PANTHERS: 1.Matt MOYLAN 2.Josh MANSOUR 3.Dean WHARE 4.Jamal IDRIS 5.Dallin WATENE-ZELEZNIAK 6.Will SMITH 7.Jamie SOWARD 8.Nigel PLUM 9.James SEGEYARO 10.Sam MCKENDRY 11.Sika MANU 12.Matt ROBINSON 13.Adam DOCKER
INTERCHANGE: 14. Lewis BROWN, 15. Ben MURDOCH-MASILA, 16. Jeremy LATIMORE, 17. Tim GRANT
STORM: 1. Billy SLATER 2. Sisa WAQA 3. William CHAMBERS 4. Mahe FONUA 5. Marika KOROIBETE 6. Ben ROBERTS 7. Cooper CRONK 8. Jesse BROMWICH 9. Cameron SMITH (c) 10. Bryan NORRIE 11. Kevin PROCTOR 12. Ryan HOFFMAN 13. Ryan HINCHCLIFFE
INTERCHANGE: 14. Tim GLASBY, 15. Tohu HARRIS, 16. Junior MOORS, 17. Jordan MCLEAN
The Penrith Panthers will be in search of their fourth straight win this week when they take on the Melbourne Storm on Monday night at Sportingbet Stadium.
This match will be an important one for both teams in terms of the fight for top four positions. The Panthers currently sit in 3rd position on 32 points, whilst the Storm are two spots back in 5th on 28 points, trying to edge their way into the top half of the top eight.
Whilst both teams are coming off wins last weekend, the way in which each of the sides won was very different. For the Panthers, they came out victorious in a tough fought battle against the North Queensland Cowboys following another Matt Moylan field goal in the final minutes of the game. In contrast, the Melbourne storm put in an impressive performance against the Cronulla Sharks which saw them win 48-6.
The last time that these two teams met was back in round 2, where in an exciting clash, the Storm came out on top due to two Cooper Cronk field goals which led them to an 18-17 victory down in Melbourne. To avenge this loss and square the ledger, the Panthers will need another big crowd on Monday night to take full advantage of the home game.
Whilst both teams have an abundance of talent and excitement in the backline, it is the clash of the forwards that is sure to provide a spectacle for fans this week. Players like Jesse Bromwich, Kevin Proctor and Ryan Hoffman have been in great form for the Storm, as have the entire Panthers forward pack, who have stepped up recently after the loss of experienced players like Elijah Taylor and Brent Kite.
Key Match Ups
Matt Moylan v Billy Slater: Whilst Slater has been showing fans what he can do for years now, Matt Moylan has stepped up this year, having a break out year of sorts after debuting last season. Both of these players are brilliant in attack and are sure to entertain on the night.
Sam McKendry v Jesse Bromwich: The clash between these two big New Zealand front rowers will be a tough one as Bromwich has been in career best form and Mckendry will be out for a big game to celebrate his contract extension during the week. Both will be aiming to get their teams on the front foot from the opening kick off.
