Two of the NRL's powerhouses come together in a Friday night blockbuster that will reveal plenty about their premiership credentials.
Defending champs Penrith boast the best defence in the competition after 10 rounds but their attack has been below its fluent best in recent weeks, while the Roosters took 79 minutes to post their lone try in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
Both sides enter Round 11 with 5-4 records to sit in the logjam of seven teams on 12 competition points but the table topping Broncos and rampant Rabbitohs have looked a cut above the rest in the past month.
This week's clash provides the perfect opportunity for the Panthers to make a statement against a fellow contender and send a warning to the Broncos ahead of their Round 12 showdown at Suncorp Stadium.
For the Roosters it's a chance to take another big scalp after knocking off the Rabbitohs in Round 3 and the Eels in Round 5, but much will depend on Joseph Manu, Joseph Suaalii and James Tedesco finding their mojo in attack.
Only Wests Tigers have scored less points than the Roosters through 10 rounds and they'll be acutely aware that a repeat of what they served up in Magic Round will make it a very long night at BlueBet Stadium.
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Team News
Panthers: World Cup-winning back-rower Liam Martin has been added to the squad on game day with Liam Henry going to 18th Man. Martin has missed the past three matches due to a hamstring injury. Prop Spencer Leniu was ruled out on Thursday after suffering a ruptured testicle in an opposed training session and requiring surgery.
Roosters: Jake Turpin has been added to the squad an hour before kick-off and will start at hooker with Brandon Smith going to the bench. Drew Hutchison goes from the bench to 18th Man after he was required to play NSW Cup in the curtain-raiser. Egan Butcher (concussion) will miss the game under the NRL’s mandatory 11-day stand-down policy so Angus Crichton moves into the starting side and Fletcher Baker joins the bench.
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Stat Attack
- Nathan Cleary has engaged the line 96 times this season, 21 more than the second man on the list Ben Hunt with 75.
- The Roosters have not beaten the Panthers since 2019 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and have not won at BlueBet Stadium since 2017.
- Panthers have won their past six games against the Roosters.
- Nathan Cleary has scored 99 points in 10 games against the Roosters.
- Joseph Suaali'i has kicked nine from nine since assuming goal-kicking duties.
- The Panthers have won 29 of their past 32 games at BlueBet Stadium.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the
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