League: Junior Warriors pumped by Panthers

The Junior Warriors' quest for another Holden Cup is over. Photo / Getty

Junior Panthers 50
Junior Warriors 16

The Junior Warriors' dreams of another NYC title lay in tatters after their defence was destroyed by Penrith in tonight's semifinal at Suncorp Stadium.

The reigning champions were seeking a fourth grand final appearance in six seasons but were instead thrashed as the Panthers ran in eight tries.

A week after thumping the Broncos to advance to the final four, the Warriors' attack was largely blunted while their defence was in disarray.

It looked like Kelvin Wright's side were in form for another romp when Marata Niukore scored the opener after five minutes, but it was all downhill from there.

Penrith soon hit back through Sonu Luke and, applying continual pressure through repeat sets, the Warriors' defensive workload eventually told as Fuimanu Enese and Dylan Edwards put the Panthers in control.

The second spell started in the same fashion, with Penrith crossing from their first set when Brent Naden pulled down a bomb and found Robert Jenning in support. And while the Warriors hit back through Jazz Tevaga to give themselves some hope, the strength of Kaide Ellis essentially sealed the win.

There was still time for the minor premiers to run in a further three tries as the Warriors unsuccessfully chased the game, setting up a grand final clash with either the Cowboys or the Sea Eagles.

Junior Panthers 50 (Luke, Enese, Edwards 2, Jennings, Ellis, Harawira-Naera, May, Ennis tries; Izzard con, Edwards 6 cons)
Junior Warriors 16 (Niukore, Tevaga, Aoake tries; Hingano con, Abbey con)
HT: 14-4