LIVE: History in Panthers star’s ‘ridiculous’ 72-year first as ‘genius’ Cleary move stuns
The Penrith Panthers defeated the Canberra Raiders 42-18, maintaining their strong trajectory toward a minor premiership. Meanwhile, the Raiders face a difficult path to qualify for the 2026 finals following a disappointing season.
Why it matters
The match highlights the ongoing dominance of the Penrith Panthers dynasty and the potential collapse of the previous year's minor premiers.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP ‘Ricky’s head will explode’: Blunder says it all as Panthers star’s 72-year history, ‘unusual’ pre-game sight stun Stuart furious with sloppy Raiders | 02:10 Eamonn Tiernan with Andrew Jackson from Fox Sports August 1st, 2026 9:10 pm There was no repeat of the Miracle in Mudgee 12 months ago as the Panthers dispatched the Raiders 42-18 to charge towards yet another minor premiership.
It was this time last year that Canberra produced a famous last-gasp victory to help seal their first minor premiership in 35 years, but the defeat on Saturday night means they’ll now likely miss finals altogether in 2026.
That would make Ricky Stuart’s side the first team in over a decade to finish on top of the table then miss finals the following season.
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