The Lions may have just taken down a classic of a game, with a tight 9-6 victory over the North York Wildcats, to push their case just a little bit more that they could attempt a run at the divisional title this season, but also to manage a second straight victory over the Wildcats and even up the all-time series 7-7 with them. It wasn’t the prettiest victory that the Lions have managed in several seasons, but some will say that a win is a win, and no matter how it happens, it’s in the record books. Quarterback Joe Chacon had a disaster of a game, throwing for a putrid 87 yards and while he avoided a sack or interception in the game, the offense that took the field failed in every single aspect of that game, with an offense that let in 14 first downs to the Wildcats, 47 rushing yards from Garrett Molyneux, 185 receiving yards from Quimbus Baconmaker and four receivers with long catches of more than 10 yards across the 27 completions they achieved. Some would call this a lucky or a great escape, but other commentators are wondering if it was just an off game for the Wildcats.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez praised the effort, but admitted that there was still a long way to go for the team to be in a better position moving forward:

“To get a win like that, it takes guts and grit to not just lie down and forget that it’s a football game, and to let the opponents back in, but the guys pushed every drive and every play to make sure that we kept it positive to our side, and they were ensuring that regardless of the bad results on some of those drives, that we didn’t give up until the end of the game. They are going to enjoy a win like that one, and we will sit down and review what went right and what didn’t, and make sure that we take the practices we have this week to build on those positives and try as best to eliminate the negatives and issues that we are seeing and that we can and do identify”

The Lions head into the second half of the season with a divisional matchup against the Compton Catastrophe, a team that many had at the start of the season actually winning the FB West division, but have struggled beyond all comprehension and sit at 0-8, with an almost lock on the #1 overall pick in the draft, while the Lions are going to be looking to keep their unbeaten divisional record in tack, with another victory and many hoping that the offense can again get back to firing on some cylinders. Compton will also now need to deal with the neck injury to quarterback Justin Crabtree last week, who is likely to miss this game and the next five weeks, as quarterback Rebulah Conundrum has not really shown the prowess to be a solid starting quarterback, going 15-for-20 last week, with 4 sacks and an interception, and currently has not thrown a touchdown in three seasons with the team. Meanwhile, Joe Chacon has shown some live again, with only 4 sacks in the last games, and while he is still one of the most sacked quarterbacks this season (22 this season, ninth in the league), he has begun to slowly show some improvement, but that improvement could come a bit too late for the Lions as they maybe consider a push to the postseason.

Compton does have some positives to look at, they scored 16 points on the Herons (who ironically, Penrith hold the Herons first round draft pick this offseason), compared to the two previous weeks where they scored a total of 9 points, whilst conceding 50 points to Nice and High River (Penrith conceded 40 points in total against those two teams). The offense is there for Compton, they have the tools to develop into a much stronger roster than what they are showing now, having spent the last few years rebuilding the franchise from the depths of league intervention following the cheating scandal that they went through, but right now, they are just not showing that strength that many thought they would have this season and are better placed right now to focus already on next season, nab the #1 overall selection in the draft and begin planning for next season, while the Lions are slowly showing where they are wanting to go, and where they are heading, and if they can string together a few gritty victories, maybe a blowout or two throughout the second half of the season, this 2028 season may not be over in a couple of months, there could be some life left in Penrith.

The Lions will, however, head into the game with a smaller injury list than previous weeks, with the only major concerns being defensive tackle John Jones and defensive end Gavin Blair both looking at missing the next three to four weeks, with Blair likely to miss the longer period with another knee complaint, however, the positives from this is that it was not the same severity of injury that he suffered back in 2024 when he was last on the Lions roster. Defensive Tackle Tony Threatt also suffered a small arm injury in the game against North York, but has subsequently passed a fitness test and will line up for the Compton game.

Game Prediction: Probably a victory to the Lions this week, will be nice to again get two wins in a row.

