1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:06amLive: Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers3m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 9:08am44′ TRY: Panthers score again as rain falls in Newcastle
3m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 9:08am44′ TRY: Panthers score again as rain falls in NewcastleRain is now hammering down at Newcastle.
It is also raining points for the Panthers.
Centre Casey McLean crashes over for Penrith’s sixth try.
Newcastle put themselves under pressure with a penalty for making illegal contact on Nathan Cleary when the Penrith halfback kicked the ball. That is the second time Newcastle has been penalised for that tonight.
With another full set inside Newcastle’s half, the Panthers played very simple footy, and McLean crashed over after receiving a short pass near the goal line.
Panthers 32
Knights 0
7m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 9:03am
Seocnd half begins in Newcastle
The Knights will have the first use of the ball in the second half.
It is easily their best set of the match.
The Knights were able to get into the Penrith half, before a sloppy offload landed in the arms of a Panther, Liam Henry.
14m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:56amMam and Cobbo reportedly could miss the rest of the NRL season
The Brisbane Broncos were rocked last night with hamstring injuries to captain and halfback Adam Reynolds, five-eighth Ezra Mam and winger Selwyn Cobbo.
Erza Mam could be out for the rest of the NRL season. (AAP)
AAP are reporting that Adam Reynolds is hoped to return for the finals, should the Broncos make it.
Meanwhile, the outlook looks worse for Mam and Cobbo.
AAP reports that both are expected to miss more than four weeks.
19m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:52am
Could the Panthers blow another half-time lead?
Panthers up by plenty-to-nil at halftime. Nobody mention last week…
– W
G’day W.
Penrith led 24-0 last week against the Titans, but then the premiers found themselves down 24-26 late in the second half.
Could it happen again? It is hard to see the Panthers giving up this lead.
21m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:49amHT: Penrith Panthers 26 leading Newcastle Knights 0
That was a dominant first half.
The Panthers have scored five tries.
The Knights never looked like scoring.
The Panthers deserve their 26-0 lead at half-time.
Penrith had a 24-0 lead last week, and the Titans took them to golden point.
It is hard to see that happening again tonight.
25m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:45am40′ TRY: Panthers score on the stroke of half-time
Left winger Thomas Jenkins has scored with seven seconds left in the half.
Liam Martin made a break on the halfway, slicing through poor Newcastle defence.
Martin was brought down, and then a hit-up from Scott Sorensen, who is brought down a metre from the line.
This is the last play, and the Panthers go to the left.
Five-eighth Blaize Talagi puts in a poor grubber, put it hits a Newcastle player’s leg and pops into the air.
Talagi catches the ball and gives it to hooker Mithc Kenny. Kenny then fires a ball to an unmarked left winger, and Jenkins scores.
Panthers 26
Knights 0
27m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:43am38′ TRY: Brian To’o dives into the corner and scores
It is four tries for the Penrith Panthers.
They had the best part of three straight sets of six at the Newcastle line.
Twice the tackle count was restarted with a Knights player touching the ball on the final play.
Then a set-restart gave Penrith a third full fourth full set.
The Knights defended valiantly, but the pressure was too much.
The Panthers shifted to the right, and Brian To’o dived into the right corner.
“I’ve never seen such field position dominance … and their line speed is brilliant, the Panthers,” ABC Sport’s Luke Lewis says.
Panthers 20
Knights 0
33m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:37am
33′ Pheonix Crossland off for a HIA
Newcastle forward Pheonix Crossland has come off for a Head Injury Assessment.
He will be out until at least the second half.
Meanwhile, the Panthers are dominating this contest.
It feels like one more try may be enough for the win.
Newcastle have had attacking issues all year, and coming back from 20+ points down seems unlikely.
Nathan Cleary came millimetres from scoring Penrith’s fourth try, but was desperately brought down by three tacklers.
43m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:28am26′ TRY: Panthers score a third try
It was not the prettiest looking try, but it counts.
Liam Henry has scored for the Panthers.
It started with a linebreak down the right wing from Brian To’o.
On the next play, Nathan Cleary runs the ball to the line, and passes inside to Scott Sorensen, who runs for the line.
