The Panthers SG Ball and Harold Matthews squads experienced mixed results in trial games against Parramatta at Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown, on Friday and Saturday.
The SG Ball encounter on Friday night saw the Panthers claim victory by a margin of five tries to two, while the Harold Matts Panthers were on the wrong end of a 14 tries to five result on Saturday.
The Panthers produced a strong defensive performance to defeat the Eels in the SG Ball clash, with Jeremiah Trindall scoring a double, while Ethan Clarke-Wood, Jordan Eshman and Charlie Staines also crossed the line.
Despite a number of early try-scoring opportunities, the Eels were held to nil in the opening 25 minutes as Trindall, Staines, Zac Cini and Hayden Bonnano each produced magnificent try-saving tackles.
The Panthers would eventually convert their courageous defensive efforts into points, with centre Clarke-Wood pouncing on a deft Bonnano grubber to open the scoring in the closing moments of the first third.
Carrying momentum into the second 25-minute period, the Panthers quickly extended their lead as hooker Dylan White punished a piece of lazy goal-line defence by Parramatta, sending prop Eshman over the try line with a short ball.
Trindall darted over from dummy half to score Penrith’s third try in the closing stages of the second period.
While the Eels crossed for a pair of tries in the final third, the Panthers wrapped up victory with Trindall bagging his second try.
Staines then iced the result as he latched onto a Bailey Wyatt offload to score in the corner on the cusp on fulltime.
Panthers SG Ball coach Jamie O'Keefe and Harold Matts coach Kyle Churchill now face the task of trimming their respective squads ahead of trial games against Wests this weekend.
