Live: Storm host Panthers trying to avoid third straight loss in Cleary's milestone
The Penrith Panthers are trying to bounce back from back-to-back losses as they take on the Melbourne Storm in Ivan Cleary's milestone 500th game as a coach. Follow live.
The Penrith Panthers secured a 22-14 victory over the Melbourne Storm, halting their three-game losing streak and erasing their mathematical chances of making the NRL finals. Early on, Brian To'o scored three times and Liam Henry added a try, giving the Panthers a commanding 22-0 lead. However, the game slowed down after the 30-minute mark, with only Liam Martin, Lindsay Smith, Jack Cogger and Oryn Keeley receiving sin-bins.
Despite Melbourne's best efforts, they couldn't overcome the deficit and missed the finals for the first time since 2010, when they played for no points due to salary cap violations. This marked the end of an era for the Storm, who had not missed the playoffs since 2002. Melbourne utility Tyran Wishart played his final game at AAMI Park, heading to the Perth Bears next season. The Lions will see you soon as they continue their journey.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
