Panthers win most absurd game of the year

Penrith is still alive in 2021 after 80 minutes of complete madness that left TV commentators speechless and had fans losing their minds.

Penrith has survived the most ridiculous game of the season to move through to a grand final qualifier against the Melbourne Storm.

The Eels’ season is over in the cruellest of fashons after a blockbuster that had everything.

It was the best game of the season, despite just two tries being scored in the Panthers’ 8-6 victory.

The NRL confirmed after the match that the Panthers will play the Storm at Suncorp Stadium on saturday night for a spot in the grand final.

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For 80 minutes, it was complete madness.

For much of those 80 minutes, the Eels could have been thinking they were about to set up a date with the Storm.

Both Parramatta and Penrith deserve to be there, but finals football can be the cruellest of all.

The Eels had no right to still be in the contest in the final 10 minutes after repeatedly denying the Panthers a knockout punch.

It took an other-worldly effort to deny the red-hot Panthers, who threw everything at them.

The Eels even had a chance to win it in the final four minutes when an Api Koroisau knock-on gave them posession camped in their opposition’s red zone.

Just like their own defence had done earlier, the Panthers’ defencewas stretched, bashed and bent – but the Eels couldn’t break it down.

The victory is the first time Penrith has ever beaten its biggest rival in a finals match.

Second half: ‘Bad look’ as star takes a dive

Blake Ferguson has come under fire for a shameless attempt to milk a penalty in a moment that had players from both teams running in from everywhere during a messy melee.

The star winger stayed on the ground after a tackle clutching his head before some words from a Panthers star saw him spring to his feet and charge at his opponent.

The moment Ferguson went from his death bed to a raging bull in the space of one second had legends Peter Sterling and Cameron Smith shaking their heads.

“The crusher tackle was not as serious as he was making it out to be. That’s a bad look,” Sterling said on Channel 9.

“That is ridiculous.”

Smith said Ferguson had “milked it beautifully”.

When the dust settled Penrith began to get on top in the arm wrestle, but were being desperately denied by the determined defence from Parramatta.

First half: Panthers star’s ‘nightmare’

Waqa Blake put Parramatta ahead 6-0 after 10 minutes when he made Dylan Edwards pay for a moment that left the Panthers fullback red-faced.

It wasn’t the last time the Penrith star had his pants pulled down in the first half as a result of terrifying high kicks from Mitchell Moses.

A soaring bomb from Moses swirled menacingly in the air and Edwards paid the ultimate price for letting the Steeden bounce.

The ball bounced into the path of Blake, who scooped it up and charged to the try-line untouched.

The Eels’ defence had repeatedly denied the Panthers when camped inside their red zone, but they were finally blown over by a touch of class from Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary.

Cleary tied the game up at 6-6 when his perfect grubber sat up nicely for Kurt Capewell.

It was just the start of the drama as both the Eels and Panthers squandered opportunities to score.

Edwards was lucky not to cough up another try when he spilled another Moses bomb that was picked up by the Eels and ended up with Blake diving over the try line in the corner.

Edwards was saved by a forward pass by Clinton Gutherson before it ended up in Blake’s hands.

“Dylan Edwards is having a nightmare tonight,” Eels legend Peter Sterling said on Channel 9.

In the end it was only a penalty goal from Cleary in the 40th minute that separated the two teams.

Panthers suffer late drama with star missing

The Panthers’ hopes were dealt a massive blow earlier this week when it was revealed just 24 hours before kick-off that star winger Brian To’o had been dropped from the starting 17 as a result of his ongoing ankle problems.

The popular winger picked up a minor ankle injury at training and has been replaced by Brent Naden in the starting side.

He has been replaced by centre Brent Naden.

The Panthers will also be bolstered by the returns of fullback Dylan Edwards, prop Moses Leota and forward Scott Sorensen.

There was a boisterous prediction from former Penrith general manager of football Phil Gould in the lead up to the match with the rugby league icon declaring the Panthers will spark back to life after their surprise loss to South Sydney in the first week of the finals.

Gould said he expects Penrith to win three straight games and go on to win the grand final/

“I still think Panther wins comp,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I think last week was the kick in the arse they needed.”

The game kicks off from 7.50pm (AEST).

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