Panthers Rest 16 Stars Ahead of Bulldogs Clash
Big news has just come out of Penrith, and it’s shaking up the NRL landscape. The Panthers are making a massive 16 changes to their lineup for this week’s clash against the Bulldogs. Yes, you heard that right—16 players are being rested, and together they have a staggering 1,943 games of NRL experience. It’s almost as if the heart and soul of the team is being put on ice for a week.
Coach Ivan Cleary has made this bold decision because the Panthers, currently sitting seventh on the ladder, only have a slim chance of finishing in the top four this season. After some tough losses in golden-point matches against Melbourne and Canberra, the pathway to a top-four finish has become extremely unlikely. Rather than pushing his stars through a game that might not impact their finals campaign, Cleary has opted to rest his key players, including household names like Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Moses Leota, and Brian To’o.
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This move is particularly striking because it essentially leaves the team with very little first-grade experience on the field. In fact, only Brad Schneider, who was named on the bench but didn’t play against Canberra, remains from the usual starting lineup. He will take on the halfback role, while the rest of the team includes four NRL debutants, including Austin Dias and Riley Price, the son of Bulldogs legend Steve Price. Leadership will fall to lock Matt Eisenhuth, who will captain this largely fresh-faced squad.
The strategy behind this is pretty clear when you look at the bigger picture. Penrith has already secured a top-eight spot, but the likelihood of breaking into the top four is slim. Since the NRL era began in 1998, no team outside the top four has ever gone on to win the premiership. By resting the stars now, Cleary is ensuring they’ll be fresh and ready for the finals, where four consecutive knockout games lie ahead for the defending champions. It’s a calculated risk—losing this game might sting, but the potential payoff in a fully charged finals campaign is enormous.
Word of this decision had already started leaking on Monday, which caused quite a stir in the betting market. The Bulldogs, who will be missing Viliame Kikau due to a skin infection and prop Harry Hayes, suddenly became overwhelming favorites. Their odds have shortened dramatically, even as the Panthers enter the game as $8 outsiders.
So, Thursday’s game at Stadium Australia will be one to watch, not just for the result, but for the sheer novelty of seeing the Panthers take the field with so much new talent. It’s a bold, almost audacious move by Cleary, and it speaks volumes about his confidence in both his experienced players’ recovery and the resilience of the squad he’s putting forward. The NRL world will be watching closely to see if this gamble pays off in their quest for a fifth consecutive premiership.
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