There have been a century of encounters between the Roosters and Panthers since 1967, with many of those etched in Rugby League folklore.
As we prepare for battle once again up against our western Sydney rivals, we take a look back at Five of the Best against the Penrith Panthers.
First Match Winners - Round 7, 1967
After going through arguably the Club’s worst season in 1966, the following year the Roosters got back to business thanks to the appointment of new Head Coach Jack Gibson, and in their first-ever meeting with the Penrith Panthers, they continued their newfound winning ways.
Arguably the longest road trip for any NSWRFL club, Eastern Suburbs travelled to Penrith Park on Sunday, May 7th, 1967 and took home a 26-10 victory following their first of the year a week prior.
Easts junior and elusive halfback Kevin Junee made his mark on the match with a double, joined by fellow fan-favourites Barry ‘Bunny’ Reilly and Bruce ‘Larpa’ Stewart on the scoresheet.
Kevin Ashley laid down a fourteen-point haul with seven goals to boot, as the Red, White and Blue marked their first match against the Penrith Panthers with the two competition points.
Eastern Suburbs Roosters 26 (Kevin Junee 2, Barry Reilly, Bruce Stewart tries; Kevin Ashley 7 goals) def Penrith Panthers 10
Fittler’s Old Firm - Round 4, 1996
It was the first time that the Roosters’ big-name signing Brad Fittler took on his former side Penrith since arriving at Bondi, and it was a night to remember for the Red, White and Blue.
The drama and controversy didn’t stop there though – as Panthers back rower Matt Adamson was not only sent to the sin-bin but eventually sent off the field for multiple misdemeanours.
Despite losing the penalty count 5-10, the renewed Red, White and Bluesters powered to a 30-14 victory over Fittler’s old firm.
Centre and wing pairing Peter Clarke and Peter Jorgensen combined for three tries, while bench impact forward Tony Iro remarkably scored a double, while fullback Ivan Cleary kicked five goals from seven attempts as the Roosters made it four wins from four matches to kick-start 1996.
Sydney City Roosters 30 (Tony Iro 2, Peter Clarke 2, Peter Jorgensen tries; Ivan Cleary 5 goals) def Penrith Panthers 14
Pouncing the Premiers - Round 23, 2004
Nearly a year since their Grand Final match, the Sydney Roosters came out charging against the Premiers with a dominant victory on the eve of the 2004 finals series.
Taken off their mantle at the top of the ladder following a shock loss to Cronulla, the Roosters returned to the Sydney Football Stadium with plenty of motivation against their Grand Final opponents from the year prior.
The Brad Fittler-led Tricolours piled on the points in the first half, with a whopping 38-nil shellacking after the first 40 minutes.
Despite their opponents getting on the board twice in the second stanza, the match was already won as firebrand bench forward Michael Crocker bagged a double, joined by Ryan Cross, Brett Finch, Brad Fittler, Chris Flannery, Anthony Minichiello and Chris Walker on the scoreboard.
Craig Fitzgibbon racked up another strong performance with the boot with six goals as the Roosters ran away with a dominant 44-12 win against the Panthers.
Sydney Roosters 44 (Michael Crocker 2, Ryan Cross, Brett Finch, Brad Fittler, Chris Flannery, Anthony Minichiello, Chris Walker; Craig Fitzgibbon 6 goals) def Penrith Panthers 12
Last-Gasp Victory – Round 3, 2017
Fresh off two big wins to start their campaign, the Sydney Roosters travelled west to take on formidable opponents Penrith in front of a bumper crowd.
But the proceedings started off poorly for the men from Bondi as the kick-off went out on the full before courageous captain Boyd Cordner lost possession just metres from the line.
The Panthers kicked the opening points through a penalty goal just after ten minutes, and while they too lost possession over the line, they would extend their lead through a try to Tyrone Peachey.
RTV-R3-SHEDS-JWH
Five minutes later though, Mitchell Pearce put his side on the board with a pearler of a pass to Michael Gordon – before the star halfback gave the Roosters the half-time lead with a scything run for Latrell Mitchell.
Penrith regained their lead with two penalty goals as the contest headed into the final quarter before a magic kick from Daniel Tupou saw Gordon dive over after recovering a grubber and regathering one of his own.
The Bondi Wall was in full swing in the closing stages of the match, holding off the ad-lib Panthers attack with a number of monumental efforts, and the Roosters continued their early-season start with a heart-stopping 14-12 victory at the foot of the mountains.
Sydney Roosters 14 (Michael Gordon 2, Latrell Mitchell tries; Michael Gordon goal) def Penrith Panthers 12
Rallying Home - Round 24, 2019
In their famous quest for back-to-back titles, Easts hosted a hungry Penrith Panthers outfit at the Sydney Cricket Ground just a few weeks out of the finals and recorded a solid victory on home turf.
The omission of halfback Cooper Cronk - as well as captains Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend - was no issue for the Red, White and Blue as fan favourite Mitchell Aubusson deputised as skipper – despite their opponents getting on the board after just three minutes.
Despite a few near-misses early on, the calm and collected Roosters hit back as crafty hooker Sam Verrills caught the defence napping to score.
Highlights | Roosters v Panthers
Just minutes later the lead had changed as a hard-running Angus Crichton burst through the line, handing the ball to Luke Keary who sent James Tedesco over for a memorable four-pointer, which saw the Roosters up 12-6 at the break.
A charge from Brett Morris inspired the Tricolours to score again, and ten minutes into the second stanza it was Latrell Mitchell diving over in a herculean effort. A penalty in the ruck handed the Roosters a twelve-point lead before a textbook tackle from Nat Butcher cut down a Panthers counterattack.
With five minutes left, Mitchell put winger Daniel Tupou over for the match-winning try, as Easts took home victory in a 22-6 win.
Sydney Roosters 22 (Sam Verrills, James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell, Daniel Tupou tries; Latrell Mitchell 3 goals) def Penrith Panthers 6
More Five of the Best on Roosters.com.au
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