Coming off their best win of the season the One New Zealand Warriors were left to rue a hugely disappointing performance as Penrith handed them a 14-40 loss in their round 16 Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) encounter at Go Media Stadium on Saturday.
The match-up between the fifth-placed Panthers and the eighth-ranked Warriors was keenly anticipated, providing another opportunity to measure the home side’s progress.
In the previous four weeks they had picked up three wins including two on a run of three consecutive away matches rounded off with last week’s impressive 32-20 win over top four side Parramatta.
Expectations fell well short, though, as Penrith, chastened by a last start 6-38 loss to the Dragons, showed no mercy in an emphatic bounce back display.
Match: Warriors v Panthers
Round 16 -
home Team
Warriors
10th Position
away Team
Panthers
4th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
By halftime the Panthers had opened up a 28-0 lead with five tries, two of them scored by former Warriors pathways players Sialetili Faeamani and Compton Purcell.
Hope of a response didn’t eventuate for the home side as the Panthers added their sixth try to extend to 34-0 in the opening minutes of the second half.
At last the tide was stemmed in the 50th minute as Jett Cleary, Jack Thompson and Joseph Ratcliffe put it together for centre Brandon Norris to finish off a sweetly worked try.
Just as quickly Penrith went out to 40-6 but the Warriors had some consolation finishing a difficult day with the last two tries of the match to second rower Paea Sikuvea and Ratcliffe.
The result pushed the Warriors out of the top eight as they now look forward to facing the Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park in Sydney next weekend.
