BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

Ladies and gentlemen – we have a new contender for best rivalry in rugby league – and it kind of came from nowhere. Lick your lips and buckle yourself in, the inevitable finals showdown between the Penrith Panthers and Canberra Raiders is going to be something else.

This is what rugby league is meant to be about.

A blockbuster showdown where the Panthers and Raiders belted each other into oblivion on Friday night at the foot of the mountains.

The Panthers are now 5-0 after running away 30-10 victors.

It was a game full of class, fire and a bunch of blokes prepared to scrap at a moment’s notice.

Penrith fans tossed up a ‘viking clap’, Jarome Luai channeled John Hopoate with a good old spray after English Raiders rival George Williams made an error. Later, the Panthers scored a try in the corner via Charlie Staines. It started a spot fire over the sideline which included Panther Stephen Crichton dragging reserve Raiders forward Joseph Tapine into celebrations, Jarrod Croker and Liam Martin going at it and a Raiders official grabbing at Panthers players which he had no right to do.

Your writer called the Panthers cocky post-match.

Who cares if they are?

Panthers gave your writer a classic serve on Facebook and good on ’em.

It may come back to bite them or it may not.

The Raiders on the other hand have taken advantage of the situation they’ve found themselves in. Coach Ricky Stuart is a master. His good mate Paul Crawley went on Fox League and hammered the Panthers.

Then on Wednesday evening, Crawley’s colleague James Hooper relayed a text message from Raiders CEO Don Furner on the same show.

“‘Ivan Cleary should teach his players some humility. We all understand coaches stand up for their players, but him trying to justify that behaviour is ludicrous,” Hooper read.

“‘He has three or four players in his team that carry on like mug lairs. Their five-eighth has been pushing players in the back and running in as the third man for a while now.

“‘I can’t believe that is the example the Panthers want to set for young kids watching and playing the game.

“‘If they think that behaviour is acceptable they are kidding themselves.’”

The Raiders aren’t perfect – nor are their players.

But this is part of the game.

This is chess.

Every other coach in the NRL would be watching this and jealous their team didn’t have this right now.

Any opportunity to give your side some added incentive, momentum, is like gold.

The Raiders are dropping bombs and ready to use it for the rest of 2021.

Someone has been telling big fat fibs but why wouldn’t the Sharks let Morris finish out 2021 and give club best chance of another finals appearance?

Batten down the hatches… ‘us against them!’

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary is quite happy to let people talk shit about his side. It’s all relative, baby.

It’s all fuel.

Both clubs are playing the game.

Stuart’s Raiders are now 3-2 but have lost two of their last three including a shock home loss to the New Zealand Warriors in round three.

The Panthers are on a five-game winning streak to start the year but the coaching staff might be expecting a let down after such a strong start to the season.

This is good for everyone.

We’re all in the business of promoting the sport.

What’s wrong with a couple of clubs hating each other?

@woodward_curtis