Sorensen was tackled, two metres from the line, and threw a wild offload.
It hits a Knights player who is on the ground, and Henry picks up the loose ball and scores.
Panther 16
Knights 0
45m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:26am
23′ Knights holding on as Panthers apply pressure
The Panthers are making metres for fun when they have the ball.
The Knights are more often then not starting all of their sets on their goal ine.
The kicking from Nathan Cleary has been excellent through 23 minutes.
“Nathan Cleary’s kicking is putting [Newcastle] under enormous pressure,” says ABC Sport’s John Gibbs.
One negative for Penrith is their execution close to the line.
Despite scoring two early tries, Penrith have had many more chances to add to their score.
The Panthers have not been crisp in attack near the goal line.
53m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:17am
14′ Nathan Cleary nails a 40/20
The Panthers have another chance at the Newcastle line.
From his own 30-metre line, Nathan Cleary has nailed a 40/20.
Newcastle fullback Dane Gagai produced a massive dive to save it, but the Queenslander could not throw the ball back into the field of play.
The Knights were able hold on their line, and repell the Panthers.
56m agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:15am
11′ Penrith miss a chance after being gifted soft penalty
Penrith had a penalty 10 metres from the Knights’ goal line, after a penalty against Newcastle for a hit on Nathan Cleary.
Knights forward Jermaine McEwen rushed Cleary and pushed the Panthers’ number seven as he kicked the ball.
That has led to the penalty downfield.
Ref Wyatt Raymond says the defender needed to make a genuine tackle attempt, rather than a push.
“They’ve been giving those all year,” says ABC Sport’s Luke Lewis.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, a poor pass from Dylan Edwards is dived on by a Knights player.
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:07am6′ TRY: Panthers strike again
The Panthers score off the restart.
Prop Lindsay Smith scores the try, after the Knights fail to defuse a bomb.
Nathan Cleary put up a bomb, and Newcastle winger Greg Marzhew dropped it.
Prop Moses Leota collects the footy, then gives it to his fellow front-row partner for the try.
Panthers 10
Knights 0
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:04am3′ TRY: Panthers score early
It has not taken the Penrith Panthers long to get on the scoreboard tonight.
On their second set with the ball, they score through second-row forward Luke Garner.
A six-again restart on the halfway helped the Panthers, and they have made the Knights pay.
On the final tackle, the Panthers ran the ball down the left, five-eighth Blaize Talagi held the ball for as long as he dared, then gave the ball to Garner, who easily beat the defence of Fletcher Hunt for the try.
Nathan Cleary misses the kick from wide.
Panthers 4
Knights 0
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 8:01amKICK-OFF: Knights vs Panthers
Referee Wyatt Raymond blows his whistle … Friday’s NRL action begins.
Fletcher Hunt kicks the ball for Newcastle.
The Panthers get through their first set well.
Nathan Cleary kicks from the halfway.
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 7:55am
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1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 7:45am
Can the Knights or Sea Eagles cause an upset on Friday night?
Hello Mick, After unsuccessfully tipping a Broncos upset win last night I’ve opted for a comfortably dull evening tonight by tipping the favourites, Penrith and Canberra.
– Mike
G’day Mike.
Thanks for joining me on the ABC Sport live blog.
Brisbane were unlucky last night. There was a terrific game of footy brewing for 20 minutes, but the injuries to Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam felt fatal, despite Brisbane putting in a really good effort.
Tonight, it is hard to see Canberra or Penrith losing, despite both teams not playing well last weekend.
It should be a good night of entertainment.
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 7:35am
Eels hooker Ryley Smith joins ABC Sport
If you want to know something about how the Panthers tick, go to a former Penrith junior.
Current Parramatta Hooker and former Penrith Panthers junior Ryley Smith joined the ABC Sport NRL call team to discuss everything from representing Australia in schoolboys cricket, his pinch-me moments playing first grade.
1h agoFri 8 Aug 2025 at 7:25am
Milestones for Newcastle players
A couple of milestones to look out for this evening.
Newcastle hooker Jayden Brailey will play in his 150th NRL match tonight.
When Knights player Tyson Frizell comes off the bench, it will be his 100th match for the club.