PANTHERS v WESTS TIGERS
Leichardt Oval
Sunday, 6th July
Kickoff: 11am
TEAMS
PANTHERS: 1. Will SMITH, 2. Eto NABULI, 3. Waqa BLAKE, 4. Wes NAIQAMA, 5. Tom EISENHUTH, 6. Tom HUMBLE, 7. Luke CAPEWELL, 8. Reagan CAMPBELL-GILLARD, 9. Kevin KINGSTON (c), 10. Tim GRANT, 11. Ben MURDOCH-MASILA, 12. Matt ROBINSON, 13. Ryan SIMPKINS
INTERCHANGE: 14. Vaipuna TIA KILIFI, 15. Liam AYOUB, 16. Anthony CHERRINGTON, 17. TBA
WESTS TIGERS: 1. Jy HITCHCOX, 2. Corey BROWN, 3. Asipeli FINE, 4. Setefano TAUKAFA, 5. Daniel ABOU-SLEIMAN, 6. Mitchell MOSES, 7. Michael STEVENS, 8. James GAVET, 9. Dayne CRAIG, 10. Michael BULLOCK, 11. Brendan SANTI, 12. Jarred FARLOW (c), 13. Kyle LOVETT
INTERCHANGE: 14. Nathan BROWN, 15. Andy FIAGATUSA, 16. Sam HOLLIS, 17. Inno INOSESIO, 18. Sonny BRISTOW
The Panthers will have to step it up a few notches this weekend when they take on Wests Tigers in the NSW Cup clash at Leichardt Oval.
Both sides have climbed their way up the ladder over the last couple of months, and despite a loss to Mounties in the dying minutes last weekend, the Tigers are proving to be a force to be reckoned with this season. They have won five of their last six outings and are the in-form team heading into the back end of the year.
Penrith on the other hand, have managed to come away with the two points each week, but haven’t been performing at their best and have had some very close calls. There is a plethora of first grade experience in the side that they haven’t been utilising lately, and their opponents have been taking full advantage.
Coach Garth Brennan has been forced to make a few changes to his side this week to accommodate players selected in the NSW Residents team to take on Queensland in the Origin III curtain raiser next Wednesday night.
Waqa Blake, Sam Anderson and Isaah Yeo will all be in camp this weekend, which sees Tom Eisenhuth come onto the wing and Reagan Campbell-Gillard move into the starting front row. And there is still a bit of shuffling to come as we finalise our bench.
The Tigers side looks a little different this week as well, with several players called up to first grade to fill some injury vacancies. But they have still be able to name a relatively strong side with plenty of experience, and they won’t let us get away with the mistakes we’ve been making in the last few games.
The last time these two sides me, the Panthers beat the Tigers 22-14 in front of a home crowd at Sportingbet Stadium, and they’ll be keen for a repeat performance on Sunday.