The Lions did what it took and took another win into the column, with a solid 23-9 victory over the Compton Catastrophe last week, to consign Compton to a losing record this season and give the Lions some hope that they might be able to manage a run at the postseason, albeit a small one. The offense actually seemed to be on point this week, with quarterback Joe Chacon throwing for only 126 yards, but the more important stat was the lack of interceptions and only one sack that has gotten people talking, along with running back William Cole rushing for 108 yards, the second time this season a running back has rushed for over 100 yards (the last being William Cole against Compton earlier). Penrith were able to take on 13 unanswered points before Compton found their way back into the game, but by this time, the Lions were just too far away and another 27-yard field goal from Orlando Norris effectively sealed the game for them, with Chacon taking on another touchdown for good measure to give the Lions the victory and the second head-to-head record against Compton for the second straight season.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was proud of the effort that the team put in over the week and how that translated to the game itself:

“We put a lot of effort and work in this week, seeing where our positives were and what weaknesses we had, and building on fixing those weaknesses, and also taking the time to understand where we stand really in the division and in the league. It’s tough when you are facing teams that look strong on paper and look strong in game film, and we knew that Compton would come out swinging, especially after the last time we faced them, and we knew that we had to be on our “A” game this week, and I think the guys did that from the opening drive. We still have a lot to work on and I think this team will get there eventually, we al know it and we can be proud of our efforts”

The Lions head off to face the Reasonable Lengths this week, a team that is also coming off a solid 18-11 victory over the North York Wildcats and will be looking to make it three from four against BC West teams this season, having already defeated Compton back in Week 4 and a Week 8 loss to Florence. They have, over the last five weeks, been in every single contest right through, and while the scores have been quite high, the last five games have seen the Lengths post a 2-3 record, even with an average of 19.4 points per game, it is a much better improved team that last season, where at this point in the season they were only averaging 5.3 points per game. You look at the Lions, who over their last five are averaging only 14.4 points per game (2027 season was at 10.3 points per game), this game could be a reasonably high scoring affair for both sides, or it could be a blowout. It all really depends on which version of the Lions show up, with this season being one of the stranger ones for the side.

The other news coming out of Penrith has been several comments made by Team Owner Leam Mark Farrar, who from reports circulating, may be facing action from the league office. The comments were made at a function earlier this week, where some aspects of the administration of the league were made public by him, with several recordings having been made, and one making its way to the league offices. Currently no statement has been issued by the league office, who are understood to be in discussions about possible sanctions or suspension. There is currently no talk of Mr. Farrar being forced to sell the team, but that there would be discussions in the future as to these comments. It is a distraction that the team can ill afford to have at the moment, with many in the community wondering how much longer this team is going to be at the level it is at, and when winning ways would be returning to the Lions community, and even more so with the word this week that primary sponsor OAK Milk will be ending their seven-year sponsorship of the team at the conclusion of the season, so the Lions will be on the lookout for a new primary sponsor next season.

On the other hand, the Lions do have only a few injuries to deal with, the worst being a foot injury to defensive tackle John Jones, which may sideline him for up to a month, however, reports are that it may not be as worse as first predicted and he may return sooner than expected. The only other injury concern is with running back Joel Coder, who is actually recovering better than planned, but will still miss at least the next two weeks with his foot complaint as well.

Game Prediction: Can we dream of a third straight victory? Could be tight, but hoping the Lions get across the line here.

PENRITH, NSW – Team Owner Leam Mark Farrar has issued the following statement:

Comments made by me over the last several weeks regarding team performance as well as decisions and concerns with the manner in which the league is moving forward with and the level of support given to some franchises over others are not in line with the code of conduct and expectations of a team owner in the league.

I fully understand and accept that my words have had and continue to have a detrimental effect on other team owners and that, while I am able to speak up about my concerns at a league level, as does any other team owner, making such comments in a public space is not the right manner in which to effect change and see about providing a positive contribution to the league moving forward.

I am aware that in this day and age, comments made at private functions can and most likely, will be recorded in some form or fashion and may make their way through social media. This is the era we live in right now. The whole Lions organisation prides itself on being respectful, responsible and aware that comments we all make in our privileged position within this league may be taken out of context and find it’s way through social media, where everyone can make their own decision and judgement.

My comments were my own opinions, they do not reflect the Penrith Lions organisation and while I feel strongly that there does need to be some changes heading into the future to support all franchises, I should have made those comments in a private manner and at a more appropriate time. I regret that my comments may have been hurtful to other team owners, and I can only apologize unreservedly if this is the case, and hope that this has not fractured the friendship we have.

I, along with the board, have accepted all three recommendations from the league office with regards to this incident and are aware that any further comments made in the future, may result in further actions being taken, up to and including, selling the franchise to another ownership group.

