The Roosters have stunned the Panthers 38-32 in an extraordinary game at Western Sydney stadium, despite a late sin binning handing Penrith a lifeline in the final five minutes.
The Roosters looked home and hosed when Dominic Young gave the Bondi club a 38-24 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
With Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards off the field with a groin injury and the unusually error-strewn Panthers looking way off the boil, it seemed as though the Roosters were a shoe in for a famous victory.
But that’s not how Penrith operates, and a sin binning to Salesi Foketi for a high tackle just two minutes later sparked a ferocious fight back from the four-time defending premiers.
Nathan Cleary hit two penalty goals and Casey McLean scored in the corner, but crucially Cleary missed the conversion, his only failure from the tee all night from seven attempts.
The Panthers continued to push but Young saved a try on one side of the field, before Daniel Tupou denied Brian To’o’s last-gasp diving effort as time ran out to seal a famous victory for a Roosters team who were hammered by the Broncos in round one.
“I feel like it’s my proudest win,” Tedesco said in the press conference post-match.
“No-one gave us a shot … that’s what media does and people do, they’re quick to judge.
“We’ve set ourselves up with a performance like that. We have to keep building on that.”
The Panthers were well off the boil, making numerous crucial errors throughout the tit-for-tat contest.
“Those ones it’s hard to have all the answers but I guess it’s why we all love sport so much, it’s the classic upset,” coach Ivan Cleary said in the press conference.
“Unfortunately, we’re the ones that brought it to life tonight.
“We just weren’t anywhere near good enough.“
Connor Watson and Daniel Tupou both scored doubles for the Roosters, with Mark Nawaqanitawase, Tupou and Sandon Smith also crossing.
The Panthers crossed with Paul Alamoti, To’o, Liam Henry and Edwards before the thrilling finale.
Controversial tries not enough as Manly flatters to deceive
Tom Trbojevic left the field late in the second half. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters)
Earlier, the Warriors proved that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, recovering from their Sin City hangover with a stunning victory over round one’s form side Manly Warringah, 36-16.
The Sea Eagles stayed in the contest thanks to two highly contentious second half tries but later lost both Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic to injuries in a disastrous clash at Mount Smart stadium.
Anthony Siebold confirmed after the match the Cherry-Evans had suffered a back spasm, while Trbojevic had left the field with hamstring tightness.
“I’ve only spoken to them briefly and I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet,” Siebold said, with medical staff to make a call on Saturday as to whether the gun fullback would require scans.
Trbojevic had opened the scoring after just three minutes, but Chanel Harris-Tavita, Taine Tuaupiki and Ali Leiataua all hit back to give the hosts a half-time lead.
The Sea Eagles hit back at the start of the second half through Jason Saab, although replays appeared to show the Manly winger losing contact with the ball during his put down.
The Warriors, so poor against Canberra in Las Vegas a fortnight ago, hit back through Wayde Egan, but another contentious try to Cherry-Evans gave Manly hope.
Replays appeared to show Reuben Garrick’s foot touching the dead ball line as he raced to flick a grubber from Saab back into play, with Cherry-Evans also coming perilously close to hitting the line with his boot as he grounded the ball.
The Warriors put that to one side and scored two more tries through Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Luke Metcalf, who answered some of those questioning his place in the side with a wonderful performance in which he kicked six out of six off the tee.
“You could see him really building confidence and getting into the game tonight,” Warriors coach Andrew Webster said.
“I thought he handled the mental occasion of this week really well.”
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key Events
-
8h ago8 hours agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:52am
-
8h ago8 hours agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:52am
-
9h ago9 hours agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:43am
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 11:32am
We’re going to wrap things up here
Thanks so much for being with us tonight.
I don’t thing anyone would have predicted that the Roosters would beat the Panthers and the Warriors would beat the Sea Eagles.
But it appears the extra week off after Las Vegas affected both teams very differently.
The Roosters and the Warriors both needed wins and both delivered with aplomb.
What a night.
There’s another big day of NRL action coming up tomorrow, starting with the Dragons taking on the Rabbitohs at 3:00pm AEDT.
That is followed by the Cowboys against the Sharks and then the Raiders against the Broncos.
I’ll be there for all the action with you, and I am looking forward to having you join me.
See you tomorrow…
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 11:21am
‘Credit to the boys’: Mark Nawaqanitawase
Mark Nawaqanitawase also spoke on ABC Rugby League.
“Massive credit to the boys,” says the former Wallaby, nicely ticking that box in our post-match bingo card.
“We stuck with our game plan and good to get the win.
“We had to defend right to the end there.”
Meanwhile, two-try hero Connor Watson had a little dig at some of the Roosters’ detractors… including the ABC commentary team.
“It’s a huge win for us … It was good to prove you three in the box wrong,” he said.
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 11:17am
Panthers handed ‘kick in the bum’
Panthers half Nathan Cleary has spoken to ABC Sport after that defeat.
Bloodied and bruised, the co-skipper said the Roosters just did it better than them.
“It was just simple errors,” Cleary said.
“They all came different ways.
“Maybe it’s the kick in the bum we needed
“They just did it better than us.”
