Four tries in the first half to Solo Toru set the Black and Whites up for a dominant victory in the local derby against Waratahs Tigers at Exies Oval on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Waratahs were able to strike first with Malie Ngu getting over, but from that point, the Black and Whites sprung to life and started to run away with the game.
In the space of 10 minutes, Toru has completed a hat-trick as the Panthers were making the most of the combination between himself and Uafu Lavaka to get over in the corner.
The Black and Whites continued to kick on, with Epeli Serukaivata able to come down with a bomb after a contest with James Girdler before offloading to Wame Belolevu, who crashed over before Toru scored his fourth of the afternoon.
It would be six straight tries to the Panthers as Joe Peato was able to make a 70m break down the line from the kickoff from their previous try to put their side out to a 32-4 lead.
The Waratahs were finally able to get some possession, and they were able to make the most of it with Ngu able to barge his way through the Black and Whites defence to see the Panthers leading by 24 points at the break.
The home side continued to try and mount a comeback, with Faalavelave Kelemete able to get over in the corner, but the Black and Whites were quick to respond.
It looked like Andrew Lavaka would make an immediate reply before some scrambling defence was able to hold him up, but it wasn't long before Leonard Byrnes was able to barge his way over.
RELATED
Uafu Lavaka and Jonathon Sila were both able to get over to push their lead to 38 points before Pili Maiava was able to get on the end of a Girdler grubber kick.
The Black and Whites had the final say in the game, with Serukaivata able to get over to secure his side/s 56-16 victory.
Black and Whites coach Andrew Lavaka was pleased with the response of his side after their opening-round loss.
"Last week, we didn't hold onto the ball and this week just shows the difference that is made when we are able to keep possession," he said.
"It is a pretty simple game. If you don't hold onto the ball, you are going to pay for it.
"It was crucial to get on the board, and it was a much better performance than last week."
***
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.areanews.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News