PENRITH, NSW – The Penrith Lions have made another trade wit the Tokyo Revolver, this time sending across a fourth-round selection in the 2032 draft in exchange for running back Jon Salas.

Salas, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 draft by the then-Catacol Wildcats, spending five seasons there, amassing over 2,700 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, including eight in his sophomore season, he was then signed off the waiver wire back in 2027 by the Revolver where he has played two seasons, and another 860 yards and two touchdowns. His arrival brings with it another veteran running back to assist while both rookie running backs in David Haskins and Pierre Bush both recover from nasty ankle injuries, with Haskins the most likely to return early, but still some time away from being back to full strength.

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Quotes attributed to General Manager Todd Carlton

“We know that our running back stocks have taken quite a hit over the last couple of preseason games, and bringing in Jon gives us the required depth that we need in that position as we head into the final game of preseason and into the regular season itself. We liked what we saw from him, obviously with preseason there is not as much to go on right now, but his performances in the regular season across multiple years and across two different teams, both with differing offensive styles, shows what we can achieve when he is given the ball”

Quotes attributed to Head Coach Roy Rodriguez

“Only wish was that we drafted him all those years ago, maybe then, we could have been the bearer of the fruits that he has produced over the years that he has been in the league. He brings a renewed sense that we can achieve something better offensively than we did last season and we believe that he is not just around to provide depth while we wait for David [Haskins] and Pierre [Bush] to return to training from their injuries, but that he can be a solid addition to the room for this season and hopefully a few more to come”

A new season and a new chance to push for the title, but the Lions may want to put that dream on hold for another season and just push for a postseason berth as a more realistic achievement, having come within half a game last season of that goal, this season has to be that at a bare minimum or questions may need to be raised about some of the backroom staff, or even many of the players.

With the Lions offense taking a new chapter this year, with second-year player John Decaro under center following the retirement of long-time quarterback Joe Chacon, it is his team now and if the last few weeks of last season where anything to go by, the team could be in for a good showing, and may even cause an upset or two if teams aren’t ready, and with two rookie running backs due to come back in the next month or so, along with superstar Jon Salas in the room, the running game may be just coming back slowly for the Lions. Penrith have also seen some turnover on the offensive line, with free agent signing Alonzo Black the talk of the town, but also bringing in rookies Charles Decker, second-round selection from BYU and first round pick Gregory Bradshaw out of Colgate, both really made their marks in training camp and preseason and look to be solid additions for many years to come, in an offensive line that has struggled to keep the quarterback on his feet for the last couple of seasons.

The Lions head into the regular season off the back of a 2-2 preseason, their third mark in four seasons, but as many always say, preseason is just about getting the right plays in and getting everyone warmed up and ready for sixteen regular season games, the record means very little. But that being said, the Lions actually were competitive in all bare the opening fixture against the now-renamed (and relocated) Genoa Champions, going down 25-0, but, following that, they actually looked solid, going to overtime with the Arctic Foxes, and almost making it stick against the Robins, two teams they will see again later in the season, and another remarkable win against the Screamers, the Lions look to be maybe a few steps ahead of where many in the media think that they are right now. A first up test against the Florence Fools awaits them in the opening game of the season, and with the last two season matchups between these teams being an even split so far, this could be anybody’s guess as to who wins the game. Last time these two teams faced off in Week 1, was back in 2026, and that came out to be a Florence victory, however, with the Lions pushing to make that next step up and with last season’s 13-3 victory probably still fresh in some people’s minds, a victory that denied Florence the divisional title, this game will be a ripper, nonetheless.

Heading into his fifth season with the team, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was confident that the Lions have taken that crucial next step and are ready for this season and what it is going to bring, not just on the field, but in the media and the expectations that many are placing upon this side that is still searching for that second divisional title, having not seen the postseason now since 2025:-

“We know what the media thinks of us, we know what the fans think of us, and it’s now down to us. We have worked hard this offseason to bring in the right players, to draft the right players from the draft, to acquire the talent that we know that we need to make the next step forward, and I think we have achieved what we set out to do during that time. Preseason was a good indication of where we stand and where we are needing to still make improvements, we had four solid outings there, and regardless of the results, it gave us a good idea of what we can achieve. The players have spent this preseason focussed on what needs to be achieved, and we have our season goals, as I am sure the media does for us, but that is not what we are focussed on. We are focussed on what is right for our team, our own goals and our own achievements, because it is that on which we will be judged on, and we will be judged on what we produced on the field each and every week”.

