"Penrith have sounded the alarm in their pursuit of a fifth straight premiership, destroying Canterbury 46-26 and setting up a preliminary final against Brisbane. The Panthers produced one of the most dominant 40 minutes of football of their dynasty, blowing Canterbury out of the water with a record-breaking 36-8 first half. And while the Bulldogs added some respect to the scoreline in the second half, it still ensured they would follow minor premiers Canberra out of the finals in straight sets."
"Nathan Cleary was at his brilliant best for Penrith, Paul Alamoti scored a hat-trick and Brian To'o a double while the Panthers' pack won the battle in the middle. Penrith's half-time lead was the biggest in finals history, as the Bulldogs missed 42 tackles in the first half alone. There was some concern for Penrith, with Liam Martin suffering a rib injury late and centre Casey McLean also seemingly battling shoulder pain."
"For Canterbury, this was a meek surrender. Cameron Ciraldo's men spent half of the regular season at the top of the table, before winning just five of their last 13 games. Questions will be asked of the club's decision to sign Lachlan Galvin mid-season, but he was easily the Bulldogs' best on Sunday as he scored once and set up another. What was clear though was that Canterbury were well and truly beaten on the edges, as they desperately missed injured captain Stephen Crichton."
Penrith demolished Canterbury 46-26, producing a record-breaking 36-8 first half and one of the dynasty's most dominant 40-minute displays. Nathan Cleary orchestrated the victory while Paul Alamoti scored a hat-trick and Brian To'o added two tries, as the Panthers' pack controlled the middle. Canterbury missed 42 tackles in the first half and were overwhelmed on the edges, particularly without injured captain Stephen Crichton. Liam Martin suffered a rib injury and centre Casey McLean appeared to have shoulder pain. Penrith will travel to Suncorp Stadium to face Brisbane in the preliminary final, while Canterbury's season ended after a late-season collapse.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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