Roosters 34
Panthers 12
The Roosters' playoff momentum proved too difficult to handle for the Panthers last night at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The hosts issued another timely cock-a-doodle-do to those who gave last year's wooden spooners no chance of taking out a premiership. The Roosters will play the Gold Coast in a semifinal in Brisbane this Friday night.
They remain the only team alive from the bottom four of the playoffs heading into the third week of finals.
Sydney roamed free, stringing together set after set and pass after pass, forcing Penrith into desperate defence.
Somehow the Panthers clung on for much of the first half, conceding just two tries. They missed over a dozen tackles and the Roosters capitalised, often with flowing football from within their own territory using skill merchants such as Dally M player of the year Todd Carney, halfback Mitchell Pearce and captain Braith Anasta.
That is how the first try came in the 12th minute. The ball was spun across the field inside the Roosters' 20m line but they made easy ground as players hit the ball flush and with pace.
Phil Graham ended up with space down the left before drawing and passing to Pearce looming on the inside for a 40m run to the line. Second-rower Anasta snapped up a pass and burst through after a play-the-ball five metres from the Panthers line to give the Roosters a 12-0 cushion before the break.
The Panthers were not helped by several injuries in addition to Trent Waterhouse and Frank Pritchard already being ruled out. Centre Michael Jennings hurt his ankle, Luke Lewis suffered concussion midway through the first half and interchange player Gavin Cooper corked a thigh.
The Roosters backed up their expansive try in the first half with a similar effort six minutes into the second, as Pearce spun the most visionary pass of the match to Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who eased into the line 30m out and flicked it to Sam Perrett. That combination might be reunited in the Four Nations.
Penrith struck back a couple of times but the Roosters remained in command, opening up the game with three more tries towards the end.
The match also pitted two unsuccessful NRL finals series coaches against each other. Penrith coach Matthew Elliott's miserable record continued - he has now been to the finals five times for seven straight losses, two with the Panthers and five with the Raiders.
Conversely Brian Smith, named coach of the year at the Dally M awards, keeps alive his dream of a first premiership.
It is 26 years since he initially coached first grade with Illawarra. He has made three grand finals - 1992-93 (with St George) and 2001 (with Parramatta) - but has never won.
Roosters 34 (M. Pearce, B. Anasta, S. Perrett 2, A. Minichiello, T. Carney tries, Carney 5 goals) Panthers 12 (A. Purtell, W. Graham tries, M. Gordon 2 goals). Halftime: 12-0.
