LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Penrith Panthers have suffered a devastating blow on home turf as they narrowly lost to the Melbourne Storm by a score of 24-22 in a fierce battle at BlueBet Stadium on Thursday night.
The Storm now have a comfortable four-point lead over the Panthers with only three games left in the regular season, putting them in a commanding position to clinch the top spot.
Despite putting up a valiant fight, the Panthers were unable to overcome the ruthless Storm.
To make matters worse, their star halfback Nathan Cleary sustained a shoulder injury towards the end of the match, adding insult to injury.
The game got off to a rocky start for the Panthers, with a costly mistake by Daine Laurie deep in their own territory giving the Storm an early opportunity to strike.
Winger Grant Anderson seized the moment and scored in the left corner, putting the visitors ahead.
The Storm continued their dominance in the 15th minute, with Will Warbrick expertly tapping down a Jahrome Hughes bomb for Eli Katoa to crash over the try line.
Nick Meaney's successful conversion extended their lead to 10-0.
The Panthers showed resilience and fought back in the 22nd minute when Isaah Yeo set up edge back-rower Lindsay Smith for a try, narrowing the gap.
Despite their efforts, the Storm managed to maintain their lead and secure the hard-fought victory, leaving the Panthers to ponder what could have been.