Thursday’s NRL 2018 Round 11 match is between Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:50 local time with the game to be played at Panthers Stadium, Sydney. The home team Penrith Panthers are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers.
When: 19:50 | Thursday 17/05/2018
Where: Panthers Stadium, Sydney
Preview:
What a massive game this poses to be in the Cleary household.
Father v the possible return of the favourite son back at the foot of the mountains.
On the back of assuming that Nathan is playing, I feel with so much emotion and focus around him that he and his teammates will rise again as they have done so often in 2018.
A lot has been spoken about how this will affect Maloney and how he’s playing.
He’s in outstanding form and I feel he’ll adapt with no worries.
When a door closes in footy, another always opens and Mahe Fonua is certainly taking his opportunity with both hands.
So powerful in all areas of the game and again will be hard to handle.
His last start was sensational.
KEY BATTLE: Nathan Cleary v Luke Brooks
The key battle for me will again be the two young halfbacks.
For Brooks, he’ll look to win the personal battle and as for Nathan, he’ll be knowing all eyes are on him.
He’s a calm customer and should be fine.
The Verdict
Hard to beat in the cold at home.
Penrith has a 21-12 (63.6 percent) record after a win, playing as a home team since 2013.
Unibet Odds:
Penrith at $1.60
Wests Tigers at $2.38
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Penrith Panthers at $1.52
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Dean Whare at $14.00
More Info:
Teams:
Penrith Panthers:
1 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 2 Christian Crichton, 3 Tyrone Peachey, 4 Dean Whare, 5 Tyrone Phillips, 6 James Maloney (c), 7 Nathan Cleary, 8 Trent Merrin, 9 Sione Katoa, 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11 Corey Harawira-Naera, 12 Isaah Yeo, 13 James Fisher-Harris
Interchange: 14 Wayde Egan, 15 Jack Hetherington, 16 Viliame Kikau, 17 James Tamou.
Wests Tigers: 
1 Corey Thompson, 2 David Nofoaluma, 3 Esan Marsters, 4 Kevin Naiqama, 5 Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, 6 Benji Marshall, 7 Luke Brooks, 8 Russell Packer (c), 9 Elijah Taylor, 10 Ben Matulino, 11 Chris Lawrence, 12 Robbie Rochow, 13 Matthew Eisenhuth
Interchange: 14 Alex Twal, 15 Jacob Liddle, 16 Michael Chee-Kam, 17 Sauaso Sue
Reserves: 18 Tim Grant, 19 Chris McQueen, 20 Josh Aloiai, 21 Tyson Gamble.
NRL News:
Just when their injury crisis appeared to be slowing down, Penrith have suffered another injury blow after skipper Peter Wallace was ruled out for two weeks with a shoulder injury.
The veteran hooker had been carrying the injury for a number of matches but aggravated the issue during last week’s NRL win over Newcastle.
Youngster Sione Katoa has been named in the No.9 jumper for Thursday’s round 11 clash against the Wests Tigers, with rookie rake Wayde Egan on the bench.
Veteran James Maloney will captain the Panthers in the absence of Wallace, who also missed a match earlier this year due to a neck problem.
“He’s got a tendon problem in his shoulder,” Griffin said of Wallace on Wednesday.
“It wasn’t too bad but it flared up after the game. We had some scans on him on Saturday and the medical staff have said a couple of weeks to settle it down.”
While halfback Nathan Cleary makes his anticipated return from a seven-week layoff with a knee injury, Wallace’s absence robs Griffin of fielding his strongest spine.
He’s already had to deal with losing first-choice fullback Dylan Edwards to a season-ending shoulder problem, while Josh Mansour, Waqa Blake, and Moses Leota are also in the casualty ward.
However despite their inability to stay healthy, the Panthers sit in second spot.
“I wouldn’t say surprised, I’m pleased. You find out a lot about your club and your team when you’re faced with a few challenges, and we’ve met those challenges,” Griffin said.
“We’ve shown a good resilience as a group. We’ve had five debutants this year and every time we’ve given someone an opportunity, they’ve taken it.
“We’ve still got a real battle on our hands going forward but at the moment, we’ve been going okay.”
