SAD NEWS: Penrith panthers fullback forward Dylan Edwards was rush to the hospital 25min ago for internal bleeding check up.

Penrith panthers fullback forward Dylan Edwards was rush to the hospital 25min ago for internal bleeding check up.

The Panthers triumphed over the Wests Tigers in Bathurst on Saturday afternoon, marking their return from the bye with a 22-6 victory. While the final score suggests a comfortable win for the defending premiers, the game remained closely contested until James Fisher-Harris’ try nine minutes from the end.

In the first half, the Panthers demonstrated exemplary ball control by completing 20 of 22 sets, followed by a resilient defensive display in the second half. Dylan Edwards, who unfortunately had to leave the field due to a suspected leg injury, showed great anticipation from the back, while Isaah Yeo made an impressive 47 tackles without a miss.

Despite their strong defensive performance in the first half, two dropped bombs resulted in the Wests Tigers trailing 10-6 at halftime. Apisai Koroisau and Junior Tupou’s errors directly led to Sunia Turuva scoring his double, capitalizing on numerical advantage after Penrith caught their opponents short.

Although Penrith’s ball control waned early in the second half, they managed to weather the storm and extended their lead to 10 points with Paul Alamoti’s try in his club debut, followed by a conversion from Dylan Edwards. Fisher-Harris sealed the victory with a try late in the game, with Edwards’ injury being the only setback for Ivan Cleary’s men.

The match saw Penrith maintain an 85 percent completion rate and make only two errors in the first half. Unfortunately, Dylan Edwards suffered a leg injury late in the game, while the Wests Tigers lost winger Junior Tupou to a suspected broken foot. Additionally, Isaiah Papali’i and Latu Fainu of the Wests Tigers were placed on report during the match.

Furthermore, the Panthers continued their dominance in daytime games, having won their last 11 matches played during the day. Sunia Turuva’s impressive form continued, as he has now scored eight tries in his past five games.