Good afternoon and welcome to the Game. Should be a cracker. Can Penrith avenge last years loss in the Semi Final (Pre-match)
Penrith’s squad is largely unchanged from last year but they welcome in a few rookies in the way of George Jennings on the wing and Campbell-Gillard on the bench (Pre-match)
Bulldogs welcome Brett Morris at fullback and Michael Lichaa at hooker (Pre-match)
And Rona to the wing. Will be interesting if the Morris twins can spur each other into a try scoring frenzy (Pre-match)
Will also be interesting to to see how Lichaa goes, a very popular fantasy player who looks almost certain to play the full 80 today (Pre-match)
Aidan Tolman leads the Dogs out for his 150th game (Pre-match)
Lafai kicks off to the Southern end and we are away (Pre-match)
Panthers complete first set without error (Pre-match)
Big hit from Kite on Tolman (Pre-match)
JWZ collects a kick 10m out from the line (Pre-match)
Great first touch for Jennings and wins a penalty (Pre-match)
Panthers have it just in Dogs territory (Pre-match)
Wallace kicks for JWZ and Rona knocks on. Panthers scrum in great field position 10 out (Pre-match)
Soward kicks for Jennings and Perret losses it over the touch line. Another Panthers scrum 10m out (Pre-match)
Rona does well on DWZ who losses ball and Bulldogs get the ball (Pre-match)
40 -20 to Reynolds and doggies look to attack in great position 15m out (Pre-match)
TRex crashes through Wallace and offloads but DWZ is collected in goals. Drop out for Panthers (Pre-match)
Knock on Graham, pass from Lichaa not a good one (Pre-match)
Panthers working it out of own territory (Pre-match)
Wallace puts it high and BMoz takes it easily (Pre-match)
Great shot from Kite on Graham (Pre-match)
Jennings collect the Reynolds kick and is tackled 21m out from own line (Pre-match)
Wallace cuts out to Jennings who makes a half break and looks to be taken in a Crusher Tackle by Jackson. Refs having a closer look (Pre-match)
Jennings gets up gingerly but stays on the field (Pre-match)
Jackson on report for Crusher tackle (Pre-match)
Penrith score through DWZ. Great hands by Moylan and Whare able to find space down the line for DWZ (Pre-match)
Soward nails it. Panthers lead 6 nil (Pre-match)
Moylan collects the Hodkinson kick and beats 3 before being tackled. Great start to the set (Pre-match)
Brave take by Perret on the Wallace kick that was a tad shallow (Pre-match)
Moylan can’t beat any this kick return deep in Panthers territory (Pre-match)
Soward kicks for touch to give his forwards a breather. Canterbury feed 17m from line (Pre-match)
Panthers looking more dangerous in attack, Dogs going the motions (Pre-match)
Penalty Dogs and Hopkinson finds touch half way (Pre-match)
Trex again running over defenders, looking strong early (Pre-match)
Doggies kick too long, Panthers 20m restart (Pre-match)
Peggy getting the offload going early (Pre-match)
Seggy* (Pre-match)
Perret collects the high ball well. Looking safe (Pre-match)
Hodkinson sends a big kick long which is returned by DWZ (Pre-match)
There is a bit of push of shove after the DWZ play the ball. Unconfirmed reports of punch by Jackson, Refs are looking at closer (Pre-match)
Penalty vs DWZ for instigating the push and shove. Jackson found not guilty (Pre-match)
Bulldogs in great field position will be looking to capitilise (Pre-match)
TRex puts in a grubber which goes too deep. Panthers restart (Pre-match)
Klemmer and Kasiano about to come on (Pre-match)
Jennings losses the ball, Dogs get the ball 4m short of halfway (Pre-match)
Penalty Penrith in good field position but choose to take the quick tap rather than the points (Pre-match)
TRY Jennings (Pre-match)
Set play with wrap around with Seggy and Latimore who found Soward who executed the perfect cut out to the chest of Jennings. (Pre-match)
Soward slots the convertion and its 12 zip to the Panthers (Pre-match)
Penalty to Dogs late in the tackle count vs Wallace (Pre-match)
Trex losses the ball, Panthers ball (Pre-match)
Jennings beats a handful of players in another great run (Pre-match)
Bulldogs get the ball after the Penrith set. Pritchard on the field (Pre-match)
Reynolds throws a blatant forward pass during a promising attacking raid. Penalty Panthers (Pre-match)
Sam Perret forces a poor pass from Cartwright and doggies retain possesion (Pre-match)
Klemmer knocks on. Panthers ball 10m in Dogs territory. (Pre-match)
Penalty for high tackle on Seggy. Looks like a stray arm AND LEG from Reynolds. Penalty only (Pre-match)
Panthers get another penalty 6m out vs Kasiano (Pre-match)
Lovely kick by Cartwright and Jennings just miss out but Panthers get another penalty for late tackle against Reynolds….again (Pre-match)
Panthers opting for the 2 (Pre-match)
No mistake by Soward and Panthers lead 14nil (Pre-match)
Siren sounds in background and Panthers head to the shed with a good lead. Panthers looking good attack with 8 offloads. Bulldogs looking very placid with only 63% completion rate (Pre-match)
George Jennings is having a dream debut with a try, 4 tackle breaks and a line break to his name. Lichaa not so much with 20 tackles, NO attacking stats and looking a little overwhelmed early (Pre-match)
Aiden Tolman working hard with 23 tackles and 11 runs for 77m. Soward also looking slick with a line break assist, try assist, 9 tackles and is 3/3 with the boot (Pre-match)
Moylan gets us under way in the 2nd half (Pre-match)
