Panthers in eight as Tigers trouble

PENRITH have moved into the NRL top eight after crawling to a nervous 28-14 win over Wests Tigers at Pepper Stadium.

The match was in the balance until Panthers winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored in the corner to hand his side a six-point lead in the 74th minute. Playing in his first match against his dad, Tigers coach Ivan Cleary, Panthers No.7 Nathan Cleary then nailed the sideline conversion to kick his team out beyond a converted try. Five-eighth Tyrone May sealed his team’s fifth straight victory with a try in the final minutes, lifting the Panthers past fading St George Illawarra into eighth spot on the ladder with four games to go in the regular season. With a 19-5 advantage in plays inside the opposition 20-metre zone in the second half, a highly-strung Panthers had trouble putting the Tigers away in front of the healthy 15,170 home crowd.

But the weight of possession told on the tiring Tigers, and the blow came when Panthers forward Corey Harawira-Naera set up Watene- Zelezniak.

For the gallant Tigers, the loss means they remain in a battle with Newcastle to avoid the wooden spoon.