Panthers 20
Bulldogs 6
Penrith put a massive question mark over Canterbury's ability to make the NRL finals with a comprehensive 20-6 victory at Centrebet Stadium on Saturday night.
The crowd of 15,383 were treated to a 16-point haul from Travis Burns and a kicking masterclass from Luke Walsh, who
contributed heavily to Bulldogs fullback Ben Barba's hellish night by peppering him with soaring bombs.
The Panthers continued their impressive start under interim coach Steve Georgallis, who now has a 100 per cent NRL record after two matches in charge - but doesn't have a job next year after Warriors boss Ivan Cleary was announced as Penrith's head coach from 2012 during the week.
But it was the Bulldogs who should be generating the most discussion - to say they looked disjointed in attack would be complimentary, in reality it was shambolic.
Before a consolation try to Jamal Idris in the 67th minute, the only time they looked like constructing anything in attack was when Barba was able to skip through a broken defensive line after returning a Penrith kick in the first half.
And even then the play ended with a forward pass handing the ball back to the Panthers.
Penrith wrested control of the game in the first half, making the most of their opportunities to take a 12-0 lead into the break, and they never looked like letting go of it.
Walsh was the creator, setting up all three tries with his right boot through a bomb, a banana kick and a magical chip and chase which led to the opening try.
The crafty Newcastle junior regathered his own kick before quickly offloading to winger Adrian Purtell who scored under the posts.
Panthers five-eighth Burns scored two more tries from Walsh kicks, one in the 61st minute, which a gun-shy Barba didn't ever look like contesting, to blow the score out to 20-0.
Bulldogs' utility Ben Roberts was put on report while in possession in the first half for making contact with Walsh's head as the tiny halfback finished off a tackle.
PENRITH 20 (T Burns 2 A Purtell tries T Burns 4 goals) bt CANTERBURY 6 (J Idris try S Turner goal) at Centrebet Stadium. Referee: Jason Robinson, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 15,383.
- AAP
