The Panthers scored three tries in three minutes at the death to snatch a 36-34 victory from the jaws of defeat against a devastated Eels side on Friday night.
Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson had a chance to send the game into golden point with a long-range penalty shot in the 79th minute, but he shanked it.
The Eels were on the cusp of a major upset when they lead the Panthers 34-20 in the 70th minute with Penrith second rower Liam Martin in the sin bin.
But another stunning finish led by Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary saw the three-time reigning premiers get home in a game they had no right winning.
A Tale of Two Halves
Parramatta stunned the visitors with two tries in the first 10 minutes and the opener came from teen sensation Blaize Talagi after just 75 seconds at CommBank Stadium.
The Eels crossed again down the left edge in the 10th minute when Talagi turned provider to put Jake Tago over out wide.
The Panthers hit back with the usual suspects Cleary, Isaah Yeo, and Brian To’o linking up and then equalised when Cleary put in a deft grubber for Izack Tago to pounce and score just minutes after his brother.
Cleary booted a penalty goal in the 27th minute to give the visitors the lead for the first time before the Eels retook it with a Sean Russell try just be fore halftime.
Martin was binned for a late shot on the kicker, Daejarn Asi, and the hosts took the two points on offer before Gutherson bagged a double which looked to seal it.
But late tries from Panthers trio To’o, Sunia Turuva and Tago saw the Panthers draw level before Cleary booted a tough conversion to win it.
Panthers' Resilience on Display
For all their greatness during their five-year dynasty, the Panthers haven’t been able to register a winning record against their arch rivals in non-final matches.
The match showed just how much Penrith is missing Dylan Edwads and James Fisher-Harris.
To make matters worse, Jarome Laui was put on report for kneeing Sean Russell in the head when he was on the ground in the 14th minute.
Liam Martin’s sin-binning for contacting the kicking leg of Daejarn Asi in the 62nd minute looked to be the final nail in the coffin.
“Penrith have lacked discipline to start the second half. You never see this from Penrith, no matter what situation the game is in,” Fox Sports commentator Cooper Crock said.
But tries to Brian To’o, Suina Turuva and Izakc Tago in the blink of an eye changed to mood in the stadium.
Nathan Cleary doesn’t know when to quit and he was the iceman again as he slotted a goal from near the sideline to put the premiers in from with three minutes to go.
Parramatta's Disappointing Finish
Parramatta fans haven’t had much to cheer for 18 months and their supporters had to sit and watch them blow a 14-point lead with a Panther in the sin bin.
The fans would’ve been proud of their team as they completed at over 90 per cent and looked to be playing tougher than Penrith.
But it’s a club without a winning culture.
While Penrith is the opposite and that showed in the final 10 minutes.
When down and out, Penrith just went up a gear and stole it.
Talagi's Farewell Gift
Parramatta centre Blaize Talagi is reportedly off to Penrith next season and Ivan Cleary would’ve liked what he saw from the young gun.
He has a real presence about him and looks so threatening in attack.
He scored the first try and set up the second for Jake Tago.
Penrith's Right Edge: A Weakness?
Is Penrith’s right edge the area team can exploit in the finals series?
Nathan Cleary and Izack Tago defend next to each other on that side of the field but they’re not the quickest pairing going around.
They’re actually both great tacklers but just lack speed over 10m.
Teams with a slick backline can target the pair off the back of a quick play the ball.
It happened in the grand final last year when Reece Walsh beat both of them to send Ezra Mam over for his third try.
The Great Escape
Just 79 seconds into proceedings, Blaize Talagi collected a ball after it ricocheted off his head to score.
When he set up Parramatta’s second try shortly afterwards, Eels fans didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. This was the man mooted to take over from Clint Gutherson as fullback, a teenaged rookie-of-the-year contender, reminding them what they will be missing next year.
It was a bittersweet moment, made more so given it was produced against Talagi’s future employers. Somehow, Parramatta must bridge the gap between themselves and Penrith next season after handing over one of their most prized assets. The salary cap works in mysterious ways.
Penrith celebrate a try by Brian To’o against Parramatta on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images
If there weren’t tears streaming down the faces of the blue-and-gold faithful then, they were just before the final siren. With 90 seconds left, the current Parramatta No.1 attempted a difficult shot at penalty goal to send the game into golden point.
As ever, Gutherson had already given his all. Scored two tries, saved countless others. Now he was required to save a game that Parramatta seemingly had in the bag when they opened a 14-point game with just seven minutes to go.
However, this time, “The King” couldn’t convert. Penrith heaped more misery on their local rivals, stealing the game 36-34 at Commbank Stadium.
“I was just stepping up to see if I could kick it and shanked it,” Gutherson said.
“It’s a pretty haunted spot for me. In my career, I’ve had three shots from there and missed them all. It shouldn’t have got to that.”
Indeed, it should have never come to this. Having held a slender lead at half-time after completing all but one of their sets, the Eels quickly opened a commanding one upon the resumption.
But then the game’s best clutch player again got the job done. Nathan Cleary orchestrated the most unlikely of comebacks as the Panthers scored three tries in three minutes. Eels coach Trent Barrett took umbrage with the awarding of the last one, feeling Liam Martin obstructed a defender in the lead up.
“I just feel for the players, they didn’t deserve to lose that. I thought we were the better side,” Barrett said.
“Just that last four minutes got away from us.”
Cleary’s last conversion was from the western touchline, ensuring the race for the minor premiership remains alive when the Panthers take on Melbourne in a blockbuster Thursday night clash.
Despite being at opposite ends of the ladder, there was all the drama you would expect from a local derby. The battle of the brothers, Jake and Izak Tago, when the latter outscored his sibling two-tries-to-one. Blues enforcer Martin spent time in the sin bin for hitting the kicking leg of Daejarn Asi. Jarome Luai was placed on report for kneeing Will Penisini while playing the football.
And then a contest that wasn’t settled until the hooter.
“How good is footy, eh,” mused Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. “What a game. Crazy game.”
There has been ongoing speculation about whether Gutherson – despite the looming departure of Talagi – is playing his last games as fullback. So who wears the Parramatta No.1 next season?
Calling the game for Nine, former fullback great Billy Slater reckons the answer is staring Parramatta in the face.
“He’s the hardest-working player in the competition, Clint Gutherson,” Slater said.
Earlier on Friday night, Cronulla have taken a massive step towards securing a top-four position and all but ended Gold Coast’s finals hopes with a blistering 44-0 win at Robina.
The Sharks, without injured halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes, started on fire and kept the foot on the throat in their most professional display of the year to open up a four-point gap over fifth-placed Canterbury.
Winger Sam Stonestreet scores a try for Cronulla on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images
It was a clinical and classy win in front of 13,287 fans, and the club’s largest winning margin in Queensland.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon moved Cameron McInnes to half to partner Daniel Atkinson and it worked a treat. The Sharks’ running game was rampaging across the park as they took a 30-0 lead into the break.
with AAP
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