A bounce back to what may be the reality of this season, but in a strange way, with the Lions facing another loss, this time 3-0 to the Porth Emmett Auctioneers, but it was only in the last two and a half minutes that the game actually sprung into life, with a long 51-yard field goal by James McClure managed the only points, but it could have been different outcome with a last second field goal attempt from basically the same distance with Jeffery Paz, but it was wide left and the Auctioneers come away with quite a remarkable victory in the strangest of circumstances.

There was a lot to be positives from the defeat, with quarterback Joe Chacon only being sacked twice, but not intercepted at all, which can be seen as a positive, along with running back William Cole with another 54 rushing yards, and a brilliant defensive performance from defensive end Paul George with 7 tackles and 4 sacks on Clifford Blake in the match, to lead the team in sacks with 15, and will likely take over the record for the most sacks in a season for the Lions.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez spoke about the determination that the team had in the game, and how a small defeat like this can affect the roster moving forward:-

“Not really, the guys are of course upset at the loss, but they all know what this season entails, and what our goals are. They of course would have loved to have tied the game up and taken it to overtime, with a chance to win and knock off another undefeated team, but it didn’t happen. They gave it their all out there today, I can’t fault them even the slightest for it. We played our gameplan out there on the field, and we gave it everything and then some. We spoke about this very thing every week at training, and we talk about it throughout the game itself. We may not have the best results, but the short term of this, is that in the long term, we will have a team that will be fighting for every single yard, every single point, and be fighting week in and week out for victories, even better than we are right now”.

Penrith now have the task of heading off to face the resurgent Cape Town Rhinos, who are sitting at 3-3 on the season as well and coming into this game off the back of a solid 16-3 victory over the Wildcats and will be looking to avenge the close 9-7 loss they faced back in the 2026 preseason matchup. Quarterback Douglas Alvarez is looking strong this season, with 220 yards against North York, and compared to this time last season, he is looking at a much better season. The Rhinos are also limiting their opponents in scoring, letting in an average of 16 points a game so far, compared to last season where they were at 21 ppg. The Lions, however, seem to be heading backwards, conceding an average of 11.3 ppg this season, compared to last season where that figure was at 10.1 ppg.

The Rhinos are also on a very upwards trajectory, being only two games behind the other three teams in their division, they are looking like being a force for keeping the division as tight as it already is, while the Lions are sticking with their long term plans and long term rebuilding of a franchise that could be at the top of it’s game, but a few crucial decisions have put the team back a few steps in the process to be at the top of its game. Penrith can take some positives in their trajectory, being the tenth best defence in terms of points conceded so far, with Cape Town all the way down at 6th worst (26th), while the Lions can boast having two players in the top ten of sacks, and not that far off being in the top ten for tackles, best being linebacker John Matthews at 42 tackles (league leader is at 64 tackles)

The Lions will be without defensive tackle Michael Frank at least for the next eight weeks, which seems to have compounded the injury issue that might be peering over the horizon at the Lions, with the addition that Paul Payne will miss the remainder of the season, Frank will be out with a serious leg injury that has now required surgery, so he will be a race for the Week 15 matchup against the Fools. Penrith will also be without Dirk Shafter again, as his concussion symptoms have not subsided and he will be out again, with a view from the doctors to seeing him return for possibly the triple divisional matchups in Week 9 or 10.

Game Prediction: Cape Town are looking stronger this time around and we think that they will run away with this game. Let’s just hope that it’s a close game.

The Lions, from the opening drive, never stood a chance against an up and coming Cape Town roster, falling 26-7 to the Rhinos to drop to 3-4 on the season and begin the ongoing and almost daily questions about what is going on at the Lions, and whether so many are in over their heads with running this franchise, and whether or not, the franchise will even survive under the current leadership. Another sad defeat, with a team that basically looked like it was not out there to play football, or even manage anything. It took until the middle of the third quarter before the Lions looked like a side that wanted to get something done, but once quarterback Joe Chacon managed his fourth touchdown of the season to William Cole, the Lions seemed to just switch off again and let the Rhinos run away with it all over again.

