Panthers advance to semi finals

The Panthers are locked in for the semi finals of both the Tarsha Gale Cup and Lisa Fiaola Cup following their results in finals week one.

After reaching the finals of both competitions in the same season for the first time, the Panthers have now penciled their name in for week two of the play-offs, where each team will face local rivals Parramatta.

The Panthers progressed in the Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under-17s) with a comeback win in their elimination final, while a qualifying final loss sees Penrith enter the knockout phase of the Tarsha Gale Cup (Under 19s).

The Lisa Fiaola team, who reached the top eight in sixth place, came from behind to defeat the Knights 22-16 in an elimination final at Windsor.

The Panthers fell to an early 16-6 deficit, before rallying back with three unanswered tries before halftime. Penrith kept Newcastle at bay in a scoreless second half, holding on for victory to secure a semi final ticket.

The Tarsha Gale side, who finished fourth and faced Illawarra in a qualifying final, suffered a 32-4 defeat to the minor premiers in Wollongong.

An early second-half try kept the Panthers in the contest, but the Steelers finished strongly to earn a week off and advance directly to the preliminary finals.

The two Panthers teams will face Parramatta Eels in sudden-death semi finals on Saturday 19 April at Blacktown International Sports Park.

Semi final fixtures

Lisa Fiaola Cup