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The Panthers thrash the Dragons 40-18 to stretch their winning streak to seven matches, while the Warriors enjoy a 19-18 victory over the Sharks in Wellington as the race for the NRL finals heats up.
Panthers burn Dragons for seven in a row
A first-half double from rookie Brian To'o has inspired Penrith to a 40-18 rout of St George Illawarra and extended its winning streak to seven matches.
A week after producing an acrobatic brace over Gold Coast, To'o again lit up Panthers Stadium with another double on Friday night.
Centre Brent Naden also nabbed a pair in a contest that was separated by just four points at half-time and seemingly headed for a dogfight.
But the home side turned on the afterburners with a four-try, 16-minute blitz in the second half to leave the Dragons' campaign in tatters.
Moses Leota, Nathan Cleary and Reagan Campbell-Gillard also scored as the Panthers improved their for-and-against, and moved to seventh on the ladder.
Penrith is also now within two points of third-placed Canberra, who it faces next week, when it will also attempt to secure a club record-equalling eighth straight win.
It was easily the best attacking display of the season for Ivan Cleary's side, obliterating their previous season-high of 24 points registered just last week.
More importantly for the coach, halves Nathan Cleary and James Maloney — combining for just the third time during their run — had their attack humming from the kick-off.
The New South Wales State of Origin representatives set up four tries between them.
Naden looked to have posted the opening points in the corner but was denied by a desperate Matt Dufty, who was penalised for a shoulder charge.
Penrith did not have to wait long to draw first blood however, with To'o producing his first display of acrobatics with his aerial plant of a Maloney kick.
Naden eventually got his first try not long after.
St George Illawarra responded through Mikaele Ravalawa, and took a shock lead when Josh Kerr strolled through in the 35th minute.
But To'o ensured the Panthers had the advantage into the break when he was turned inside and found some lazy defence through the middle for a solo try.
To'o and Naden, both of whom made their debuts this year, now have six tries apiece from as many matches.
Penrith never looked back, taking full advantage of a Dragons side that showed little second-half resistance before dropping their third straight match.
There was drama late in the second half when Viliame Kikau was bizarrely sin-binned for what was ruled a late shot on Dragons half-back Darren Nicholls.
Warriors pip Sharks in Wellington
The first field goal of Blake Green's NRL career has sunk Shaun Johnson's Cronulla and capped a dramatic 19-18 win for the Warriors in Wellington.
A desperate mid-ladder match on a cold and wet night finally swung the home team's way when the Warriors got it right five minutes from time and converted a one-pointer, having had all sorts of problems doing the same thing in recent times.
The Sharks had a chance to level in the final play but Chad Townsend's field goal attempt flew wide, bringing relief to a Warriors side who will feel the result was just.
Led by an astonishing 300-run metres from captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the hosts dominated for long periods but were undone twice by what appeared to be poor rulings in two of Cronulla's three tries.
The Sharks stayed in the contest and nearly looked like forcing victory for Johnson, particularly when the former long-serving Warriors half-back helped forge a 12-2 lead.
He was at his best in putting Briton Nikora across, the beaming smile on the face of the off-season club hopper possibly explaining the deluge of boos that preceded his successful conversion.
Another former Warriors half-back had his moment soon afterwards when Townsend crossed although it was in contentious circumstances.
Matt Moylan's offload found a juggling Bronson Xerri who batted the ball to Townsend. Both transfers hinted at being forward but the bunker was not consulted.
The Sharks barely visited the Warriors zone for the next 50 minutes but all the hosts had to show for it was a slick converted try to Green and a penalty to Issac Luke.
Match officials were back in the spotlight when Sosaia Feki crossed via what appeared a blatant forward pass from Nikora before cleverly controlling the grounding behind his back.
Nikorima busted through and dragged Moylan over the line to reduce Cronulla's lead to 18-16 and the scores were level when Andrew Fifita experienced a lapse in concentration.
The Sharks prop shoulder charged Lachlan Burr without the ball, earning 10 minutes in the sin-bin and gifting two points that set up the dramatic finish.
NRL ladder
ABC/AAP
Topics: sport, rugby-league, nrl, new-zealand, cronulla-2230, penrith-2750, kogarah-2217, wollongong-2500
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