In a big week for the Lions, something that they didn’t need, reports that Team Owner Leam Mark Farrar has been slapped with a serious and massive financial fine were confirmed this week, when the league office issued a statement confirming that the comments made by Mr. Farrar were indeed against the code of conduct for team owners, and that he has brought the game into disrepute. The statement confirmed that the comments made, including the comments made after the 9-0 shutout loss to the Reasonable Lengths last week, resulted in the league and the game being brought into a bad light. The league issued the Lions with a $500,000 fine, Mr. Farrar issued also issued with a $500,000 fine and also barred from making any further media appearances until the end of the 2029 season.

The board immediately issued a statement confirming the very same and accepted all the recommendations, with the team also announcing that any future media appearances from the board would be made by General Manager Todd Carlton moving forward.

It wrapped up a terrible week for the Lions, who suffered that 9-0 defeat to the Lengths, with some wondering if this result all but ends the small sliver of light that the team had of being able to fight for a postseason berth this season, with the Lions sitting two games back on the division, but with both games against Florence to come, along with the return fixture against North York on the horizon, the undefeated division record may be all for nothing as both the Wildcats and Fools head into some winnable games. Penrith were never in the game, five straight punts to open the game, managing only one drive of more than 9 yards in the whole first half, and while the Lengths also struggled, they were able to make the struggles a little more manageable, and were able to etch out a 6-0 lead, which was easily enough, but tacked on another 3 points right at the death to all but seal the game. The offense out on the field was the same old Lions offense, nothing going again, allowing 22 tackles through the line, the worst being center Ernest Morley, letting through 7 tackles.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was not full of praise, but concern that the Lions let previous weeks get into their head and that a performance like that was not what they are looking for:

“We let that game slip from our hands right from the word go, we had no offense again, and it was just like we did nothing at all. It was like practice meant nothing. We trained hard this week; we did nothing different that what we have done every week. We focussed on the positives, looked towards what we were weak in and built on fixing those mistakes. We took a lot of time to watch game film on the Lengths and see what weaknesses they had, where they had a lot of positives and took our training regime to what we knew we would have to face. We spoke about this every single day, and it was just like the offense failed to show up, and that we were playing catchup from the minute the game kicked off. It was an unacceptable game for us, and we really need to dig deep to understand what we are doing here, because performances like that, is what gets you rolled out of the division and wiped out when it comes to the postseason. That is a far goal for us now”

Penrith will need to get that loss out of their minds quick smart as they head back home to face off against the Hurlingham Herons, and will come up against one of the stars of the team in tight end Wayne Snyder for the first time since the massive trade that went down earlier last season, and resulted in the Lions now holding the Herons’ first round selection in the draft, and while the Lions may be wanting to see the Herons lose, many players this week were on the same page in saying that they aren’t worried about draft picks or what-not, they just wanted to get out there and play the best possible game against the Herons. Hurlingham come into the game off the back of two straight losses, with last week being a 21-14 loss to the Wildcats, some may say that it was a victory they let slip out of their hands based on the stat line, but the scoreline wouldn’t reflect that.

Despite going 1-3 in their last four matches, the results in those losses have not been too bad to look at, with the three losses only coming to an average of 12.3 points (Hurlingham have scored 29 points in those three games, conceding 66 points), while the Lions, going 2-2 have conceded 44 points and scored 42 points, so this could be a tight match up for the Lions, but as normal, it all really depends on which offense bothers to show up, with reports floating around that the decision has been made to bench Joe Chacon and try rookie quarterback John Decaro in this match, seeing how he performs, with a look already to the future, as watching over practice this week, there were more rookies on the field taking first team snaps than in previous weeks. The thought may be that the season is all but over for the Lions, and that next season will be what the focus will shift to over the coming weeks.

Only two injuries to contend with at the moment, with the worst being defensive end Robert Campbell, who looks likely to be missing the remainder of the season with a leg injury, scans didn’t reveal too much, so the team are sending him to get secondary tests done, with the look at shutting him down if the scans reveal anything further, with doctors also reporting that they may put him in for surgery, and with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, this may be the final time we see Campbell on the field in a Lions jersey. The only other injury is with running back Joel Coder, but the likelihood is that he returns next week and will be ready to finish out the season.

