The Penrith Panthers will still be without injured premiership forwards Liam Martin and Liam Henry for their NRL Round 2 clash against the Sharks. While Broncos coach Michael Maguire has shuffled the pack after his side’s opening round flogging by Penrith, by dumping veteran playmaker Ben Hunt to the bench and recalling star five-eighth Ezra Mam to the starting lineup.
Penrith take on a red-hot Cronulla in Bathurst on Saturday night after their impressive opening round thumping of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. Coach Ivan Cleary has named the same 19-man squad that ambushed the defending premiers at home, with gun forwards Martin and Henry both missing out after failing to overcome pre-season injuries.
Rep back-rower Martin was considered a strong chance to return from a minor calf strain that saw him miss the big win over Brisbane. But the Panthers appear to be playing it safe with the four-time premiership winner after leaving him out of the extended squad entirely.
The same is true for workhorse middle forward Henry, who was expected to miss the first couple of rounds of the new season due to a knee injury. Henry – who has signed with the Perth Bears from 2027 – suffered the injury at Panthers training in pre-season and will be pushing to return to full fitness in the coming weeks.
But the absence of the tough-tackling forwards will present the Panthers a major test against a rampant Sharks side that put 50 points on the Titans in Round 1. Cronulla halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes both scored doubles and led their side superbly in attack, to give the Sharks a huge confidence boost ahead of the blockbuster showdown in Bathurst.
Ezra Mam to start after bench role for Brisbane in Round 1
Meanwhile, Broncos coach Maguire has swung the axe after his side’s Round 1 humbling by Penrith after demoting veteran Hunt to the bench and naming livewire No.6 Mam to start alongside captain Adam Reynolds in the halves. Mam was a shock late switch to the bench and Hunt was promoted to start against Penrith last week but the move backfired as the Panthers got the jump on the defending premiers.
League greats Michael Ennis, Braith Anasta and Greg Alexander were among those calling for Mam to start after being highly critical of the switch. It was the same blueprint used in Brisbane’s grand final win with Mam coming off the bench to devastating effect, but Brisbane lacked his energy and creative spark in attack last week and Maguire has moved quickly to rectify it.
When I saw the teams come out I was like why? This kid is one of the elite players of our game, one of the best five-eighths of our game,” Anasta said about Mam’s demotion to the bench. “You had two experienced halves in Hunt and Reynolds, they are both ageing halves now. Get your young fresh blood out there. They missed the jump and they couldn’t come back. I just didn’t get it. I rate him as a coach Madge but I thought that was a really strange move and the wrong one.” Hunt has been named in the No.14 jersey, with Cory Paix picked to start ahead of him at hooker.
