Live: Panthers beat rival Eels despite Lomax scoring try of the year contender

There are no late changes for the Brisbane Broncos.

We knew Payne Haas would not play, and Kobe Hetherington would start at prop. Ben Talty is on the bench.

For the Titans, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui will start on the bench and Jaimin Jolliffe will be the starting lock.

 Alofiana Khan-Pereira is added to the bench, at the expense of Jacob Alick-Wiencke.

It depends on whether you thought they ever left, Mike.

But this is a champion team, filled with champion players, who in the last four years have had a career’s worth of success.

They are in the hunt for the premiership again in 2025.

Isaah Yeo has joined ABC Sport after his Panthers defeated the Eels 32-10.

The Panthers, four-time defending premiers, started 2025 poorly and were last at one point.

But they are now in the top eight and in the hunt again for another title.

“I just feel like we’re building at the moment,’ Yeo says.

“It hasn’t all been perfect, but I feel like our best footy is still in front of us.

“We’re in a position where we’ve got to keep winning.

“I feel like our confidence is growing.”

Penrith have a fifth straight win, defeating archrivals Parramatta 32-10.

It was a tense contest for 60 minutes, but the class of the Panthers proved too much in the end.

Penrith prop forward Lindsay Smith has scored as the Eels defence capitulated.

Attacking the goal line, Smith took a dart from dummy half and was held by three Eels defenders.

But the Eels defenders could not hold him, as Smith ripped and fought and grounded the ball.

Two-time premiership winner Luke Lewis was not impressed with Parramatta’s effort.

“That is absolutely ridiculous. That was too easy.” — Luke Lewis, ABC Sport.

Nathan Cleary’s work his done.

He has come off the field for the final four minutes.

Curiously for the Eels, Dylan Brown has come back onto the field; too little, too late.

Nathan Cleary has scored and iced the game for the Panthers.

It was a beautiful piece of halfback play.

He ran across to the right.

He faked and inside pass once.

He faked and inside pass twice.

Cleary then throws a dummy to the outside, and a big hole opens in the Parramatta defence.

It was all in slow motion for Cleary.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

A quick note, because I think I missed it earlier.

Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown has not been on the field since the 30th minute.

He came off for Tallyn Da Silva and has not returned.

It is not believed he is injured. It is just tactical.

Brown is leaving the Eels at the end of the season, so Parra fans will need to get used to not seeing him in blue and gold.

Heartbreak for Parramatta.

Zac Lomax looked destined to score in the right corner.

But he dropped the ball before he could make the 10-metre run to score.

Penrith have picked up the footy and they are running the other way.

Thomas Jenkins is streaking down the wing, and Parra fullback Isaiah Iongi makes a try-saving tackle.

But the Eels’ defensive line is in all sorts.

The Panthers spin the ball from one wing to the other, and Paul Alamoti has the ball 45 metres out — and there is no one in front of him.

TRY. TRY. TRY.

Alamoti scores in the right corner.

It should have been a try for the Eels, instead the Panthers extend their lead.

Penrith 22

Parramatta 10

Izack Tago has scored for the Panthers.

He was brought down a metre short, but he reached out and grounded the footy on the line.

He put on a wicked sidestep to burst through the defensive line. Outstanding individual effort.

Parramatta have been its own worst enemy. They have conceded several unforced errors in this half, putting themselves under pressure.

Penrith 18

Parramatta 10

The opening 10 minutes of the second half, is just a repeat of the first half.

Both teams have had chances to launch threatening attacks, but sloppy play and strong defence has meant we have no change to the half-time score.

Some news out of half-time.

Parramatta’s Kitione Kautoga has his foot on ice after injuring his ankle in the final minute of the first half.

— reporting by AAP

The Brisbane Broncos will rest NSW prop Payne Haas from the clash as they target a fifth consecutive win.

Haas has been managing a lower back complaint all season and coach Michael Maguire has taken the opportunity to rest him.

Rookie prop Ben Talty will get his second NRL game in a row and is set to slot on to the bench.

“Payne won’t play. It’s more a case of looking after him really,” Maguire said on Saturday.

“He has had a fair bit going over the last month with his back, so we feel it’s the right thing to do at the moment.

“Ben performed really well last week. I like to pick on performances, so he will come in and do a good job again.

“Payne will be back in next game. We are going into the bye, so I felt that timing was good for us to allow him to have a rest, and the boys know they have to step up and do what we did last week.”

The Broncos staged a thrilling 22-18 comeback win over Canterbury last week without their State of Origin players, but Reece Walsh, Gehamat Shibasaki and Pat Carrigan all return.

Veteran Ben Hunt also returns from a nine-week absence with a hamstring injury and slots in at hooker.

“Everyone knows his experience, 300 games and what he brings. He is a competitor, but it’s the little effort areas I look at with Hunty,” Maguire said.

“You look at him in big games, he leads kick chase, he does the kick pressure and the little things that people don’t get applauded for. He will be a great addition for us.”

What a great half of footy.

It has been tense and tight.

Both teams have scored a sensational try each, and a penalty goal is all that separates the two teams.

Luke Garner has scored for the Panthers. A stunning try.

It started several plays earlier when 
Penrith winger Paul Alamoti made a break down the right wing and kicked for himself, then kicked infield.

The Eels have 40 seconds to hold on.

Penrith are trying to find space to score.

The siren is about to sound, and the Panthers are keeping the ball alive.

They go from the right wing to the left.

Luke Garner has the ball. ZAC LOMAX MISSED THE TACKLE and Garner scores.

Alamoti kicks the goal to give Penrith a half-time lead.

Penrith 12

Parramatta 10

Parramatta winger Zac Lomax has finished off one of the best tries this year.

Lomax ground the ball just millimetres inside the in-goal.

The only thing better than the put-down, was the pass from Bailey Simonsson to Lomax.

Simonsson drew in two defenders and then flicked the ball around the Penrith tackler to hit Lomax in stride.

That is an amazing try.

Lomax could not convert his own try.

Parramatta 10

Penrith 6

Penrith kick a penalty goal from in front, 10 metres out, following a high tackle against Parramatta.

Paul Alamoti kicked the goal, despite Nathan Cleary being on the field.

The Panthers had a full set at the Eels’ line, after winger Josh Addo-Carr caused a turnover for an incorrect play-the-ball.

Penrith have unleashed their bench player (my tongue is firmly in my cheek).

Nathan Cleary has come off the bench and enters the game.

Terrific work from Penrith winger Thomas Jenkins.

The ref thought he dropped the ball and was short of the line — and so did everyone else.

Jenkins was confident, and the video replays show he scored a fair try.

Penrith had five minutes of sustained pressure, with about 20 consecutive plays at the Parramatta line. The Eels knocked down a few passes, restarting the tackle count for the Panthers.

The conversion is unsuccessful.

Parramatta 6

Penrith 4