Rugby League: Puletuas at home in Penrith

By PETER JESSUP

The Auckland Warriors could do worse than look to follow the methods of this weekend's Ericsson Stadium opponents, the Penrith Panthers, as they seek to gather some pride at the end of a disappointing season.

Penrith come to Auckland with five wins on the trot, and a victory tomorrow would equal the club's best run in the 33 years since the NRL's inception. Last week's come-from-behind slaying of the Wests Tigers was the sort of character-defining game the Warriors seem incapable of.

The Tigers had scored three tries in the second half to build a 31-8 lead, but the Panthers came back with four tries in 12 minutes, and a sideline conversion from Chris Hicks capped off a 32-31 turnaround in what many claimed was as good a game as you will ever see.

Two of those touchdowns went to giant Kiwi second-rower Tony Puletua, who sidestepped the Warriors' chequebook before moving to Sydney.

After establishing himself there, the former New Lynn Stags player is now a publicity machine for the Panthers' junior development programme.

Puletua, who turns 21 on June 25, and his 22-year-old brother, Frank, are as happy as Larry out in the west of Sydney.

Their dad, Mu, and mum, Alafaga, have been helped into jobs by the club, which signed the brothers through to the 2002 season. They would be happy to stay on further if asked.

They were lured into a Penrith footballing system that has shunted 20 local juniors to NRL level, with only eight players bought in.

"It's a real family," Tony Puletua said yesterday. "They've taken good care of us, and me and Frank are both happy with the way things are going. Everything's falling our way."

His 40-plus premiership games eclipse Frank's six, but the older Puletua seemed to develop later and is just now starting to earn regular bench starts.

The brothers, and many of the others in the Panther squad, have played together through the local Catholic high school, John Paul II Marayong, then through the Panthers' juniors, and know each other's play exceptionally well.

Their stick-together attitude came to the fore after the Tigers' third try last weekend, Tony Puletua said.

Skipper Steve Carter called the side in and asked them if they were prepared to be embarrassed before their home crowd.

"We were playing for pride ... the fans lifted us ... it was just amazing to come back and win," Puletua said.

Panthers coach Royce Simmons was asked afterwards what instructions he had given at the break.

He told the trainer: "Bugger them, is all I've got to say" - admitting that he could not take any credit for sparking the win.

So the foundations for victory were laid beforehand. The Panthers were confident in their own ability, equipped physically and, just as importantly, mentally, to put the opposition away.

They have won their last three games away from Panther Park, including the season's only victory over the Storm in Melbourne.

That is a confidence and ability the Warriors still dream of as they run around like headless chooks.

The Panthers' State of Origin record-breaker, Ryan Girdler, went to hospital for x-rays of his forearm after Wednesday night's game, but doctors suspected deep bruising rather than a break.

He goes for a fitness test today to determine if he will play in Auckland.