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Find your frequency hereUnder-pressure Panthers survive golden-point thriller
Joel Gould, AAP • August 2nd, 2025 8:50 pm
Penrith needed extra time to fend off a gallant Titans side on the Gold Coast | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
Penrith five-eighth sensation Blaize Talagi has scored a golden-point try for the ages to down a brave Gold Coast 30-26 in a drama-charged classic at Robina.
Panthers halves Talagi and Nathan Cleary orchestrated a 24-0 lead by half-time before the Titans hit back in stunning fashion in front of 18,174 fans on Saturday.
Gold Coast fullback AJ Brimson and half Jayden Campbell turned it on with sheer individual brilliance as the hosts scored five tries in 25 minutes to take a 26-24 lead in the 74th minute.
The high drama continued when a Penrith trainer ran in front of Campbell as he was preparing to line up the conversion. He missed after re-setting.
"Did it cost us the game? I don't know," Titans coach Des Hasler said of the trainer's actions.
"He will get breached. That's the only thing that's going to come out of it."
Cleary, as only he can, landed a 41m two-point field goal in the 79th to take the match to golden point.
He then missed his first field goal shot from 30m out before 20-year-old Talagi started and finished a 60m attacking raid in the 83rd minute.
"When we went behind we got better. We went after the game and I thought our composure in that period was really good and hopefully augurs well for the future," coach Ivan Cleary said.
"Nat's field goal was unbelievable after a great pass by Mitch Kenny. We played well under pressure and that includes the young guys."
Ivan Cleary said the Penrith trainer's actions were not deliberate.
"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had a sub and I changed it at the last minute," he said.
"He was trying to communicate with the bench for a late change. It was an honest mistake. He apologised straight away."
The Panthers secured an eighth consecutive victory to leave the four-time defending premiers on 29 competition points, just one behind the fourth-positioned Warriors.
In an ominous omen, Penrith have made the grand final on all five occasions (2003 and 2020-2024) they have previously won eight in a row.
Nathan Cleary lands a remarkable two-point field goal to take the contest to extra time | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
They were cruising at half-time but Gold Coast had other ideas.
Brimson sent centre Brian Kelly in before Campbell intercepted a Cleary pass to race 90m and get the 16th-placed Titans on the board.
Campbell was at it again to step and weave his way through and hooker Sam Verrills dived over from dummy-half. Minutes later Phil Sami finished off a Brimson bust and the lead had been cut to two.
Sami was in again after Penrith muffed a Kieran Foran bomb and Gold Coast led with six minutes to play.
"I thought they showed a lot of character," Hasler said.
"We got back to 26-24 and it is probably fair to say we deserved to win but great players come up with clutch moments."
Phillip Sami can't believe the second-half turnaround on the Gold Coast | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
The Titans scored three tries when centre Izack Tago was in the sin bin for a professional foul on Brian Kelly.
It was Cleary and Talagi brilliance that then saved Penrith.
Talagi has been a revelation in 2025 after filling the big shoes of club legend Jarome Luai.
In the first half, Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins snaffled a Talagi bomb and Cleary sent fullback Dylan Edwards over with a sublime pass.
Cleary, again, bombed away and Talagi leapt high before streaking away under the sticks.
Centre Casey McLean then rocketed 55m to score on the cusp of half-time.
The fireworks then exploded after the break in what was a sensational confrontation.