The Lions also will need to outplay history this week, they haven’t won an opening weekend match since 2025, but the one thing they do have is that in opening divisional games, they are 2-1 in the last three seasons, the only loss being that 2026 matchup against Florence. It is going to be a tough opening part to the season, with the Lions needing to travel in three of the opening four weeks, the only home game being against Compton, as Penrith face off against the entire division in the opening three games, so clearly a positive record is going to be the only thing that will be accepted by the fans heading into the season, anything less than that will be a missed opportunity. With all bare one of their divisional games coming in the opening seven weeks, the season could well and truly be over if the Lions don’t come away with at least four victories from that.

Game Prediction: I feel the Lions have made some solid gains in this offseason and I think it will show on the field. Lions to win this one, but I think it will be close against between them and the Fools.

The Lions got through the opening week without little problem, ending up with a solid 17-7 victory over the Florence Fools to take an early lead in the division race, even with the one week of data, the Lions do look to be a different team than the one that we have seen the last couple of seasons, managing not only a solid game across the board, but managed a rushing touchdown in a regular season game for the first time since the tied game against Echunga last season, another sign that maybe the Lions have turned a corner.

It may have been difficult, with the running speed of Leeroy Jenkins on the opposite side of the field (14 rushes for 85 yards) compared to Jon Salas (21 rushes for only 42 yards) but it was the scoreboard that ticked over for Penrith, coupled with a solid 198 yards performance from John Decaro that led the way for the Lions as they effectively smothered the Fools from the opening, despite giving up another opening drive touchdown in the game, they looked to be a better team. Decaro managed his first game without a single sack, which showed a marked improvement from last time out when the Florence defence sacked him six times, it was also another game with a touchdown pass for him, making that now seven games in a row for the quarterback that many thought should have been the starter in his rookie season, but they have seen what he can do, and the future can look a little brighter for the Lions.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez, who managed to get only his second opening week victory since joining the Lions was full of praise for his squad, but took a breather from saying that the Lions were back in play:-

“It’s only one week, and one week can change a football team. It’s only the first week in a long journey that we are taking this season and have been for the last couple of seasons. It is important that we don’t lose sight of what this all means, it means a victory, that’s fine, but it also means the first step in the journey that is this season. Great for us to get off on the right foot, it puts a lot of faith into the roster this week heading into the Wildcats game, and it gives us some positive momentum into the coming week, but we can’t lose sight that this is just one week of games, one week of data. We have to prove ourselves this week and every other week of this regular season.”

Penrith will have another tough ask this week, as they face the 0-0-1 North York Wildcats, who come into the game off the back of that remarkable 10-10 tie against the Arctic Foxes. The stats don’t tell the whole story for the Wildcats, who were dominate for most of the game, but just silly mistakes and a missed field goal late on in the fourth quarter, coupled with a strong performance from Reykjavik in the fourth quarter, let the game slip out of their hands. Overtime didn’t provide much relief for either team, with two missed field goals that could have sealed the game for North York, but alas, they were unable to get the win across the board.

The Wildcats, who picked up one of the most sought-after free agents during the offseason in linebacker Ovide Y. Saphron, but are yet to see what he can achieve, having been injured for most of the preseason, and have also had a rough time on the injury front, with the likes of running back Garrett Molyneux out for two months with a leg injury, center Julio Howerton out for the next month at least, and a defensive injury crisis that looks very similar to what the Lions went through a few seasons ago, the resilience of the squad is going through something, so many will say that the Wildcats were lucky to get out of that one with a tie, the first time in Week 1 that a game has tied, and also keeps alive the streak of at least one tied game in every season, going back to the start of the league in 2022.

If Penrith can get off to a solid start, avoid messy mistakes and not give up points early on in the game, they will seriously have a chance to take this victory and go to 2-0 for the first time since 2025, if they give up costly errors and let North York into the match, rather than forcing the Wildcats offense to make the mistakes themselves, then this game could turn into an offensive struggle like the previous two matches between these sides, and the Wildcats might just again scrape away with a victory, of could become the first team to go 0-0-2 if the Lions don’t show up as the squad that they did in Week 1, because if we see the early 2028 Lions side on that field, it could be a long day.

Penrith don’t seem to be in any serious injury issues at this moment, with the only real concern being to the two rookie running backs in David Haskins and Pierre Bush, both who are still out but are making solid progress in their returns and will likely be ready for the Raptors game, or maybe even the home fixture between these two sides. Linebacker John Simon passed a fitness test earlier today and while he will go through another one closer to game time, the medical staff are confident that he will be passed fit to take his place, while cornerback Thomas Hartley is the only other concern, but will likely take a minimal part in the game with the likes of Eugene Perry and Barry Valle to lead the cornerback grouping on the field.