Moylan takes the Reynolds kick and is tackled 25m out (Pre-match)
try seggy! (Pre-match)
Great offload from Bryce Cartwright standing in the tackle that finds Seggy who throws a dummy and looks up to find space up the middle and races away for the try (Pre-match)
Soward converts and its 20 nil (Pre-match)
Campbell-Gillard with a few strong runs in the set (Pre-match)
Penalty to Dogs who find touch 10m short of halfway (Pre-match)
Reynolds puts in a hurried kicked swooped on by Soward (2H 44:46)
Error by Jennings who losses it cold. Dogs ball 22m out Panthers line (2H 45:48)
Another forward pass by Reynolds who continues to dissapoint during the game (2H 46:44)
Poor body language and talk on the field by Dogs who look like they may be in for a long afternoon (2H 47:43)
Soward kicks on the 4th great chase by Panthers who stifle BMoz 1m from the try line (2H 48:38)
Tolman off the field (2H 48:38)
Seggy another clean break from dummy half but Idris unable to get away form defence (2H 49:42)
try dwz (2H 49:42)
DWZ takes the Soward kick before the try line who was able to spin out of the Rona tackle and crashes over the line. 24 nil (2H 50:31)
Soward misses. Score remains 24 NIL (2H 51:09)
Hodkinson losses the ball and Seggy makes good metres. Lafai with a one on one strip and Doggies end up with the ball (2H 52:56)
Penalty vs Soward and Dogs find touch 10m in Penrith territory (2H 54:13)
JMoz caught with the ball on the 5th and its a handover. Doggies again not threatening in attack (2H 54:50)
Moylan with a great take on the doggies kick under enormous pressure on the half volley. Great skills (2H 56:26)
Panthers find touch 10m from Doggies line and Canterbury looking tired making their way to the scrum (2H 57:14)
Good break by Bmoz but only Eastwood in support who didn’t have the legs (2H 58:01)
DWZ able to intercept in following set. Doggies unable to build any sort of pressure (2H 58:01)
Soward attempts 40/20 to no avail. Doggies make their way out 10m form line (2H 59:03)
Penalty vs Peachey for high tackle vs Reynolds, this should help their cause (2H 59:03)
Jackson scoots form dummy half and is bundled over the sideline. Great defence by Panthers (2H 60:17)
Lichaa managed an offload in previous set for first attacking stat (2H 60:47)
Soward puts up the cross field kick and penalty vs Dogs for playing the man without the ball. Another great opportunity for Panthers who will be hard to stop 20m from line (2H 62:47)
A great passage of passing but the pass from Moylan to Jennings ruled forward (2H 64:28)
Penalty against Seggy for shoulder charge on Graham (2H 65:08)
Tim Browne TRY! (2H 66:17)
Finally the Doggies fans have something to cheer about with a good set play which say some nice ball playing by the forwards (2H 67:27)
Conversion succesful 24 – 6 (2H 68:40)
Finally a bit of spark in attack by the Dogs who win a penalty deep in Panthers territory (2H 70:48)
TRY Rona (2H 70:48)
And in a massive swing in momentum Doggies making easy metres up the middle and looking to offload and keep the ball alive. A lovely pass by Hopkinson found Rona in space (2H 71:32)
Hodkinson converts and 24 – 12 and Doggies have a sniff (2H 71:32)
Kasiano with an offload found BMoz who’s subsequent pass was ruled forward and a great opportunity goes begging. Doggies very keen to pack the scrum and must feel they are still in the game (2H 72:35)
Next points will be very telling in this match (2H 72:35)
Promising attacking raid ends in an intercept by Perret. They have 80m to travel and need 2 converted tries to level scores (2H 74:43)
Doggies kick taken by DWZ who makes good metres on the return. Panthers will be looking to go deep in Doggies territory (2H 75:31)
BMoz ? TRY (2H 76:17)
Refs going upstairs. Lewis Brown losing the ball for the Panthers and Morris twins capitilise (2H 77:12)
try! (2H 77:12)
Hodkinson converts and its 24 – 18 with 3min 7 sec to go (2H 77:12)
Rona gets the ball off the short kick off (2H 77:12)
Josh Morris down for Dogs (2H 77:31)
Looks like an ankle injury but gives the thumbs up and stays on the field (2H 77:31)
Panthers defending for the game (2H 77:31)
21m out on 4th tackle (2H 77:54)
Hodkinson kick goes high and DWZ KNOCKS ON! (2H 77:54)
Graham at 5/8, Williams and Jackson also in backline (2H 78:17)
1min 38 left (2H 78:17)
Doggies going side to side (2H 79:03)
12m out with 1 min to go (2H 79:03)
Rona tackled 2m out 1 tackle to go (2H 79:03)
Canterbury kick knocked on by Dogs and surely Panthers have the game now (2H 79:16)
Penrith win in a thrilling finish 24 -18 (2H 79:16)
WOW! After dominating for 60mins of the game and leading 24 nil, Penrith almost let the game slip. (2H 80:00)
Doggies were looking underwhelming in attack for most of the game but finally found some spark late in the game but just ran out of time and Panthers were able to hold on (2H 80:00)
B Morris was a shining light along with Graham who always has a great work rate. Both halves were disappointing for the Dogs (2H 80:00)
Seggy was the star for Panthers along with Jennings who had a great debut. Soward looked great in the first half but fell away in the 2nd. Moylan and DWZ looked sharp. (2H 80:00)
DWZ was let down by 3 errors (2H 80:00)
A tentative debut by Lichaa who managed 37 tackles but little in attack (2H 80:00)
Next Stop Shark Park (Remondis Stadium) for Sharks vs Canberra. Have a great evening (2H 80:00)
