ABC Business4 hours agoSports1 min readAustralia

Penrith Panthers secure fourth NRL minor premiership after defeating Wests Tigers

Panthers claim 38-10 victory as Thomas Jenkins shares Ken Irvine medal and Casey McLean scores hat-trick

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The Penrith Panthers claimed their fourth NRL minor premiership in seven seasons with a 38-10 win over the Wests Tigers, as Thomas Jenkins topped the try-scoring charts and Casey McLean secured a hat-trick.

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Why It Matters

The NRL season concludes its regular rounds leading into the finals series with various matchups scheduled across stadiums.

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The Penrith Panthers have a fourth NRL minor premiership in the last seven seasons after battering the Wests Tigers 38-10 at Western Sydney Stadium.

Thomas Jenkins scored a first half double to join Alex Johnston on top of the NRL try-scoring charts for the year with 30 to share the Ken Irvine medal, while Casey McLean nabbed his first career NRL hat-trick.

The Wests Tigers briefly showed some life at the start of the second half, with PNG-bound via Parramatta five-eighth Jarome Luai benched by Benji Marshall after the break.

The lively Latu Fainu ensured the Tigers immediately lifted, amplifying the sense of disappointment fans must have felt at the underwhelming Luai era that had promised so much.

Penrith's victory ensures the Panthers will host the Roosters at Western Sydney Stadium on Sunday in the first week of the finals.

The Rabbitohs and Knights will open the weekend with their elimination final at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night (7:50pm AEST).

The second-placed Warriors will take on the Dolphins at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4:05pm AEST) before the Sharks play the Cowboys at the Sydney Football Stadium that evening at 7:50pm AEST.

The Sharks had hoped to host the match at Shark Park but the 45,500-capacity Moore Park stadium got the nod.

The Cowboys will likely be without star forward Reuben Cotter, who will miss at least week one of the NRL finals after being charged for a high tackle against the Raiders.

The Maroons forward was handed a grade two careless high tackle charge for his contact on Josh Papali'i in the first hit up of the match.

Earlier, Tyrell Sloan scored a 45-metre field goal to secure the Dragons a thrilling 24-22 victory over the Parramatta Eels in Wollongong.

"I guess it's the stuff you dream about," Castleford-bound Sloan told ABC Sport after the match.

"The fans turned up … they stuck with us through a tough year and just to repay them there is the best feeling ever."

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Reuben Cotter will miss at least week one of the NRL finals.
Likely · Within days

Open Questions

Will Reuben Cotter successfully appeal his grade two careless high tackle charge?
How will the Roosters perform against the Panthers in the upcoming finals match?