Panthers halfback Isaiya Katoa kicked a field goal in golden point to secure the club’s fifth Jersey Flegg Cup title with an enthralling 19-18 win over the Newcastle Knights at CommBank Stadium.
The Panthers trailed by 12 points with less than seven minutes remaining, but two late tries to Mavrik Geyer and Sam Lane sent the game into extra-time.
After no points were scored in 10 minutes, the match continued into golden point before Katoa landed the one-point winner.
Inspiring defence from Penrith held the Knights off their try-line early, with the team running in to force winger Luke Pietzner over the sideline in the seventh minute.
Absorbing the pressure from defending their line, the Panthers made the most of a penalty to march down-field and into dominant field position where a chip kick from Niwhai Puru set up their opening try. Pietzner scrambled to contain the loose ball in-goal but Daeon Amituanai dived on it to claim the four-pointer. Puru converted the try from range to give his team an early lead.
Newcastle skipper Thomas Cant evaded the Panthers defence 10 minutes later, splitting the line before racing 40 metres to score untouched. Cant converted his own try to level the scores.
Hard hitting tackles characterised the 15 minutes that followed, with William Fakatoumafi bringing down Knights second-rower Brock Greacen to halt their building momentum.
Both teams coughed up more than one try-scoring opportunity in their attacking 20, as the opening half came to a close.
HALF-TIME: PANTHERS 6 - KNIGHTS 6
The Panthers did well to tackle Newcastle interchange forward Noah Nailagoliva as he sprinted at pace towards a scattered defensive line. But the Knights took plenty of energy out of Nailagoliva’s run and capitalised two sets later.
In the 40th minute five-eighth Kurt Donoghue broke the Panthers line, flicking a pass to Cant who put Fletcher Sharpe in the clear under the posts. The captain added the extras from in-front to put Newcastle six points ahead.
Penrith spilt the ball on their left edge twice as they looked to level the scores with both Amituanai and Fakatoumafi making unfortunate errors after incredible runs from Hohepa Puru and Billy Scott carried the Panthers into good field position.
Donoghue punished the Panthers in the 59th minute with a show and go to confuse the defence before grounding the ball on the line. Cant slotted the conversion from close range to make the difference 12.
Geyer provided a glimpse of hope for Penrith four minutes later, barrelling through a crowd of Knights to put the ball on the tryline. Puru reduced the deficit to six with only six minutes left of the game.
Geyer then put the Panthers on the attack in the ensuing set, and Lane managed to score to send the game into extra-time, before Katoa’s match-winner.
FULL-TIME: PANTHERS 19 – KNIGHTS 18
