bases in the NRL.
The Storm are on-fire, and unlike the Panthers, are basically injury free with the return of Todd Lowrie. The Melbourne men will be looking to capitalise on their pre-Origin games knowing a tough stretch faces them when the State v State battle commences on 23rd May.
Whilst the Melbourne Storm deserve all their early favouritism in this clash, the Panthers know how important this game is for their season. They may be wounded, but they’re not out - look for a bounce back performance!
How do you see the Panthers v Storm match playing out this Saturday? Will you be there? Let us know in the comments below.