The second of Saturday night’s NRL Round 25 matches is between Canterbury Bulldogs and Penrith Panthers. The opening kick is set to commence at 5:30pm local time with the game to be played at ANZ Stadium. The home team the Canterbury Bulldogs are the current favourites in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between Canterbury Bulldogs and Penrith Panthers.

ANZ Stadium

Saturday 5.30pm

Canterbury Bulldogs $1.42 vs Penrith Panthers $2.85 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Canterbury Bulldogs $1.37 vs Penrith Panthers $3.20 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

Canterbury Bulldogs	1.42	1.34	1.37	1.34	1.42	1.43
Penrith Panthers	2.85	3.25	3.20	3.25	2.85	2.85

Preview:

In yet another intriguing match-up scheduled for this round, Canterbury will host Penrith who have kept their season alive with two good wins in as many weeks.

Canterbury are on 28 points and sixth spot on the ladder, three points clear of a Newcastle (7th) and four in front of a host of teams including the Panthers.

With an away game in Brisbane in round 26, the Dogs must win here to ensure they are not caught up in the traffic-jam of teams beneath them. Especially when their For and Against is marginal.

Despite scoring four tries apiece, the Dogs fell short by eight points against an in-form South Sydney last week.

A slow start proved costly for the Dogs and is something they’ll have to remedy this week and for the finals.

Following a win over the Warriors in New Zealand (28 -24), Penrith consolidated that effort with a 28 – 12 win over Brisbane last week.

Luke Walsh’s kicking game was outstanding and it kept Brisbane under pressure. It will need to be spot on again as the Dogs, unlike the Broncos last week, will make the Panthers earn every point the hard way.

Whilst the Dogs are clear favourites, the Panthers will be buoyed by the record of the Dogs. They have won three of the past four matches and seven of the last ten.

With it all at stake for these two sides, expect a physical encounter as two good-size forward packs go at it to gain the upper hand.

There’s not much between the packs and it could come down to some individuals to create the difference and on this front, Canterbury have a few more to choose from.

Teams:

Canterbury Bulldogs:
Josh Morris, Mitch Brown, Krisnan Inu, Tim Lafai, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, James Graham, Tony Williams, Josh Jackson, Dale Finucane. Interchange: Dene Halatau, Lachlan Burr, Tim Browne, Martin Taupau

Penrith Panthers:
Lachlan Coote, Josh Mansour, Lewis Brown, Dean Whare, David Simmons, Isaac John, Luke Walsh, Sam McKendry, Kevin Kingston, Tim Grant, Clint Newton, Sika Manu, Ryan Simpkins. Interchange: James Segeyaro, Nathan Smith, Jeremy Latimore, Mose Masoe, Matt Moylan

Panthers extend Cleary’s contract

Penrith have extended the contract of coach Ivan Cleary until the end of the 2016 NRL season.

The former Warriors mentor joined the Panthers at the start of the 2012 season on a three-year deal and has been rewarded for the club’s surprisingly good form during this year in earning an extension through the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Panthers supremo Phil Gould said in a club statement announcing the extension that Cleary was the man to take the Panthers forward.

“Ivan has been an integral part of Penrith’s rebuilding process,” Gould said.

“He has done an outstanding job with our NRL team and with establishing a new level of professionalism in our club.

“Ivan has also played a vital role in setting up our development programs all the way back to junior league football, which I know will produce a steady stream of NRL quality players for many years to come.

“Under Ivan’s guidance, we are on our way to making the Panthers a major player in the NRL competition”.

The Panthers finished second last in 2012 in a forgettable year in Cleary’s first season in charge.

But this season the wooden spoon fancies have been the NRL’s surprise packets.

After a slow start to the season, some impressive mid-year form resulted in an an upset win over premiers Melbourne and a record 62-6 win over the Warriors.

They twice put together three-game winning streaks before their performances dipped in the latter stages of the season.

But the Panthers can still qualify for the playoffs if they defeat Canterbury and Manly in the final two rounds.

Cleary said he was happy to have his future secured long-term.

“When I first arrived at Penrith I saw huge potential coming through in the junior ranks and some great talent already cemented in the NRL squad, I’m very positive about the future of the Panthers, and I’m excited to be staying on until 2016,” he said.

“We have some experienced players joining the NRL squad next year, along with a handful of juniors, and I think this mix will see us continue to improve”.

Cleary, who played for 186 first grade games for Manly, North Sydney, Sydney Roosters and the Warriors spent six years coaching the Warriors and took them to the 2011 grand final before joining Penrith.