Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers - Round 8, 2026
The result
Penrith were far too good, winning 44 to 12 at McDonald Jones Stadium. Dylan Edwards set the tone with a try in the 13th minute, and the Panthers led 24 to 6 at halftime before pulling away.
How it unfolded
Penrith made 58 tackle breaks to the Knights' 32, and ran for 2216 metres to the Knights' 1350. The Panthers also forced 10 line breaks against 3 for Newcastle, a gulf that showed up across the whole game.
Against projection
Nathan Cleary came closest to matching expectations, scoring 85 against a projection of 91, while Brian To'o blew his projection of 27 away with 81 points. At the other end, Fletcher Hunt managed just 8 points against a projected 69 despite playing the full 80 minutes, and Thomas Jenkins fell 31 short of his own projection.
Price moves
Paul Alamoti rose $28,000 after scoring 75 against a break even of 52, while Lindsay Smith fell $31,000 after his 24 came up short of a break even of 49. Dane Gagai dropped $27,000, well under the 57 he needed to hold value, and Dominic Young fell $34,000 after his 36 missed a break even of 76.
Ownership outcome
Isaah Yeo contributed 65 points from 74 minutes, with a try assist in the mix, while Casey McLean returned 50 points from a full 80 minutes. Freddy Lussick's 33 points came against a break even of minus 1, pushing his price up by $32,000.