18 first downs to the Rhinos, compared to the 8 for Penrith, a masterclass from quarterback Douglas Alvarez (22/30, 189 yards, 2 TD’s, 111.67 QBR) was far better than the four sacks that Chacon fell victim to, and another interception, the team just looks to be a shadow of it’s former self, and the miracle season of 2026 seems a far and distance memory now, with some questioning not just the coaching staff, but the ownership group as to their commitment and whether or not, this franchise will ever see the light at the end of the tunnel that is sprouted so much day after day.

Team Owner Leam Mark Farrar spoke to the media after the game, a rare appearance at the podium this season and talked about where the team is, and where it is heading, giving reasons as to the performance of the team so far this season:-

“Look, we aren’t doing so well, that’s a given and we understand that the fans and the community are watching and wanting better from the guys, and we are serious in the understanding that the results are not the best, that we need to lift our game if we want to compete with the top teams in this league, and even in our division, and the results don’t speak enough to the effort that we are bringing to the field each week. I have been watching practice and I’ve seen the meetings our team are having after practice with their position coaches, and I know they are putting everything into it each week. The results will come, we will be back up there and fighting for victories, fighting for the division and fighting for the chance to win a championship. Our motto this season has been short-term pain for long-term success and also, to never give up and we most certainly won’t be giving up”

The Lions won’t have much time to dwell on the performance or the ongoing media talk about the future and even the present, as they head off on the second of four-straight road games, with a matchup against the Nottingham Arrows, who are coming into the matchup off the back of two straight losses themselves, going down 23-10 to Cheesy Philly to drop to 3-4 themselves. With former Dragons quarterback Yuan Shao under center, they are looking a shadow of their former selves, despite being at the same win/loss record this season compared to last season. Some may wonder if the Arrows have made improvements, but coming off an 8-8 season last year, and being at 3-4, they could be facing another 8-8 season, but also could be pushing for a divisional title, being tied with Heliopolis at the moment and could be in line for a return to postseason football, meanwhile the Lions are far from that, far from even being able to compete in their own division.

The Lions head into the game with same active roster that they had for the Cape Town game, with guard Dirk Shafter once again missing out with further concussion symptoms, however, the reports are that he was very close to passing his concussion tests, but the medical staff have opted to fail him and work through him over the week, with a look to returning the week after, while rookies Joel Coder and Allen Brush will again not feature, some wondering if the position of the Lions and the fact that nobody in the media believes the Lions will be featuring again in the postseason, that they could easily play the rookies over the more veteran players to build up their confidence and game time, however, the Lions have opted to stick with the known quantities on the active roster this time around, but both Coder and Brush have travelled with the team and will be in the coaching box with their positional coaches, giving them the best opportunity to learn more and to assist where they can.

Game Prediction: Could be a close one, maybe the Lions pull off another remarkable victory, but it could also be a close one in the other direction.

The Lions returned to the ways that it has been for most of the season, with a loss to another up and coming roster, this time falling to Nottingham 23-0, their second shutout loss in the last three matches. The defeat also puts the Lions another step further away from the rebuilding process and the long-term plan that many thought they would be moving towards this season. It was another disappointing performance from the team as a whole, quarterback Joe Chacon failing once again, three interceptions and a lowly 112 yards, while former Dragons quarterback Yuan Shao throwing for 162 yards, and a clinical 127 rushing yard performance from Juan Monks, who basically single-handedly demolished the Lions.

The only bright light from a performance like this, was 10 tackles from Dwayne Tabor, his first double-digit tackle count this season and his first in his career, bringing his total to 55 on the season, putting him at a career best. Besides this, not much else went right for the Lions, and not much else was going to be right for them, many wondering where the plan has gone wrong this season, and whether the Lions are going to be pushing for advancement over the coming seasons, or if this is the best they are going to get.

Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was adamant, after the game and in his post-game press conference, that the Lions will turn the corner and come out of the other side:-

“We know the position we are in; we know where we are at this moment, and we know what is expected of us, and we know that right now, we aren’t performing to the high standards we set for ourselves. Be it a number of issues, any number of problems, but we aren’t saying that those problems are the excuse, because we don’t think of it as an excuse, but as part of the long-term plan that we have and are going to keep on pushing no matter what, no matter what the result is going to be, and we will get to our desired goal. We just want our fans to know that it’s a long-term plan, and the pain might be hurting now, but we will manage to get through this, and we will come out of this a much better franchise”.

The Lions have to regroup very quickly, as they head into the first of three straight divisional matchups, the first being a matchup against the North York Wildcats, a team that they beat twice last season, and will look to keep that streak alive, but coming into the game off the back of a two-game win streak, both against divisional rivals; the Wildcats look to be the stronger of the two opponents this week, and pushing 10.5 points a game over the last four games, compared to the Lions who are scoring on average 5.5 points, there might be a very large gap between the two teams, unlike last season where the Wildcats were struggling and the Lions were fighting for a divisional title. This season, the Wildcats are on the up and up, while the Lions are falling backwards.

Despite a 300+ yard game from Corpses quarterback Justin Crabtree, there was much more from the Wildcats that gave them the upper hand, an almost 100-yard rushing game from Garrett Molyneux, 7 tackles from Walter Johnson, 5 from both Rufus Esquivel and Emil Mouzon and the opening four drives where the Wildcats pushed the Corpses into two punts, a fumble that turned into an opening score touchdown, as well as a missed field goal, the Wildcats had a much better opening to the game, where the Lions were just never in the game against the Arrows, and this could be a turning point to push the game more towards the Wildcats favour.

The Lions during the week signed both safety James Robbins and defensive tackle Joseph Brown to the active roster, with medical staff effectively forcing safety Miguel Logan out of the side to give him time to recover from a possible arm fracture, however, scans have revealed that it is not as bad as first thought. Bringing back Jospeh Brown to the roster gives the Lions a little more respite from the defensive injuries, and while many will again be wondering why in the active roster, that rookies Joel Coder and Allen Brush have again been left out, some might be saying that the Lions are not willing to give into the ongoing losses and the lost season that this may be but are still going to keep on fighting in every single game.

Game Prediction: Sorry, North York are going to get this one and take away another victory. The Lions are down and out of their luck at the moment and will see another L in the column.

The Lions just don’t seem to have it in them this season, falling once again to a divisional rival to drop to 3-6 on the season and with a 29-13 defeat to the Wildcats, the season is for all intents and purposes, over for another tilt at the championship. While the Lions may mathematically still be in with a shot, the Lions would be much better off missing the postseason again, and getting whatever the long-term plan is, off on the next step.

Penrith had the lead late on in the first quarter, and got close right on the stroke of halftime, but a solitary field goal in the second half, compared to a strong showing by the Wildcats allowed them to just pull away from the Lions, who forced the Lions into two turnover on downs and two punts in four of the six drives in the second half. Clearly, the Lions are not in the same class as the remaining FB West teams, it may be a while before Penrith are back fighting for the division.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez spoke about how the Lions are approaching each game heading into the final series of games for the regular season:-

“We’ve been out of contention probably for a couple of weeks now, if not earlier than that, it's not something we are going to gloss over and we are clearly understanding of the task, so we’ve been fully focused on chasing the process that we have in place this season and we won’t really change. Every game is a big game for our club, but nothing much changes from what we’ve been chasing for the last four or five weeks in particular, we’ve seen a little bit of improvement, so we’ll continue with that. As much as there’s no postseason on the line, or potential to make the postseason, the experience of each game for our roster is something that’s really what we are focussed on each week. We are focussed on each game, no matter the opponent. The Wildcats are a good side, as are so many others and we are really trying to focus on the process that we have in place. That’s what we’re trying to get better at, fronting up as a team each game week and making sure that we are in the battle out there on the field each game”.

Penrith now take on the second of their three-straight divisional matches, facing off against the aforementioned Corpses, who have been confirmed this week to be welcoming in a new ownership group who will take over the franchise at the beginning of next season, and are heading into the match with five straight losses, and will be looking to get their first divisional win of the season, and their fourth win out of the last five against the Lions. In the five losses, the Corpses have managed only an average of 12.6 points per game, meanwhile the Lions are at 7 points per game across the same five, so this could again be a low scoring game, with the average game between the Corpses and the Lions in their last five encounters being 14.6 to the Lions and 6.6 to the Corpses.

