The Panthers have flexed their muscles with a thumping 48-4 win over the Roosters in Penrith, as the visitors woes increased with an injury to a key player.
The Panthers scored eight tries to one, and the Roosters will be anxiously awaiting information on the extent of a leg injury to five-eighth Joey Manu.
In the other game of the night, the Warriors set up victory with a dominant first half, on the way to a 24-12 scoreline against the Bulldogs.
Panthers fire up, Roosters' injury list grows
Jarome Luai has emphatically staked his claim for State of Origin selection with a man-of-the-match performance that helped Penrith rediscover their clinical best with a record win over the Sydney Roosters.
Making matters worse for the defensively woeful Roosters, prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and five-eighth Joey Manu suffered game-ending injuries that look set to test the side's depth heading into the Origin period.
Without Viliame Kikau by his side this year, Luai has struggled to spark the Panthers' left edge as consistently as in their two premiership seasons.
Cronulla ace Nicho Hynes appeared to be edging closer to usurping the Penrith man as the NSW five-eighth with his own blistering start to 2023.
With time running out for Luai to reassert his Origin credentials, the 26-year-old put on a masterclass at BlueBet Stadium on Friday night.
Marshalling the left edge, Luai had a hand in three of the four tries that gave the Panthers a 24-0 halftime lead they never looked like surrendering.
The Roosters managed to stem the bleeding early in the second half but a surprise crossfield kick from lock Isaah Yeo set Brian To'o up for a try that reignited the Panthers, who remained on the throttle for the rest of the game.
Kikau's replacement Scott Sorensen had the night of his life, helping set up one try and crossing for two of his own.
Before Friday, Sorensen had scored five tries in his 90-game career.
After Sorensen opened the scoring, Luai held the ball up, skipping at the defence to create an overlap and then passing on to his second-rower, whose line break led to a Dylan Edwards four-pointer.
Luai was only getting started and his short ball to Sorensen confirmed the first double of the big man's career.
Just before halftime, Luai broke through Victor Radley and Brandon Smith to give stand-in centre Tyrone Peachey his third try in four games since re-joining the Panthers.
Peachey grabbed another in the second half when Penrith went into party mode.
Luai's running game was the most dangerous it has been this season and helped him cross for his first try of the season as the final minutes ticked down.
His performance throws the gauntlet down for Hynes, who will need to produce something special against Manly on Sunday to knock the Panther off his perch.
The win silences concerns over the Panthers' attack but renews those about the Roosters'.
Only Wests Tigers and North Queensland averaged fewer points through 10 rounds than the Roosters, whose fifth-tackle options were of particular concern against Penrith.
The Roosters scored only once in last week's shock loss to the Cowboys and it took them 65 minutes to cross for their lone try on Friday night.
Waerea-Hargreaves left the field with a pectoral injury in the opening 20 minutes and did not return but the injury to Manu will likely cause the bigger headache for coach Trent Robinson.
Manu needed assistance leaving the field midway through the second half after rolling his ankle entering a tackle.
The Kiwi international had been replacing Sam Walker in the halves, with the out-of-favour youngster no guarantee of a recall after injuring his knee at training during the week.
Bulldogs' Mahoney frustrated by 'unacceptable' loss
Bulldogs' hooker Reed Mahoney has expressed his frustration after the latest loss for his side against the Warriors at the Olympic stadium.
Mahoney and his side were run out of the game by the visitors in the first half, on the way to 24-12 loss.
"The whole thing was frustrating, yeah it’s unacceptable," Mahoney said after the match.
"I haven’t got much to say, we’ve just gotta have a hard look at ourselves, as individuals as well, we’re just waiting for someone else to do their job and that’s not what we’re about so, yeah.".
The Bulldogs sit in 15th spot after 11 games with just four wins for the season, and only a late comeback made the scoreboard respectable.
For the Warriors, Shaun Johnson was the catalyst. Enjoying a late-career renaissance at age 32, Johnson starred again as he set up two tries with the boot in an 18-0 first half for the Warriors.
The win ended a three-match losing streak for the Warriors, and put them back into the top eight.
If they finish the round there, it will be the latest in a season they have been in a finals-playing position since they last finished in the top eight in 2018.
Johnson has been brilliant for the Warriors this year but he hasn't been alone. Dylan Walker and Addin Fonua-Blake have also had their best seasons in years, with the pair combining for a try when Walker went short to the rampaging prop.
Fonua-Blake finished with 140 metres to go with his try on Friday night, while Tohu Harris was immense at lock with 162 metres.
Canterbury, in contrast, are a side desperately needing their injured brigade back before their first season under new coach Cameron Ciraldo fades away.
Josh Addo-Carr should return next Sunday against Canterbury after an aborted attempt to return on Friday, but the Bulldogs are missing his spark and that of second-rower Viliame Kikau.
Canterbury feigned a comeback when Harrison Edwards stepped his way through a gap from close distance to open their account.
But when Jake Averillo was denied by the bunker for a two-on-one strip in the lead-up with 14 minutes left, Canterbury's momentum was shot.
From the next set, the Warriors went down field and Ronald Volkman collected his own grubber kick to score and make it 24-6.
Jayden Okunbor forced his way over for a late consolation try for the Bulldogs, but by then the match was over.
And through it all, the man of the moment was still Johnson.
Johnson is off contract at the end of this year, with his revival one of the success stories of this year.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster indicated last week he was confident of retaining the halfback if he does play on.
But with more performances like Friday night's display, it's likely they will have to fend off growing interest from other clubs.
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