While Penrith started brightly in Sunday night’s Intrust Super Premiership decider it was Wyong, featuring former Wellington Cowboys captain-coach Justin Toomey-White in the second row, which scored the first points courtesy of a Mitch Cornish penalty.
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Toomey-White then pulled off a try-saving tackle to stop his side falling behind and the Roos then worked the ball down and scored to extend the advantage.
A Penrith try right on half-time locked it up at 6-all and the early stages of the second half were dominated by the Panthers, who shot out to a 20-6 lead.
With 20 minutes remaining it was a tough ask for Wyong Roos and despite getting one back it was the Panthers who were celebrating at the final whistle, making it three lower grade titles in five years for coach Garth Brennan.
Penrith’s victory will see Dubbo’s Kaide Ellis play on NRL grand final day against Queendland’s Papua New Guinea Hunters.
The Dubbo CYMS product has been a standout this season, going incredibly close to earning an NRL debut call-up along the way, and Penrith’s title-winning coach Garth Brennan was delighted to win for the likes of Ellis, Jed Cartwright, and a number of other promising youngsters.
“That’s why I coach and why I love this club,” he said.
“Six years ago when ‘Gus’ (Phil Gould) brought me down here the club was nowhere near the state it’s in but due to the work Gus has done, Jimmy Jones, Ivan (Cleary) and ‘Hook’ (Anthony Griffin) and all the other coaching staff has got the club into the position it is and there’s some exciting times ahead.”
With that match also being a final, it means Ellis will now play 12 deciders in the past eight years.
It’s also another chance for the 21-year-old to impress. Ellis will run out in front of a big crowd already knowing he is set to start the 2018 pre-season with the full-time Panthers NRL squad.