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.Kevin KINGSTON 10.Sam MCKENDRY 11.Sika MANU 12.Matt ROBINSON 13.Adam DOCKER
INTERCHANGE: 14. Lewis BROWN, 15. Jeremy LATIMORE, 16. Ben MURDOCH-MASILA, 17. Tim GRANT
SEA EAGLES: 1. Brett STEWART 2. Jorge TAUFUA 3. Jamie LYON (c) 4. Steve MATAI 5. Peta HIKU 6.Kieran FORAN 7. Daly CHERRY-EVANS 8. Josh STARLING 9.Matt BALLIN 10. Brenton LAWRENCE 11. Anthony WATMOUGH 12. Tom SYMONDS 13. Jamie BUHRER
INTERCHANGE: 14. Jesse SENE-LEFAO 15. Justin HORO 16. James HASSON 17. Jason KING
This week, the Penrith Panthers’ fight for a top four position on the ladder continues when they travel to Brookvale Oval on Sunday to take on the current ladder leaders the Manly Sea Eagles.
This is another crucial game for the Penrith boys, as they look to bounce back from a tough loss at the hands of the Storm on Monday Night, in what was an early taste of finals football. They will experience a finals-like atmosphere this weekend at Brookvale, taking on a side that is also looking to bounce back after a shock loss to the Parramatta Eels last weekend.
This Round 25 encounter will be the first time that these two teams have met this year, and both sets of forward packs will be looking to get on top early to assert dominance. Both boast plenty of size and power, with the Panthers starting front rowers Sam Mckendry and Nigel Plum in good form, coming up against the likes of Josh Starling and Brenton Lawrence who have been impressive for the Sea Eagles this year.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they will again be forced to showcase the depth at the club due to the suspension of Jeremy Latimore and the injury to Kevin Kingston. Replacements have yet to be named but with all three grades going strong at this time of the year, the club has the luxury of having in-form players to call in to the side.
For Manly, their backline has been a dominant one for the last few seasons and the Penrith boys will need to be on their game to shut down the likes of Steve Matai, Brett Stewart and Kieran Foran.
Manly will also have extra motivation for this clash as they look to farewell retiring forward Jason King from Brookvale Oval, which is sure to increase crowd numbers. Therefore, it is important that as many Penrith fans and members get out this Sunday to support the boys in their quest for a top four spot.
KEY MATCH UPS
Jamal Idris v Jamie Lyon: This battle in the centres is sure to be an exciting one for the fans. Idris, one of the biggest and most powerful centres in the game takes on Jamie Lyon, one of the most reliable centres in the game over the past five years.
Jamie Soward v Daly Cherry Evans: As with most games, the battle of the halfbacks is a crucial one, and its especially the case in this game with both of these players having the ability to steer their teams to victory as well as produce individual brilliance.
