TEAMS
PANTHERS: 1. Corey HARAWIRA-NAERA, 2. Josh JAY, 3. Brent NADEN, 4. Peter TIA TIA, 5. Eddie AIONO, 6. Jarrod BRACKENHOFER, 7. Sam SCARLETT, 8. Andy SAUNDERS, 9. Sione KATOA, 10. Atonio PELESASA, 11. Chris SMITH, 12. Dave COWHAN, 13. Brendan ATTWOOD
INTERCHANGE: 14. Josh TANGITAU, 15. James FISHER-HARRIS, 16. Moses LEOTA, 17. Jordan HALL
ROOSTERS: 1. Latrell MITCHELL, 2. Joseph MANU, 3. Paul MOMIROVSKI, 4. Taane MILNE, 5. Jack GOODSELL, 6. Tyler CORNISH (vc), 7. Jackson HASTINGS, 8. Jokatama DOKONIVALU, 9. Alex THOMAS (c), 10. Willis MEEHAN, 11. Vincent LEULUAI, 12. Jake LEWIS, 13. Jakiel MARINER
INTERCHANGE: 14. Grant GARVEY, 15. Mitch MAMARY, 16. Piki ROGERS, 17. Harry VANDERHART, 18. Braden UELE
This is a big game for the Panthers Under 20’s side who had a big win over the Broncos on Monday, and will be looking for another solid performance against the Roosters tomorrow at Allianz Stadium.
After a string of losses, Trent Barrett’s boys put 50 points on the board against Brisbane, showing they are still serious top 8 contenders as the finals season draws closer.
We won’t have young superstar Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the side this week, but we will still have a full strength side to run out against Sydney, who are sitting in 6th spot on the Holden Cup ladder.
Captain Andy Saunders is officially back after a couple of weeks on the sideline with injury, and Corey Harawira-Naera returns to the fullback position playing in the centres last week. We’ll be relying on these boys to guide the team around the park, and to open opportunities for Sam Scarlett and Jarrod Brackenhofer to use their kicking game to full advantage.
The Roosters will be boosted by the return of Willis Meehan who made his NRL debut back in round 14 and has spent the last few weeks playing in the NSW Cup for the Newtown Jets. He will add depth and maturity to an already strong side that have the same win/loss record as the Panthers; winning three of their last five matches.
Prop Braden Uele has also been impressive over the last few weeks, and when he teams up with Jokatama Dokonivalu, they are almost unstoppable. Penrith will have to play smart football tomorrow, and will need to utilise speed and agility to compensate for the Roosters massive forward pack.
