Wests Tigers fans started heading for the CommBank Stadium exits on Sunday with 20 minutes remaining in the match.
But it’s a wonder they didn’t leave at half-time, when they booed their team off the field.
A Nathan Cleary-inspired Penrith annihilated the Tigers 68-0 as the Panthers marched to the biggest win in their 58-year history, topping the 72-12 hammering of Manly in 2004.
It was the third-biggest blowout in NRL history (see table below).
Cleary and the Panthers are on another planet at the moment. TV commentators joked about calling off the Dally M race in June and just handing it to the game’s best halfback.
They are too disciplined, too fast, too strong and too classy. They’re such a joy to watch and will be there on grand final day. A fifth title in six years? Stop the fight.
Then you have the Tigers.
Even the most rusted-on Tigers supporters knew it would have a miracle to upset the competition leaders and premiership favourites.
But it would have been nice to some more fight from a club that promised so much just a couple of months ago.
Their handling in the early exchanges was atrocious. Fonua Pole knocked on deep in his own half, so did Charlie Murray, while fellow forwards Royce Hunt and Terrell May produced some shocking defensive reads on Cleary.
Heamasi Makasini dropped a simple pass from Jarome Luai right on half-time, and was beaten for pace by Paul Alamoti at the start of the game when Penrith started the scoring.
Sunia Turuva forced a pass that went forward and into touch, and Luai came up with a stinker that led directly to Brian To’o’s first try.
The Tigers were lucky to only trail 36-0 at the break after To’o was denied another four-pointer. Cleary’s final pass was ruled forward, even though a touch judge was in line with play and kept his flag down.
To cap a nightmare outing, Pole, Alex Seyfarth and Mavrik Geyer were all put on report, Hunt suffered a serious pec injury, and Jock Madden failed to finish the game because of an arm injury.
Coach Benji Marshall, who did well to keep his cool while watching the horror show from the sideline, could easily ask his troops to forget about it and quickly turn their focus to next Sunday’s clash against the Gold Coast Titans. The game will double as a farewell to Leichhardt Oval for 18 months as the ground receives an overdue makeover.
But the Tigers have now conceded 40 or more points four times this season. They need to get their heads back in the game, and get back to doing the basics right.
Panthers star Casey McLean failed to finish the game because of an ankle injury, but early reports suggested it would not impact his inclusion for Origin II.
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