Penrith Park will play host to Friday's NRL game between Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with Penrith Panthers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Penrith Panthers vs. Sydney Roosters game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday September 13, 2024 at 7:50 pm

Where: Penrith Park

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Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters Odds

Penrith Panthers vs Sydney Roosters Preview

Perennial heavyweights Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters have won five of the last six premierships between them, but this blockbuster qualifying final has been overshadowed by the combatants’ injury concerns and setbacks.  

The second-placed Panthers have been in limbo since Nathan Cleary’s shoulder injury suffered in their Round 24 loss to Melbourne. They subsequently lost in Canberra, beat Souths easily and earned a scrappy 18-12 win over Gold Coast in the final round.  

Cleary has been named in an otherwise unchanged, full-strength line-up for the three-time champs but will be an obvious target – particularly for likes of rampaging Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton and former teammate Spencer Leniu.  

The Roosters, meanwhile, are still grappling with season-ending ACLs to spine duo Sam Walker and Brandon Smith, while Victor Radley also remains sidelined for now. Sandon Smith and Connor Watson filled the playmaking breach adequately in a 36-28 win over the Rabbitohs last Friday.  

Dom Young, Daniel Tupou, Lindsay Collins and Nat Butcher all return for Trent Robinson’s side after missing last week.  

The Panthers are on a nine-match winning streak against the Roosters, whose last win in the rivalry was during their 2019 heyday. Their sole clash this season saw the Cleary-less Panthers prevail 22-16 at Allianz Stadium, with Sunia Turuva scoring a hat-trick. 

Penrith are 3-1 against the Tricolours in finals matches, including qualifying final thrillers in 2014 (19-18) and 2020 (29-28). The Roosters are 2-5 overall in the post-season since winning back-to-back titles in 2018-19. The Panthers have won nine straight finals matches.  

Cleary’s presence – even if underdone – along with their dominance of the Roosters, their finals record and home-ground advantage (where the Roosters haven’t won since 2017) are all impossible to overlook, despite the blue-chip quality still in the visitors’ ranks.  

The Panthers know how to get the job done in September and should book the first preliminary final berth in typically gritty style.