Game Prediction: With the Wildcats looking to bounce back from that tied game, this game could go either way, but we think the Lions will have just enough in the tank to outlast them and improve to 2-0.

The Lions managed it again, a strong performance to limit the opponent to less than 10 points, with a solid 23-9 victory over the North York Wildcats. Penrith again risked the game, off the opening drive, once again giving up a score, but after that, they put the boosters on, managing an 8-drive 62 yard touchdown drive to Chidobe Baconthorpe, giving quarterback John Decaro his second touchdown of the season, and keeping that streak alive of having a touchdown in every game so far. With 348 yards now on the season, Decaro sits 18th in passing yards in the league with a 61.4% pass completion percentage, and also a second rushing touchdown to recent acquisition of Jon Salas. Again, it was the second half where the Lions took off and just put their foot on the Wildcats offence, forcing them into a single field goal, along with 6 punts and two interceptions, along with a short 3-and-out late in the fourth quarter, but the game was essentially over by that point.

Penrith now move to 2-0 on the season, for the first time since 2025 and are now out to a 3-1 divisional record across the last four matchups, as they head back home to face the Compton Catastrophe this week, but with an offense that seems to be finally coming out of the woods and firing on all cylinders, and a defence that is once again showing its might, led by linebacker William Williams (12 tackles against North York), cornerback Eugene Perry (8 tackles) as well as having a defence that is running at on average 2 sacks per game, whilst being one of only three teams who have not given up a sack so far (along with Cape Town and Heliopolis), this could be a positive season for the Lions as they head into their home opener this week.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was pleased with the outcome of the game and was pleased with where the Lions are sitting at the moment, but was adamant that there was still a long way to go for the team:-

“We are pleased with the team, we all are confident with where we are now, but we know that we have a long way to go, and we are taking it one game at a time, one week at a time. Everyone knows that what we are doing, and what we are working towards. We know that this season is a long one, and it’s only two weeks so far, and we have a long way to go, there are still plenty of more games to play, and we know that we have to be at our best not only during the week at practice and in meetings, but we have to be on our game when it comes to gameday, because if we don’t come out and play our game right, then we will be run right over by the opponent. We don’t want that; we want to keep on pushing ourselves to be better than we were last week”.

Penrith now have another divisional matchup, as they welcome the 0-2 Compton Catastrophe to The Lions Den, where they will hope to improve on the 7-9 record over the last two seasons, as well keep alive their four-game winning streak against the Catastrophe, going back to 2027. Compton have not looked as strong as many thought they would be, going 1-17 since the new ownership took over and again, struggling to find any offense, averaging 8 points a game so far this season, with quarterback Justin Crabtree again without a single touchdown so far, now going back to last season and so far, having thrown only 172 yards, which has him sitting second worst in the league amongst qualifying quarterbacks. The defence has also struggled, giving up on average 168 passing yards a game, and 129 rushing yards per game, whilst on the opposite side, the Lions defence is sitting at 12th when it comes to rushing yards per game (92 yards) and 4th for passing yards (123.5 yards). There is a very stark contrast between these two sides, and it may just be a major blowout for Compton if they let Penrith off the hook early on, they will need to be on their toes if they are going to avoid a massive defeat here.

On the other side, the Lions are still not out of the woods, they still have some weaknesses that they need to address, namely around giving the opposing quarterback time to settle in, they are giving up almost 38 pass attempts a game and letting quarterbacks completing around 20 of those attempts per game. That being said, with a defence that is giving up as little as possible when it comes to scoring drives and giving up the equal-5th least amount of points so far, tied with the Rumberos and Rhinos, they may just come away with another victory.

In further positive news for the Lions, rookie running back David Haskins passed a fitness test earlier this week and will feature in his first regular season game since being drafted, while Pierre Bush looks to be another couple of weeks away, but with his struggles in recovering from his ankle injury, it may be a while before we see him on the field in any large capacity. The Lions also announced that rookie safety Christopher Cook will also make his debut this week, coming in to assist in the secondary, while cornerback Thomas Hartley takes some time off the field to nurse his leg complaint. While he was able to make it through last week’s game, doctors have made the call to rest him this week and hope that a week off will help him long-term. The only other injury concern is with defensive end Gavin Blair, who failed his fitness test and will not feature, while opposing defensive end Ernest Delcambre passed his test and will feature, but with both Roy Talley and Paul George doing some great works on the ends, it could be tough to see Blair or Delcambre nudge their way into the starting lineups anytime soon.

Game Prediction: With the struggles of Compton showing clearly, we think the Lions might have this one. Won’t go for a blowout, but another solid victory to make it 3-0 on the season, first time we might achieve this.

