Devastating golden point defeat
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James Maloney capped off his brilliant week by kicking a golden point field goal to lift Penrith to 19-18 victory over the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday night, handing the Panthers their fifth straight Telstra Premiership victory.
Just seven days after playing a starring role in NSW's victory in Origin II, Maloney rose to the occasion for his club, landing the decisive play four minutes into golden point.
It followed a dramatic final three minutes in regular time, which saw the Warriors lead 16-12 before Brent Naden's spectacular 80-metre try, and Maloney's ensuing conversion, appeared to seal victory for the visitors.
But an offside penalty against from the ensuing short kick-off by the Warriors handed the home side a chance to equalise, with Patrick Herbert calmly nailing the two points from 35 metres out to send the game to extra time.
Maloney missed his first field goal attempt in added time but made no mistake with the second, after Blake Green had his effort charged down seconds earlier.
Naden's two second-half tries saw Penrith reverse a 12-6 half-time deficit, with the Panthers having had both Liam Martin and Jarome Luai sent to the sin bin in the five minutes either side of the break.
Match: Warriors v Panthers
Round 15 -
home Team
Warriors
13th Position
away Team
Panthers
10th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
The Warriors had opened the scoring after just five minutes through centre Peta Hiku, before James Tamou's try under the posts gave Penrith the lead.
Dominating possession off the back of a spate of Penrith penalties, the Warriors elected to tie the game up via the boot of Patrick Herbert on the half hour, and with Martin in the bin they took full advantage to send Bunty Afoa over for a try which established a 12-6 lead at the break.
Penrith could have drawn even just two minutes into the second spell, after Naden kicked twice for himself on a 40-metre effort which was later called back by the NRL Bunker for a knock on in the grounding.
Salt was rubbed into Penrith's wound seconds later when Luai joined Martin in the sin bin after a committing a professional foul in the act of preventing a Roger Tuivasa-Sheck try, and the Warriors then crossed in the corner via David Fusitu'a to extend their lead to 10 points, though replays suggested the winger's hand went into touch before he grounded the ball.
Naden didn't have to wait long to make amends, jumping above Tuivasa-Sheck to claim a Maloney kick which reduced the gap to four with half an hour to go, before appearing to win the match with his second effort two minutes from time.
Herbert's penalty in the dying stages forced extra time but it was all in vain, with Maloney striking the killer blow four minutes into golden point.
Naden leaps above Tuivasa-Sheck