Game Prediction: Tough one. Part wants to say a Herons win just on the look of the Lions roster and playstyle at the moment, but the other half wants to see the Lions win to bump that Herons draft pick a bit higher than where it sits right now. Can we predict a tie?

A week of turmoil for the Lions organisation ended with the toughest of losses, going down 15-13 to the Hurlingham Herons, with only 82 seconds remaining to etch out the victory, only to lose out to a 33-yard field goal from Antonio Manuel. Penrith had the chance on the final drive to win it, with rookie quarterback John Decaro managing a remarkable 5 play, 43-yard drive down to the Hurlingham 19-yard line, but clock management was more of the enemy than the play calling, unable to get something going in the final 16 seconds, to what would have been a 36-yard attempt, it just was not meant to be for the Lions.

It was the first time quarterback John Decaro had played all season, baring the preseason, and many praised the young rookie’s first start, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown late in the third quarter that brought the Lions back to within 2 points, and only the one interception and a solitary sack, with some wondering why it took eleven weeks to bring him into the system, after trying to manage with Joe Chacon for all that time. He showed glimpses of what he could do for the future of the franchise, and evidence that he hasn’t lost much of his playing ability after sitting on the bench, and why the Lions took a gamble on him in the second round of the draft.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was full of praise for the young quarterback and what it means for the Lions heading into the final few games of the season:

“We took a chance on John in the draft, we wanted to make sure that he was ready to take the field, we didn’t want to just thrust him into offense without him being ready, it just would have been a disaster for him, and it would have seriously destroyed his confidence. We had a plan in place with John, he knew it and he worked as hard as anybody else on the roster to make sure that he was ready to take the field, and we saw what that time learning the system, time learning everything he needed paid off. Despite the tough loss, I think he played great, and he will get better and better with each start moving forward”.

If the Lions are going to go with Decaro for the foreseeable future, then he will be a baptism of fire for him and this offense as they begin the final five games of the season against some quite tough games ahead, starting this week with a divisional matchup against the division leading Florence Fools, who are pushing for a third-straight divisional title and will be pushing to take a third straight scalp with the Lions in that quest, and will also be looking to continue their perfect run against the Lions with a fifth straight win, going back to 2026. For a team that is facing the task of trying to keep a rebuild on the right track, this is a game that they can ill afford to lose.

That being said, the Fools don’t look anything like that at the moment, they are six wins in their last seven, with the only loss being a close 9 point loss to Echunga only three weeks ago, and they have been on a scoring rampage, averaging 16 points a game over those last seven, conceding only 86 points in total, whereas the Lions have only scored 85 points total in their last seven games (and have gone 4-3 in that time), and while it is too early to really compare the quarterback skills of John Decaro, after only one outing, going up against a 66% career quarterback in Hmmm Goodenough, it is going to be a really tall task for the Lions to come out of this one with a victory. The one shining light on the offence seems to be that both sides are tracking relatively close when it comes to passing yards per game, with the Fools just etching slightly more yards compared to the Lions (190.3 yards per game for Florence, 181.0 yards per game for Penrith), whilst giving up roughly the same (187.2 for Florence, 176.1 for Penrith), and also when it comes to rushing yards, with Florence again slightly ahead of Penrith, at 81.4 rushing yards per game, compared to Penrith one spot lower at 79.6 yards per game.

Penrith have also made a couple of roster moves this week, following on from what looks to be a season-ending injury to running back William Cole, who is likely out with a knee injury, they have brought in former Paris running back Adrienne Vachement to fill in the gap alongside Joel Coder, whilst Dennis Smith moves back to the inactive list. The only other injury concerns are with defensive tackle Aaron James who looked likely to miss some time with a leg sprain suffered this week in practice, but he has passed a fitness test and will take his place on the defensive side, however, the news wasn’t good for rookie defensive tackle Tony Threatt who will likely miss the next three to four weeks with a neck complaint, doctors not willing to give him a fitness test and he will be reevaluated over the coming week to see if he will face off against Echunga in Week 13.

Game Prediction: Sorry Lions fans, can’t see this being a win in any fashion. Florence have our number, they will get their sixth straight win against us.