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 11:15am
We’ll hear from some of the players soon
I, for one, am looking forward to those conversations…
Huge win for the Roosters.
Full time: Roosters win a thriller!
Absolutely remarkable.
What a game. What a finale.
What a fightback from the Roosters to win that match.
What a fightback from the Panthers to drag the contest to a one-score game having trailed by 14 points with 10 minutes to go.
It ends 38-32, but as ever the score tells but a fraction of the story of that wonderful contest.
The sin binning of course played a role, but my word the Panthers suddenly ignited.
It was a far from vintage Panthers performance. In fact, they were pretty poor in all honesty.
The Roosters, led by a phenomenal performance by James Tedesco, were just too dogged and hard to beat.
What a match.
80′ To’o can’t finish in the corner!
Brian To’o loses the ball as he dives for the corner against Daniel Tupou!
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:50am
79′ Panthers penalty!
It’s off side as the Panthers once again challenge the line off the goal line drop out.
But Dom Young was offside.
Cleary kicks for the posts and gets the points.
It’s 32-38.
Penrith has one chance.
1:03 to score a try.
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:49am
78′ PANTHERS COME SO CLOSE!
Oh Dom Young has done just about enough!
A little kick through by Daine Laurie is perfect, but Dom Young is there to force the drop out as he slides in front of the Panthers chasers.
Not tidy, and McLean was a chance right at the back of the try line but the ball beats him out.
8h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:48am
77′ Chad Townsend is sent for an HIA by the independent doctor!
Oh what luck for the Panthers!
The independent doctor has asked for Roosters star half Chad Townsend to be sent for an HIA!
A huge boost to the Panthers.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:45am
75′ THE PANTHERS SCORE!
Brilliant movement from the Panthers.
The ball is flung out to Casey McLean – it was frantic! The ball went along the ground!
But the Panthers are in!
Cleary from the sideline.
AND HE HITS THE POST!
It’s 30-38!
The Panthers need two scores!
73′ Salesi Foketi is sent to the sin bin!
What a lifeline for the Panthers!
Foketi has been ruled to have hit Scott
Sorensen
high, and there was a slight high shot there – but a sin bin? If that’s a sin bin then there will be an awful lot of players having a 10-minute spell this weekend.
The Panthers go for the points – and get them.
It’s a 12-point game with six minutes remaining.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:40am
I’m not sure it’s just Cleary
Bemused by this game- is it possible that Cleary is carrying an injury from Nikoras’ tackle in Vegas?
– KB
Cleary has been pretty good for me.
It’s more the whole Panthers team that’s just not been at the races.
Edwards carrying an injury is not helpful.
There have just been too many errors.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:36am
71′ The Roosters get another!
Dom Young scores in the corner!
Written off by everyone – the Roosters are on the verge of a huge upset.
Chad Townsend drifts right, links up with Tedesco and he sends Dom Young over in the corner and the Roosters fans are delirious!
It’s Tedesco’s third try assist of the night.
There are fans swinging their shirts above their heads in the stands.
The kick is just wide, meaning there is still a chance for the Panthers.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:36am
The Panthers are not hanging on
Classic commentary, (unfortunately Ch 9) a “deadset dropathon”!!!
– RW
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:35am
70′ Panthers holding on
Both teams are throwing themselves into tackles.
No quarter given either way.
However, the Panthers are making errors and there’s another one, as Luke Garner loses the ball at the play the ball.
The Panthers have made 11 errors in the game.
It’s just not what we expect from them.
60′ Dylan Edwards leaves the field
It is a groin injury for Edwards.
He cannot run, cannot chase.
And it was really exposed in that last Roosters score and so he’s had to go off.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:22am
57′ ROOSTERS GO THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD!
OH MY WORD WHAT A TRY!
The left hand side of the Roosters is tearing the Panthers apart!
Mark Nawaqanitawase
with a little show and go, he passes to Tupou who races down the sideline.
He goes inside to Crichton in support, who finds Sandon Smith who dives over!
Loading Twitter content
This is the biggest lead of the night!
The kick is good to take the lead out to 10 points!
It’s 34-24!
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:17am
55′ Brilliant try by the Roosters!
Fantastic shift to the left by the Roosters!
Tedesco popped into the line off the back of a neat run from Sandon Smith across the pitch.
He passed to Mark Nawaqanitawase, who offloads in the tackle to Daniel Tupou who goes over in the corner.
Was that last pass forward? I mean, certainly adjacent if not forward by half a metre.
But it’s cleared and it’s a try.
The sideline kick is missed!
That could be huge in this game.
It’s 28-24 to the Roosters.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:16am
52′ Liam Martin catches Connor Watson high
But for some reason it’s been allowed to go by referee Todd Smith and it sparks a little bit of push and shove.
It’s nothing too terrible from Martin, but he certainly whacked Watson across the chops.
9h agoFri 14 Mar 2025 at 10:12am
48′ Edwards scores!
I was about to say that Edwards has been by far the lesser of the two fullbacks on show tonight.
But then he comes up with a fine finish to dot down another perfect precision kick through the line from Cleary.
Edwards gets up limping, but he still had enough pace and awareness to get the ball down.
Cleary nails the kick off the tee too.
It’s 24-24.
dan