The inaugural Panthers Women's team celebrated a 26-16 win over the Bulldogs at BEST Hub on Saturday to round out their historic season.
An immense effort saw the Panthers score five tries and defend bravely, overcoming a feisty Bulldogs outfit and hot conditions in a fiery clash.
The Panthers conceded the opening try in a scrappy start, but overpowered the Bulldogs on either side of half-time.
Jade Elford brought the Panthers to life in the 25th minute with an impressive solo effort, fooling the Bulldogs goal-line defence with a dummy and then muscling her way to the stripe.
Chelsea Blankenstein's conversion pushed the Panthers ahead 6-4.
Georgia Edwards extended the Panthers advantage ahead of half-time when she beat the Bulldogs defence with a show-and-go before brushing off the fullback to score.
The Panthers hit the ground running in the second half, as Naomi De Bruine scored her second try in two weeks with Penrith's first possession. She charged onto an inside ball by Kahu Cassidy and powered across next to the uprights.
The Bulldogs hit back to make it 16-10 midway through the half, but their momentum was halted when a player was sin-binned for striking.
Moments later, the Panthers returned to a 12-point lead when Chloe Pallisier pounced from dummy half and burrowed through the defence to score.
The Bulldogs quickly hit back for a 22-16 scoreline with 9 minutes remaining, before tensions boiled over once again and both teams had a player sin-binned.
The Panthers had the last laugh, sealing victory with the final play of the game when a left-edge shift saw Abbie Grant send Natalia Webb over in the corner.
The win sees the historic team end their season in 9th place with a 3-2-6 record, laying a strong foundation for the future of Panthers Women's Rugby League.
FULL-TIME: Panthers 26 def. Bulldogs 16
Tries: Jade Elford (25'), Georgia Edwards (31'), Naomi De Bruine (36'), Chloe Pallisier (55'), Natalia Webb (68')
Goals: Chelsea Blankenstein (3/5)
Line-Up: 1. Brooke Wilkins, 2. Jacinta Tui, 3. Litia Fusi, 4. Natalia Webb, 5. Chelsea Blankenstein, 6. Claudia Bush, 7. Jade Elford, 8. Oriana Epati, 9. Chloe Pallisier, 10. Loreen Luamanuvae, 11. Abbie Grant, 12. Harmony Covacich, 13. Kahu Cassidy (c)
Bench: 14. Naomi De Bruine, 15. Jae Patu, 17. Ruthie Aunei-Mose, 20. Georgia Edwards, 21. Danica Talitonu