The Lions caused what could be the biggest upset of their season against Florence, capping off a remarkable 15-9 victory over the Fools, with it once again being rookie quarterback John Decaro that shone bright for the Lions in a season that is now looking just that little bit more worth something, despite lower passing yards (110 yards), he once again managed only the one sack, and no interceptions, with some now questioning the future of Joe Chacon with this team, more and more are now talking about this being Decaro’s team. He may have been outshone by the 255 yards from veteran Hmmm Goodenough, but the signs of the future were on full display for the Lions faithful, as they for it all, and did not look like it was someone on their second start.

The Lions took the ascendency from the get-go, and despite a fumble late in the first quarter, they looked the goods and forced Florence into some silly mistakes, with only two drives in the opening half being more than 10 yards, and straight up, Penrith limited the effect of star running back Leeroy Jenkins, only 39 rushing yards, an average of 2.4 yards per carry, one of his lowest figures this season, and his lowest figures against Penrith since the 2026 season. For what it’s all worth, the Lions pulled a famous victory, and for the first time since the 2022 season, they will finish the season with a positive (and winning) divisional record, whilst also putting themselves quite in the picture for the divisional title, being only two games back now and with a hope that Weeks 15 and 16 could be even more to play for.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was full of praise for Decaro and the effort that the whole team has put in over the last several weeks, and how they plan on facing the final set of games in the season:

“We are honestly just taking each game as it comes, we want to make sure that we are playing a positive manner of football, that we are playing football that we want to play and that we focus on each game, focus on what we can control, and less on what we can’t control. We have seen only two games from John [Decaro] and from what I have seen on the field, and on the practice field as well, that we have a solid quarterback for the team. He has taken the time to learn the team, learn the playbook and be ready to play. He has done a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment and it really has, in my opinion, seen as a positive influence on the rest of the team. There is a whole lot more pushing every day in meetings, practices, you name it. I think we are looking forwards to where we want to go, not where we have been”.

It may have been the start of a tough run of games for the Lions, but that has to be the talk now as the Lions head off to the Adelaide Hills and face off against the Echunga Echidnas, for the fourth edition of the Australia Cup, a trophy that the Lions are still yet to taste victory in, the closest being back in 2024, so the Lions will be itching for another victory, a win that could mean more than just a trophy, it could be what keeps them in the hunt for the division title and that postseason berth that has alluded them for the last three years, while Echunga will be looking to put a bit more of a gap between themselves and the Herons, who are fighting for the BC West title, and all while waiting in the wings is the Derry Mean Machine, just waiting for them both to slip up.

Echunga head into the game off the back of a tough 2-point loss to Derry, and with their season record being one apiece, it could all be down to Week 15 for the Echidnas to make it a fourth divisional title (and their first since 2024), and with a team that has scored on average 25.2 points per game over their last five games, the Lions could be in for a serious trashing if they are to play like they have, but with what looks to be a renewed sense of vigour and a bit of momentum on their side, they could seriously cause some problems for an defence that has given up 13.4 points per game in those five games. If the Lions are going to manage something out of this game, they essentially need to shut down the Echunga offense, which can ruin an opposition in either one way or the other, with quarterback Knuckles S. Knuckles throwing 187.8 yards per game over the last five, seeing 6 touchdowns an only 3 interceptions, as well as an offensive line that has not allowed a sack in the last five games, and while the Lions have seen the sacks and interceptions lower over the last two games, they are still struggling to manage much else beyond that, with the team only managing 7 receiving touchdowns and not a single rushing touchdown, it may be a long day for the Lions, but if they could knock off another high-flying contender, it could be another story all together.

Penrith have made further changes to the roster, bringing in linebacker John Simon off the waiver wire, with a look at a younger roster for future seasons, with Simon having been released by the War Elephants last week, whilst countering that acquisition with the release of offensive guard Dirk Shafter. Penrith will go into the game with the injury concerns focussed around the defence, with the likes of Gavin Blair and Len Price both facing stints on the sideline, however, the reports from the medical staff is that they may both be able to play a small backup role in the game, whilst the only offensive injury of note is with running back William Cole, who has made some small progress, but with the Lions bringing in former Paris running back in Adrienne Vachement, it is more likely that Cole will be shut down for the remainder of the season.

Game Prediction: Maybe reverse psychology works, so let’s go for a Lions win (even though we really know that they won’t win this one. The Australia Cup is staying with Echunga)