Round 3
Brisbane Broncos 28 l. Penrith Panthers 29

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Penrith remarkably get out of jail as Brisbane remain winless
Sat March 31, 2007
The Penrith Panthers used at least nine 'cat' lives last night as they came from absolutely no where to defeat defending Premiers Brisbane 29-28 in the most remarkable game of the season.

Penrith were down 28-20 heading into the final three minutes and scored two tries with one of them being the length of the field by Michael Jennings and the final one to Rhys Wesser right on the last play of the night when a desperate kick from Luke Lewis found the tryscoring machine.

In fact four of the Panthers six tries came in the final five minutes of each half showing the adage that a game goes for the full distance in both halves.

Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer landed two early penalty goals for Brisbane to lead 4-0.

The opening try came in the 19th minute with Michael Gordon scoring and he also converted his own try to push Penrith ahead 6-4.

Brisbane regained the lead in the 23rd minute with Justin Hodges scoring the first of four tries for the night. Locker was unable to convert with the Broncos up by two points.

Gordon scored his second try to push Penrith up 10-8 after 28 minutes but their lead was short lived with Hodges crossing for his second try and Lockyer added the extras for the Broncos to lead 14-10.

Jennings showed his potential and class for the future when he intercepted a bullet like pass from Lockyer and raced 80m to score and roar the Panthers back into contention. Gordon converted to break the deadlock and Lewis scored on the stroke of half-time to extend Penrith's lead out to 20-14.

Two tries from Hodges in the 43rd and 48th minutes saw the Broncos go from six points down to six points up and they went eight points clear when Lockyer landed a penalty goal with 11 minutes remaining.

Anyone who heard Penrith won in Golden Point, yet was sitting watching the replay on TV (more on the commentary standards later) would have thought that the score was incorrect and no way it was possible that the Panthers could sneak out of jail the way they did.

Well the Panthers most certainly surged back in the most remarkable and freakish of circumstances. Jennings stuck the foot out to deflect a Broncos kick and picked up the ball to race away for another 80m try untouched to get Penrith within four points. Gordon missed a rushed conversion attempt as Brisbane kicked off with one minute remaining.

Penrith worked their way up the field and received a penalty in kicking range right on full-time. Being down by four points they had to go for the try and as it went out to Lewis at right centre he was tackled and somehow got a kick into the ingoal area where it somehow rebounded from Darius Boyd right into the arms of Wesser who dived on the loose ball. Gordon missed a difficult conversion attempt with the game going into Golden Point.

Panthers halfback Craig Gower missed two simple shots at drop-goal and it was left to teenage five-eighth Peter Wallace to land a pearler from 44m out with three minutes remaining to seal one of Penrith's most memorable victories.

It's a game people have to see to really believe and when they do they'll wonder who Brisbane who were leading 28-20 with three minutes remaining and very deep on the attack could somehow lose the match. Well they did and full credit to Penrith who hung in there for the full 80 minutes.

The only negative from the match was the disgraceful and highly biased commentary of Ben Ikin, Kevin Walters and race caller Alan Thomas. Channel Nine with their resources and contacts surely could do better than subject viewers to the rubbish served up.

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