Panthers comeback stuns Warriors in NRL

Penrith have recorded a remarkable 36-28 NRL comeback win over the Warriors at Pepper Stadium.

Penrith have revived their NRL premiership aspirations after overturning a 22-point halftime deficit to shock the Warriors 36-28 at Pepper Stadium on Saturday.

When the Panthers trudged off at halftime trailing 28-6 they were booed by the 11,588-strong crowd and their season looked like it had flatlined.

However, after running in five unanswered tries in the second half, they looked capable of doing anything in this competition.

While they're still 3-7 and in the bottom four, it was an important two points in the context of the Panthers' season and broke a five-game winning streak.

Asked if he believed his side could come back from 22-points down at halftime, coach Anthony Griffin said: "What do you want me to say? No?

"There's no lack of belief in our guys, I thought we should have won that Brisbane game.

"We're just finding way to get ourselves a long way behind on the scoreboard at the moment.

"It takes a real team effort and a tough team to come off the canvas like that."

Isaah Yeo was the unlikely hero for the Panthers, scoring either side of halfltime before putting Waqa Blake through a hole, with the Panthers centre running over the top of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to make it 28-24 after 56 minutes.

When Matt Moylan crossed in the 59th and Nathan Cleary potted the subsequent conversion, the Panthers had done the unthinkable and taken the lead.

Tyrone Peachey crossed four minutes from fulltime and Penrith were suddenly looking like they were capable of shocking any team.

It was the Panthers' second-biggest comeback, falling just short of the 23-point disadvantage they clawed back from against the Wests Tigers in 2000.

Penrith will head to Newcastle next week with their finals hopes flickering and full of self belief.

For the Warriors, it was their biggest collapse, eclipsing the 18-point lead they gave up against Manly in 2012.

Kieran Foran, fresh off securing his long-term future with Canterbury, was good in the first half - scoring a try and setting up Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad's second four-pointer - however there were few highlights for the Warriors.

It leaves Stephen Kearney's side winless in Australia this year and will prompt big questions about their top-eight credentials.

"One thing I do know is the Panthers certainly turned up the intensity in the second half and we just couldn't match it," Kearney said.

"We just couldn't go with them. We spoke about it at halftime - making sure we maintain the pressure and intensity.

"We spoke about it but we just didn't deliver with our actions."

Luckless Penrith backrower James Fisher-Harris is set to spend time on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.


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Source: AAP



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