PANTHERS POUNCE ON RAIDERS IN VITAL WIN
Penrith: T Peachey 2 J Maloney J Mansour J Tamou D Watene-Zelezniak D Whare tries N Cleary 6 goals. Canberra: J Leilua 3 J Rapana E Whitehead tries S Williams 5 goals S Williams field goal. PENRITH have produced their second remarkable NRL comeback in as many weeks to outscore Canberra 40-31 in a Panthers Stadium try-fest.
The Panthers were 14 points down at halftime, 12 down midway through the second half and seven behind when Sam Williams nailed a field goal in the 67th minute.
But tries to Dallin Watene Zelezniak and Josh Mansour in the space of three minutes saved the Panthers from an insipid defensive display yesterday.
Panthers captain James Maloney sealed the win with a 78th-minute try to go with his three linebreak assists and two try assists.
The win means the Panthers remain in fifth spot but keep their top-four ambitions alive by moving to 28 points alongside fourthplaced St George Illawarra.
“It was a weird old game. Every time we’d kick or thr0w a pass, there was an intercept or they got their points,” coach Anthony Griffin said. “But second half was 28-5.”