The Panthers have secured yet another win, beating a Bulldogs outfit littered with their former players 16-10 at BlueBet Stadium.
While Ivan Cleary has secured two points, it’s not been a positive night for Penrith who look set to be without superstar halfback Nathan Cleary for an extended period.
The gun No.7 sat out of his side’s Round 9 clash nursing a hamstring but has once again re-injured himself in a big blow for his club side and also the NSW Blues.
“Devastating news,” Fox League’s Lara Pitt said.
“We do know it was the hamstring he was returning from. He is devastated, he’s iced up and he’s no good.”
Defence was the highlight of this clash, with a low-scoring affair being played out as Stephen Crichton and Jaeman Salmon played against their former team for the first time.
Meanwhile, Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau are also former Panthers alongside current head coach Cameron Ciraldo who was Cleary’s assist before making the move to Belmore.
The first four-pointer of the clash came through Luke Garner who beat multiple defenders to burst over the line.
Next was Brian To’o who also barged past several defenders to get the ball down and take a 12-0 halftime lead.
The Panthers were unable to score in the final 40 minutes, and Burton got his name on the scoresheet with an impressive try.
