Martin in doubt for Origin as Panthers down Roosters in fiery finish

The Panthers outperformed the Roosters 30-6 in what eventuated into chaotic scenes at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.

The Panthers put the match to bed early, running in three tries in six minutes in the second-half, however the Round 15 clash ended with Liam Martin leaving the field with blood pouring down his temple and Spencer Leniu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves sent to the sin-bin with eight minutes to play.

Blues star Martin suffered a Category 1 head knock in an attempt to tackle Roosters enforcer Waerea-Hargreaves in the 66th minute of the match.

With Origin II exactly 11 days away, the same timeframe as the NRL's stand-down period for concussed players, the New South Wales enforcer remains in doubt for the second match of the series.

Just moments after Martin was taken up the tunnel, fellow forward Moses Leota was also sent for assessment in a similar condition after suffering a Category 2 head knock.

The first half saw a fairly even contest with just four points separating the two sides for 35 minutes of the match but it was the premiers who prevailed with a dominant attacking display, even without star halfback Nathan Cleary.

An offside penalty against the Roosters opened the door for centre Stephen Crichton who sliced through Roosters defence to put the Panthers on the board. With Cleary injured, Crichton takes kicking duties but the first attempt is wide.

After the Roosters held the defending premiers 4-0 for 25 minutes, it was Martin who made the home side pay for a Matt Lodge play-the-ball penalty.

Martin stretched the Panthers lead five minutes before the break, breaking through a James Tedesco tackle to charge downfield before finding fullback Dylan Edwards in open territory who ran from halfway to score under the posts. 

In the final play of the half, the Roosters had all the momentum on the Panthers line with Joseph Manu looked set to score. However, exemplary to their stoic defence, the Panthers forced the star five-eighth to drop the ball on the half-time siren.

With Isaah yeo at his barnstorming best and Scott Sorensen winding back the clock, the reigning premiers ran riot in the second half, tearing apart the Roosters with ease to score three tries in six minutes. 

Roosters skipper Tedesco showed a moment of individual brilliance, dancing through Panthers defenders to score and while he reduced the margin by six, that's as close as the Tricolours got as they slumped to their seventh loss of the season.

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Story first published by: NRL.com

Author: 
Kelsey Hogan - NRL Reporter