Penrith are within touching distance of a home NRL final after upsetting a depleted Melbourne side 22‑16, a result which also has ramifications for Storm's minor premiership hopes.
The Panthers arrested their poor form in back‑to‑back losses to the Knights and the Warriors with a handy five‑tries‑to‑two win last night.
Barring a huge win by Brisbane tomorrow the Panthers will host a final.
The result was good news for the Sydney Roosters.
If they beat the Eels by 27 points tonight, they will pass Melbourne and claim the J.J. Giltinan Shield.
The Broncos and Dragons would need to enjoy big wins in their remaining games of round 25 to dislodge the Panthers from either fifth or sixth spot.
And the Sharks would need to lose to the Bulldogs by 29 points for the Panthers to push their way into the top‑four.
The Panthers had not won in Melbourne since 2005.
Meanwhile, the Warriors paid Simon Mannering the greatest tribute they could last night by defeating the Raiders 20‑16 in the NRL at Mt Smart Stadium.
Mannering, the man of the night, had to watch nearly all of the second half from the touchline after picking up an injury and it's unclear whether that will prevent him from adding to his 300 appearances for the club.
But in his absence his team‑mates stood up defiantly against a Raiders side that never gave up.
This was a dramatic game, befitting a night where 24,595 spectators packed into the stadium.
The Warriors won't know their final position on the ladder until the final game of the round, when the Broncos host the Sea Eagles tomorrow afternoon, although the players won't see that game as it clashes with the club's end of season awards.
[Source: stuff.co/www.nrl.com]
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