Overview

• Penrith rested 16 regulars, leaving close to 2,000 first‑grade games on the sidelines and handing debuts to several players.
• Canterbury’s victory sealed a double chance in the finals and their first top‑four finish since 2012.
• Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz injured his left ankle late and will undergo scans for a possible syndesmosis issue.
• Jacob Preston scored the first hat‑trick of his NRL career, with Lachlan Galvin central to multiple Bulldogs tries.
• Panthers debutant Zac Lipowicz was sin‑binned for a hip‑drop as market moves and broadcaster concerns reignited debate over mass resting and future TV rights.