By Roy Ward
Whether they have star playmaker Nathan Cleary or not, Penrith showed they are still the team to beat in the NRL, coming back from 14-0 down to defeat the Storm 34-16 in Melbourne on Friday night.
The Storm returned to Marvel Stadium for the first time in 13 years due to AAMI Park being prepared to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup and 26,703 fans turned out for the match between two of the top-three sides.
The Panthers improve to 11-5 and a share of top spot while the Storm fall to 10-6 with a bye next weekend.
Melbourne dominated early taking a 14-0 lead but then the Panthers, who are still without the injured Cleary, put a vice grip on the match taking the lead just before half-time and powering away in the second half.
“We just had to try and get it together and I was pretty happy to be ahead at half-time, I still can’t quite believe how we managed to do that,” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said.
“You have to win differently. Sometimes you miss the jump and other teams start better than you and you have to work it out. Tonight we did that.”
Ivan Cleary revealed post game that Nathan Cleary was making strong progress in his recovery and could still make a return after the bye and he also praised stand in playmaker Jack Cogger.
“He’s doing quite a bit, he’s going well, but it’s one thing to go well in rehab, another thing is playing,” Ivan Cleary said.
“We will see. Hopefully but we won’t be rushing him or pushing him.”
Centre Izack Tago had one of the games of his life. He scored two tries, set up another and made 12 tackle breaks while the visitors held sway over Melbourne at both ends of the field, something rarely seen against the Storm either home or away.
The Storm made 11 errors and completed poorly, finishing just 26 of 38 possessions (68 per cent) which gave the Panthers all they needed.
Panther Izack Tago evades Storm’s Harry Grant to score a try.Credit: Getty Images
Things got worse for the Storm who lost emerging winger Will Warbrick to a concussion after he was collected by Tago in full flight while Harry Grant and Nelson Asofa-Solomona battled hard for the home side.
“We just stopped doing the things we were doing earlier, stopped competing in some areas and paid the price – they have been the top side in the comp for the last three years and haven’t got there by luck,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
“When we gave them the opportunity, they took it and never took it and never took the foot off again.
“For that last 55 minutes, we hardly got down their end. We got what we deserved tonight and we need to learn from that and hopefully move on.”
Bellamy didn’t have an update on Warbrick’s concussion but said the player was up and talking to people in the rooms post game.
The game ignited just minutes after kick-off as Panthers star Jarome Luai was placed on report for his tackle on Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes as he went for a high kick.
The Panthers overcame a slow start to overwhelm the Storm on Friday night.Credit: Getty
Queensland star Grant immediately took issue with his NSW counterpart and, for a moment, it seemed the pair might square off and give Melbourne fans a tiny taste of State of Origin football before tempers cooled and Nick Meaney kicked a penalty goal to open the scoring.
Both sides had their issues completing sets with the Panthers struggling to hold the ball early and the Storm having several fumbles in the latter stages of the first half.
Grant put on a kick smother that would make an AFL player proud before scoring the first try as he leapt full-stretch at a Jack Cogger kick and smothered it before running onto the ball and scoring a try.
The Storm doubled their lead on 24 minutes when Reimis Smith’s flick pass put Nelson Asofa-Solomona in position to barge over and score, although it wasn’t without some drama as replays appeared to show the ball knocked from his grasp by winger Sunia Turuva.
The bunker saw things differently, ruling the Storm forward had kept his hand around the ball and forced it for the try as the Storm led 14-0.
But the Panthers launched back into the game just after the half-hour when Meaney was ruled to have interfered with centre Stephen Crichton as he attempted to score a try and a penalty try was awarded.
Two minutes later, the Panthers scored again as Tago forced himself over the line after a pass from Luai to make it 14-10.
Tago may also have issues with the match review panel after a late tackle on Hughes which appeared to show him leading with his shoulder. He wasn’t penalised and Hughes didn’t appear to be hurt but it will surely be scrutinised.
Then with half-time moments away, the Storm failed to grab a high ball from the Panthers who knocked the ball backwards to Lindsay Smith, who from his knees flicked a pass to Liam Martin, who ran over to tie the game.
Crichton converted the try after the siren to put the visitors up 16-14 and leave Storm coach Craig Bellamy fuming.
Luai was ruled offside seconds into the second half and that allowed Meaney to tie the game with his second penalty goal making it 16-16.
Tago made it five tries from four games when he sprinted through Warbrick and powered over the line. Warbrick was caught flush on the head and appeared concussed before he hit the ground while the Panthers led 22-16.
Tago was again the man of the moment just after the hour mark as his desperation kick on the fifth tackle went into the path of Zac Hosking, who had a clear path over the line extending the lead to 28-16.
Brian To’o finished off the win with a late try.
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