Panthers v Cowboys preview

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After toppling last year's runners up can the Panthers take it one step further and down the defending premiers? Or will the Cowboys build upon a strong record against the home side? 

The Panthers were staring down the barrel of a disappointing 1-5 record before a miraculous last tackle try after the buzzer to Bryce Cartwright sealed an unlikely victory over Western Sydney rivals Parramatta. Penrith are sure to take confidence from the win, having lost been involved in 5 matches this season which have been decided by an average of just 3 points. This of course, would have been even lower if Shaun Fensom did not barge over for a last minute try to extend Canberra's victory to 8 in Round 1. However, in order to qualify for finals footy this season, Penrith will look to close out such tight games, with their clash against the Cowboys this week looking likely to finish in similar circumstances if the home side are to prevail. For the Panthers, having failed to build upon their victory over Brisbane, they will be motivated to claim their first back-to-back victories of the season and build some sort of momentum. The return of captain Matt Moylan was pivotal for the home side last week, as while relatively well shut down, his tap on for Mansour's late try in the corner and general safety under the high ball oozed of class despite his long injury lay-off. Speaking of Mansour, he too has been a revelation this season, rediscovering his barnstorming form from 2014. Mansour sits at 2nd in 2016 for All Running Metres at a massive 931 metres, only behind none other than former Rooster Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Mansour has also crossed for a respectable 3 tries in a scintillating start to the 2016 season. His involvement as well as that of Moylan will be key for Penrith's success against the Cowboys. Penrith fans will also be hoping for more involvement from rookie Te Maire Martin, who seems to have been starved of the ball in recent weeks. In order to maintain his spot in Penrith's top 17 come James Segeyaro's return Martin will look for more of an impact in his 2nd game at Pepper Stadium. 

The Cowboys, however, are cruising and look to be one of if not the favourite for the 2016 Premiership after a strong start to the season. The reigning premiers go into Round 6 with the best defence and attack in the league, a massive achievement which is of course concerning for the Penrith side. The Cowboys also have a superior record against the Panthers having won 5 of their past 6 against the home side, whilst tallying 30 in five of these. The Cowboys were clinical in their 36-0 shut-out of the Dragons last year, and having only lost 2 games this year, by a combined margin of just 5 points, the Cowboys look more likely than anyone to claim back to back premierships. Having made a slow start to the 2015 season, the Cowboys with a 3-2 record will still be disappointed like Penrith to not have won even more seeing the tightness of both sides clashes this year. For the Panthers, the Cowboys barnstorming forwards have always proved a great challenge and the presence of Thurston and Morgan in the halves remains a strong concern for the home side to shut down. The Panthers, however, are always a great chance of an upset, especially at home, yet seeing the Cowboys form, they will need to be near the best.

Last meeting: Round 5 2015 - Panthers 10 Cowboys 30

Who to watch: A present Panther whose form forced out a former Panther headlines a couple of great match-ups in this one. Matt Moylan was a bit rusty yet classy in his performance against Parramatta, setting up a contextually significant try for Josh Mansour in the corner. It is these sort of plays which are now recognised as being commonly associated with the Penrith fullback who offers yet another field goal option for the Penrith side in close clashes.

Lachlan Coote has also proved a solid performer for the away side. His input of 1 try, 2 line breaks and 3 try assists are satisfactory numbers for the former Panther and he will be looking to improve upon this against his former club. 

The favourite: The Cowboys' form sees them strong favourites for this one.

My tip: At $1.60 to win, if you are on the Cowboys here they present great value. If the Cowboys are to win, they win big. Yet, if this one is close, with the home ground advantage and a motivation to claim some much needed momentum I'll back Penrith in here in another tight one. But only if they can shut down Thurston and Taumalolo. Penrith by 1.

1. Matt Moylan 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 4. Peta Hiku 5. Dallin Watene Zelezniak 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Jamie Soward 8. Sam McKendry 9. Peter Wallace 10. Regan Campbell-Gillard 11. Bryce Cartwright 12. Isaah Yeo 13. Trent Merrin
Interchange: 21. Jeremy Latimore 15. Leilani Latu 16. Suaia Matagi 17. James Fisher-Harris

1. Lachlan Coote 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin O'Neill 4. Javid Bowen 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Michael Morgan 7. Johnathan Thurston 8. Matthew Scott 14. Rory Kostjasyn 10. James Tamou 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Ethan Lowe 13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 9. Jake Granville 15. John Asiata 16. Scott Bolton 17. Ben Hannant

Referees: Ashley Klein, Adam Gee; Sideline Officials: Jeff Younis, Dave Ryan; Video Referees: Ben Galea, Jason Robinson, Bernard Sutton;