LeagueNews.co | Nick Loken
The NSW Cup Panthers have been knocked out of the Semi-Finals by the Raiders, as reported by penrithpanthers.com.au.
The Raiders got off to a flying start, opening the scoring in the seventh minute with a slick pass from Nick Cotric to winger Jed Stuart, putting them in the lead (4-0).
They wasted no time in extending their lead to 16-0 with two converted tries from James Schiller and Emre Guller.
Penrith found themselves on the back foot as Canberra added more points with Simi Sasagi crashing through their defensive line (22-0).
The Panthers managed to claw back some points just before half time, creating an overlap on the right-hand side for winger Asu Kepaoa to dive over in the corner, bringing the score to 22-4.
However, the Raiders came out strong in the second half, easily making their way up the field before Mitchell Spencer crashed over the line (28-4).
Despite their best efforts, Penrith struggled to break through the Raiders' defense until hooker Luke Sommerton stepped past defenders to score under the posts (28-10) after three consecutive sets.
It was a tough loss for the Panthers, but they gave it their all on the field.
The Raiders proved too strong on the day, but Penrith can hold their heads high knowing they fought until the end.
It's all part of the game, and the Panthers will regroup and come back stronger next season.