The one positive that the Lions have is a defence that has seemingly kept them in the play each week, with linebacker John Matthews collecting a massive 18 tackles against the Wildcats, and Jackson Real with 14 tackles, with Matthews equalling the most tackles in a game with Echunga’s Ovide Y Saphron, and with the Lions managing on average 57.5 tackles over the last four games, Corpses at an average of 62 tackles over the same four games, this could be a defensive struggle for both sides.

The Lions head into the match with safety Miguel Logan returning to the active roster in place of James Robbins who debuted for the side against the Wildcats, and while he managed a respectable 3 tackles in the loss to North York, the return of Logan who has managed almost 8 tackles in his last four, could not be passed up to bring him back into active roster. The Lions will also be without Clarence Hoff who has been missing since Week 8 with concussion symptoms and has been left out once again. The other injury concern has been with Leonel Burke who will miss the game with a hand injury.

Game Prediction: Could be a tough one, but hopefully the Lions can get another win on the board, however, don’t think it will be this game. Corpses to get another win on the board.

Penrith finally found the way to get it across the line, managing to eek out a 21-11 victory over the Corpses, to take the series 2-0 against them this season. The Lions looked from the outset, and while the first quarter produced nothing but punts, but come the second quarter, the Lions found another gear and pushed through two straight touchdowns, including another rushing touchdown on the season, the third of the season, and they just kept on going, pushing the game out to a well deserved victory, even with the Corpses managing a late fourth quarter touchdown with a cheeky two point conversion, but it was for nothing as the Lions iced the game with a last field goal from Jeffery Paz.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was pleased with the outcome of the game and was pleased to see the positives from the game and within their long-term plans:-

“We played well today, we really wanted to build more consistency in our game, in the way we played, and I think we did that today, and did it better than we have in previous weeks. We aren’t scared from the fact that we have a lot of challenges coming over the rest of this season and heading into the future, and we are ready for it. Pleased that we were able to put this game away early on and we will still learn from the mistakes and the positives and move onto next week and go again. It’s just the way things are, and we are building our long-term plan and hopefully long-term success off the back of games like this, regardless of what the results might show”

The Lions now head off back home to face off against the Wildcats, the final of three-straight divisional games on the season with the look towards making it a third division win this season, and with the Wildcats coming in off the back off a tight 7-6 loss to the Soneros, and will look to also bounce on with a second straight victory over the Lions, and with an offence that is running at an average of 17 points a game over the last four, whilst only giving up an average of 7.5 points per game in the same four, they will again look to take the Lions head on and force them into the ongoing punting that the Lions seem to be famous for this season, with Jeff Robinson the third punter this season in means of yards punted.

North York could have easily caused another major upset this season, with a low-scoring affair against the Soneros, and will look to get back on track, with the Lions only managing the one win last week in their last five, and with an offence of 8.2 points per game, and defence of 18.4 points per game, it could be a messy game with loads of points coming up. Whether the Lions can buck the trend and keep the Wildcats to a low score, could go a long way to deciding the match in their favour and may be the result they need to get a season that a few weeks ago, looked all but done for, into another season like last year, and the Lions may just still be in the fight for the division.

Penrith will go into the game with only a few minor injury concerns, with the most notable being that Dirk Shafter has finally passed his concussion protocols and will rejoin the active roster, with him only to injure himself again with a light foot complaint. Meanwhile, further roster changes have seen safety James Robbins, defensive tackle Joseph Brown and guard Leonardo Coolio all released from their contracts to free up roster spots to fill in with guard Iko-chan Kamonohashi, rookie tackle Fred Lawson and linebacker John Matthews all ruled out of the game this week, with the likelihood of their returns next week being close to a certainty.

Game Prediction: One win becomes two wins in a row? Could happen here this week and would be nice to see. Let’s hope it happens.