Saturday has two NRL matches with the first game for Round 3 is between Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs with the opening kick to commence at 4:30pm. The game is to be played at Sportingbet Stadium Penrith with the favourite for the match being Penrith Panthers. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs.

WHERE AND WHEN: Sportingbet Stadium Penrith, Saturday 22 March 2014 Kickoff 4:30pm

Odds Comparison:

Penrith Panthers	1.57	1.58	1.59	1.58	1.57	1.60
Canterbury Bulldogs	2.45	2.42	2.40	2.42	2.45	2.35

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Preview:

It wasn’t until the second half that the Panthers got the better of a depleted Newcastle outfit in round 1, winning at home 30 – 8. Last week they travelled to Melbourne to take on the Storm and pushed the home-side to their very limit before ultimately going down by a solitary point 18 – 17.

Despite having the better of the play early, the Panthers found themselves behind 8 – 0 after fifteen minutes but this didn’t damper the Panthers enthusiasm and their persistence was rewarded with a converted try to Kevin Naiqama in the 24^th minute followed by a second to Naiqama in the 34^th.

It was a real arm-wrestle under trying weather conditions in the second half with both teams trading blows on the scoreboard including a field goal apiece which had the game all locked up with less than two minutes to play.

For the second week in a row though, the Storm edged out their opponents by a solitary point, with Cooper Cronk kicking the winning field goal inside of the last minute of play.

It was a strong effort by the Panthers who had finished ahead of the Storm in most stats from the match.

Any loss hurts, particularly by a single point, but the Panthers will take a lot of good out of this game.

The Bulldogs are on the relatively quick back after having played Monday night but given they produced a strong win, 42 – 4 over a injury-hit Cronulla Sharks, they’ll be keen to keep the ball rolling as soon as possible.

It was the Bulldogs first win of the season and a much improved effort on their first round loss to the Broncos.

Forwards Sam Kasiano and James Graham led from the front, recording all run metres of 173 and 200 respectively.

This gave the Bulldogs plenty of momentum and room to attack, running in seven tries including one to Trent Hodkinson who amassed a personal tally of 18 points for the game whilst Centre Chase Stanley continues to impress for his new club and recorded a double.

The Bulldogs got the better of the Panthers the only time they met last year, 34 – 14 but the came in round 25 and the Panthers may have already be thinking of the end of year trip.

The 2014 Panthers outfit is a newer model with several new recruits to the club making an immediate impact.

This will be a tight contest and the difference between the two in the betting markets is wider than expected.

The Bulldogs at that price or with the points start may be the value.

Teams:

Penrith Panthers:

1. Matt Moylan 2. Kevin Naiqama 3. Dean Whare 4. Jamal Idris 5. Josh Mansour 6. Jamie Soward 7. Peter Wallace 8. Nigel Plum 9. Kevin Kingston 10. Sam McKendry 11. Lewis Brown 12. Elijah Taylor 13. Adam Docker 14. James Segeyaro 15. Jeremy Latimore 16. Tyrone Peachey 17. Tim Grant

Canterbury Bulldogs:

1. Sam Perrett 2. Mitch Brown 3. Josh Morris 4. Chase Stanley 5. Corey Thompson 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Michael Ennis 10. James Graham 11. Frank Pritchard 12. Tony Williams 13. Dale Finucane 14. Josh Jackson 15. Pat O’Hanlon 16. Tim Browne 17. David Klemmer 19. Moses Mbye

News:

Ivan Cleary believes Penrith are closing the gap on the NRL’s glamour clubs both on and off the field but admits they remain a long way from matching the financial muscle of Saturday’s opponents Canterbury.

Cleary’s Panthers brushed aside Newcastle in round one and lost by a single point to Melbourne at AAMI Park last week and subsequently labelled the competition’s form team by Des Hasler.

Hasler’s claim was laughed off by Cleary on Friday but he was deadly serious about his admiration for the manner in which his rival has been able to splash his club’s cash.

In a busy week at Belmore ahead of their away clash with Penrith, star forward James Graham and representative centre Josh Morris were both re-signed on lucrative deals.

This was followed by confirmation of a $1.1 million three-year contract for exciting young Cronulla hooker Michael Lichaa from 2015 when he’ll be joined by Sharks teammate Andrew Fifita – on a massive $850,000 a season.

“The Bulldogs are the club that we are trying to get to,” Cleary said.

“They have been successful for so long through different eras.

“They’ve always been well coached, from Warren Ryan, when they were known for their defence, through to Chris Anderson where they were the great entertainers and now Des.

“They are financially very strong and backed by a very wealthy leagues club and they do things very well.”

Cleary is now in his third season at the Panthers and the club is on an upward trajectory with big earners like Luke Lewis, Lachlan Coote and Michael Jennings ushered out of the door and the money used to recruit shrewdly.

Elijah Taylor and Peter Wallace have been strong performers this season with Dean Whare, James Segeyaro and Lewis Brown, who joined in 2013, already key players at the club.

The club’s once-fertile nursery is also bearing fruit once again with the U20s side winning last year’s competition and the lower grade teams all excelling.

Cleary said the club is in far better shape then when arrived from the Warriors, and will only get better.

“We’re improving on and off the field for sure, we were in a hell of a mess a couple of years ago,” he said.

“We’re definitely better now as a football team and a club. Our junior teams results have been very pleasing and that is all part of the project. But there is still a long way to go.”

A 40-metre penalty attempt from Wallace that fell just short on the siren prevented the Panthers from taking the Storm to golden point last Saturday as they slipped to a 18-17 loss.

Cleary said the bitter disappointment in the dressing room at the loss, following a very encouraging performance, was another sign the team was on the up.

“We were close and did a lot of things well, but did a lot things not so well .. and we’re weren’t happy about it,” Cleary said.

“But the reality is we didn’t win the game so it counts for nothing. We need to get back on track on Saturday.”