Penrith got back to something like proper rugby after their 12 try, 126 "point-fest" at Manchester the week before that had seen them go down 87-39, they came back with a hard fought well earned victory against a big strong Waterloo side. The victory was more than welcome after three successive defeats on the bounce saw them just three points above the relegation zone.
The Penrith players, stung by their performance the week before, made the best of starts and even though they were playing into a strong wind spent the majority of the first quarter deep in the visitor's 22. Conditions were not easy and they were tending to rush things when they needn't have but they did put the opposition under severe pressure and they gave away a string of penalties.
Penrith kicked a penalty to the corner and when Craig Price found Mike Raine at the front of the line the Penrith forwards set up the maul and drove for the line, despite the Waterloo forwards having the weight advantage the home side got the nudge on and Kiwi, Ryan Lee eventually got over in the corner. The conversion into the wind from wide out was nigh on impossible and the home side led by five.
They kept turning the screw, Jon Fell who had an excellent game at full back was taken out high when running the ball back and the Cumbrians had another penalty. They went for the lineout again but this time the driven maul went to ground so in the conditions the forwards kept the pressure on with a series of pick and goes and drives close to the the breakdown. It was successful as Adam Howe burst through the last line of defence to barrel over for the try. Again the conversion was unsuccessful but Penrith had doubled their lead.
The game went into the second quarter and the visitors had hardly had a sniff of the ball or been out of their own half. When they did finally get hold of the ball they looked effective especially in the backs and put this to good use as they scored two tries in five minutes and for this brief period made the home midfield defence look very pedestrian. The Waterloo place kicker with the wind at his back made easy work of the two conversions and after dominating most of the game the home side now trailed 14-10.
Penrith stuck to their task knowing if they held out until the break they would have the elements in their favour but they did rather better than that. Ben Littleton, helping out in a crisis was playing his first game of the season on the left wing and was playing as if he hadn't been away. When he took a clearance kick under the grandstand on half way he sparked Penrith's third try. He outpaced the chasers and made an arcing run towards the right flank. He then put a clever chip in behind the visitor's back line and the two teenagers Bruce Spencer and Olly May chased the ball down. It sat up nicely for May who took it at pace and stepped back inside two defenders before playing it out of contact to James Hogg whose line of running was excellent, he released it nicely to Lee Chapman who ran the ball in from the 22 without a hand being laid on him. The score was beside the posts and the conversion went over.
Penrith had a three point advantage and did hold on to it until half time and this was largely due to a shuddering tackle from Will Morgan, fresh off the bench, on his own line to turn the ball over just as the visitors looked as if they may have retaken the lead.
Penrith never looked in any real danger in the second half, on a number of occasions Nathan Wooff would intelligently use the wind to move his forwards 50m up the field. The home forwards although the smaller had the better of the set scrums and again just into the second half worked the catch and drive from the attacking lineout to their advantage. Again Raine secured the ball at the front of the line and again they shunted their bigger opponents over their own line, this time it was Morgan who came up with the score.
Penrith were now a score in front and went two scores ahead thanks to the opportunism of centre Jay Rossi. The ball was put down on half way by the visitor's backs and Rossi hacked the ball on and then carefully dribbled the ball over the line before falling on it. Wooff's second conversion went over and the home side had a fifteen point cushion.
They kept Waterloo pinned in their own 22 for long periods in the final quarter but they did break out for one final assault on the home line. They looked to have scored at one point but the ball had been knocked on but they did finally claim a third try as the game came to a close.
Penrith were delighted with their upturn in form and now face the difficult task of a trip to De La Salle, although they have yet to win a game this season they did run the Cumbrians awfully close at Winters Park earlier in the season.