NRL Friday Recap: Penrith Suffers Defeat in Season Opener, Cronulla Victorious Against the Warriors

In the NRL season opener, the reigning champions, Penrith Panthers, suffered a scoreless defeat against Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, the Panthers were repeatedly thwarted by the determined efforts of the Storm, who emerged victorious in the opening weekend.

The match, characterized by its intensity, witnessed only one try throughout the evening, with Melbourne Storm leading 2-0 at halftime courtesy of Nick Meaney’s penalty. Despite a bold two-point field goal attempt by the Panthers just before halftime, the score remained unchanged.

However, nine minutes into the second half, the Storm extended their lead with the first and only try of the night, scored by Reimis Smith, followed by Meaney’s successful conversion, resulting in a two-score lead.

The remaining quarter of the game predominantly saw the Panthers in Melbourne’s territory, but the hosts resiliently denied them scoring opportunities, ensuring a scoreless finish and securing victory to kickstart their season.

In the other Friday match, Cronulla began their 2024 campaign with a win against the Warriors. Despite initially trailing 12-0 due to tries from Addin Fonua-Blake and Luke Metcalf, the Sharks rallied back.

Jesse Ramien’s try just before halftime narrowed the deficit, and Ronaldo Mulitalo’s early second-half score further closed the gap to 12-10. Ultimately, Siosifa Talakai’s try before the hour mark sealed the victory for the Sharks, who managed to hold off the Warriors’ late attempts to secure a win in the opening weekend.