Roosters edge Panthers in gutsy win

The Roosters defense held up to beat the Panthers. Photo: Getty
The Roosters defense held up to beat the Panthers. Photo: Getty

The Sydney Roosters have demonstrated their credentials as NRL title contenders with a gutsy and controversial 14-12 win over fellow high-flyers Penrith.

Former Panthers No.1 Michael Gordon went from zero to hero in the space of a few minutes on Saturday, scoring the 73rd-minute match winner.

The 11,043-strong Pepper Stadium crowd vented their frustrations at the referees after Latrell Mitchell appeared to throw the ball forward to Daniel Tupou in the lead-up to Gordon's decisive try.

Just a few minutes earlier, Gordon spilt a bomb and Waqa Blake picked up the spoils to cross for what appeared to be the icing on the cake for the home side.

However, it was overruled by the bunker after Tyrone Peachey and Matt Moylan were found to be offside.

Gordon again proved the hero in a helter-skelter final few moments, pulling off a try-saver on Peachey.

The Roosters are 3-0 and equal on six competition points with ladder leaders Melbourne.

It's the first time the Roosters have started the season with three straight wins since Ricky Stuart led the side to the 2004 grand final.

The Roosters took a 10-8 lead into half-time but the Panthers had overturned the deficit by the 58-minute mark thanks to two Nathan Cleary penalties.

Both sides threw everything at each other, but Gordon's try - the only four-pointer of the second half - proved the difference.

The Roosters' left side was again vital, with all three of their tries going down that channel.

Mitchell's night looked like becoming a nightmare when he twice kicked out on the full from the kick-off in the first half.

The Panthers took the lead when skipper Moylan produced a no-look, cut-out flick pass to Peachey, who planted it centimetres in from the touchline in the sixth minute.

The Roosters flagged their intention to send most of their traffic down their left side, and it paid off when Mitchell Pearce sent Gordon strolling through a giant hole for the first of his double.

The visitors went into the sheds up 10-8 when Mitchell sliced through, finding Pearce before backing up to score the go-ahead try.

After Cleary put his side back in front, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves thought he had wrested back control when he grounded a spilt bomb, but a Shaun Kenny-Dowall knock-on in the air led to it being overturned.

Blake thought he had got his side over the line, but Gordon's try in the next set sealed the result.
 

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