This was supposed to be the biggest mismatch of the weekend, but the Panthers proved yet again that they boast an unrivalled talent factory as their NSW Cup players stood tall while the NRL stars were in Las Vegas.
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The 38-22 win over a Manly side that was missing the Trbojevic brothers and Daly Cherry-Evans was a stunning result and should strike fear into the rest of the NRL that they have a production line of players ready to step up when required.
No one was more impressive than Trent Toelau who is behind Blaize Talagi, Brad Schneider and Jack Cole in the depth chart, but was best on ground with a try and a couple of assists as winger David Fale also chipped in with a double.
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Toelau played 12 games off the bench last season and could easily slot in as their utility as he showed off all the skills with a couple of pinpoint kicks to go with his little show and go close to the line as his side raced out to a 22-4 lead at the break.
It was a terrific result for a side that only had six guys with NRL experience, with Manly failing to fire any shots apart from a two-minute blitz in the second half.
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Combinations
It’s still unclear who will miss out for a spot in Manly’s back five, but you can already pencil Lehi Hopoate in for round one after he again showed his versatility at Leichhardt Oval.
The young gun had a breakout 2024 season and is tipped to be even better this year with reports he is the long-term option at fullback if Tom Trbojevic moves to centre or five-eighth.
Hopoate started on the left wing but moved to fullback where his half break led to the Ray Vaega try which sparked Manly’s second-half mini comeback.
Recruit Watch
Siosiua Taukeiaho hasn’t played in the NRL since 2022 and failed a medical to join Canterbury, but he looks set to feature in Manly’s 17 this season.
The former Rooster is another big body in the middle that they’ve been searching for, and he showed his value with a lovely short ball to set up a rampaging Ethan Bullemor for a second-half try on his birthday.
Tom Jenkins is back in Penrith after a failed stint in Newcastle that lasted just one year, and while he’s down in the pecking order, he showed he can easily slot back into the system as he pounced on a grubber to score
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Rookie Watch
Sea Eagles fans have talked up Caleb Navale this pre-season, but he missed a simple one-on-one tackle that led to a try and saw him hooked.
He played a couple of games last year and is a genuine option to play lock if Jake Trbojevic is eventually moved to prop, with the Fijian international boasting all the skills needed to make it in the NRL.
Hot Take
Hopoate only played 14 games last year but still had the sixth-most line-breaks for Manly. He’ll shoot up the rankings this season and finish with at least 20 clean breaks and 15 tries as he announces himself as a genuine star.
Final Say
Penrith will be hard to beat in NSW Cup this season, while the Sea Eagles again showed just how valuable the Trbojevic boys and Cherry-Evans are.
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