Penrith skipper plays down defeat to St Helens saying “it’s the first game of the season”

Penrith Panthers have been one of the best teams ever in the last few years.

They have been near unbeatable in Australia over the last three years and they were so good that the World Cup final was essentially Penrith Panthers vs Penrith Panthers with the side split between Samoa and Australia.

However, they were stunned by Super League Champions St Helens today in their own back yard as the Saints claimed the World Club Challenge title thanks to a Golden Point drop goal.

After the game, Penrith captain Isaah Yeo wasn’t too focused on the quality of St Helens but rather the problems his side caused themselves saying “it’s the first game of the season.”

Yeo told Fox Sports: “We shot ourselves in the foot too much, but they were really good. The way they scrambled defensively all game they were good. We were clunky in attack, their defence was very good.

“It took us to the 79th minute to claw it back but that last little error sums up the game. We shot ourselves in the foot.

“A real pleasure to be a part of, but we weren’t too good tonight.”

He admitted that he thought his side had the momentum going into golden point after clawing back from 12-0 down.

“Yeah I felt we had the momentum but credit to them, they scrambled well and deserved the win.”