Penrith are 3-0 for the first time in team history! We haven’t made a mistake; it really has happened. The Lions basically steamrolled over Compton, taking a strong 17-3 lead into halftime, off the back of a solid first half display, and then they put on the afterburners, with another two touchdowns to John Decaro to give him a tonne of career-high records, with four touchdowns, 364 yards and an amazing 127.57 QBR to boot, and while he was finally brought down, albeit three times from the Catastrophe defence, he still managed to blitz the field and record a fine performance, good enough to be named as an offensive player of the week across the league.

The rest of the offense worked it magic as well throughout the game, with Jon Salas racking up another 66 yards on the ground, to go with his 80 in the air, and wide receiver Chidobe Baconthorpe showing what he can achieve when given the goods and the passes, with a massive 154 yards on only three receptions, two of them going for touchdowns (73 yards on the first touchdown in the third quarter and then another 75 yards only 4 minutes later). Compton just had no answer for a Lions offense that is leading the league in passing touchdowns per game, as well as being fifth in yards per attempt. This could be just the opening salvo, but we think many fans and even the community are getting right behind the Lions being a strong force this season.

After the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was full of praise for his team, and talked about how they are going to look at approaching the next set of games in a season that is seemingly becoming a positive for them, after years of lacklustre performances:-

“Honestly speaking, the guys are doing great. There is a lot of buzz around the facility at the moment, and we are looking at this as a positive. That all being said, we aren’t getting ahead of ourselves at the moment, we all know that there is a long road to take for us to be competitive and to match it against the best of the best, but we are in a better position than we were last season, or even seasons previously. It’s great for us to be at 3-0 right now, but we know that much tougher matchups are coming and we need to be on our “A” game if we are going to be competitive moving forward. We have a strong schedule, and we are taking this one game at a time”

Penrith will have to be on their “A” game this week, as they head away to face off against the 2-1 Ulaanbaatar Raptors, a team that suffered a shock 41-31 loss to the Fools, but despite this loss, they are one of the strong sides that the Lions will have to face in the coming weeks and is the first non-divisional opponent that Penrith are facing this season. This will also be the first time since 2025 that the Lions will play the Raptors and is one of only five teams that the Lions are currently yet to lose to in league history. This might be changing, with the strong outfit that is the Raptors, who currently lead the league in pass completions, at almost 30 per game (Lions are down at 18th with 21.7 per game), with the Lions stronger when it comes to passing yards per game, sitting up at 237.3 yards per game, and the Raptors down only at 11th with just over 208 yards, and while the figure from Penrith may be slightly higher due to the 364 yards from the Compton game, it may be a blip but it may also be a positive sign for the Lions.

The game should be a cracker to watch, with the Lions on the up and up, the Raptors wanting to avenge last week’s loss with a big win against another FB West divisional team, and with a Raptors roster that could cause some issues, and a Lions roster that looks to be better than it was before, this game is going to be one to keep an eye on. For the Lions to win, they have to play not only like they have been in the previous three weeks, but they also need to keep an eye on the Raptors who could easily push themselves through and make life difficult for the offense. With the likes of linebacker Gordon Dacre, safety Horatio Candid and even cornerback Hakan Mitroglu on defensive duties, it could be a tough time for the Lions offense. They will need to see the stronger showing that the Lions have been over the first three weeks, and if they can do that, then the Lions may win this one, but either way, this one could be close.

Penrith do have to face the Raptors with a bit of an injury crisis on their hands, with nine players exhibiting some sort of injury concern, the biggest being rookie running back David Haskins who was put into the concussion protocols this week following a nasty collision with linebacker Noe Spears late in the game, and he will automatically miss at least this week, possibly more depending on his passage through the concussion protocols. The other major concern is with wide receiver Dane Blackburn who is likely to miss at least the next month of games, with the Lions opting to bring in veteran receiver Imane Anys as cover while Blackburn recovers from a foot injury. Safety Dwayne Tabor also will miss the next month of football with an ankle injury, however, the coaching staff were impressed enough with rookie Christopher Cook’s display against Compton that they are confident he can provide the adequate support and depth needed.

Game Prediction: The run has to come to an end soon, and we think it’s this week. Raptors to win this one, not by double digits, but close to it we think.

It’s a tough one to take, but the Lions came up just short as they tasted defeat for the first time in the regular season, going down 17-15 to the Raptors, who took the wind out of the Lions in what was normally their quarter, to come through strong in a final quarter to score a remarkable victory. Nothing the Lions could do came to fruition, unable to get themselves out of first gear, being forced into only five drives in the opening half, but two straight interceptions, both around halfway on the field, just put the final nails in the coffin for the Lions, despite a last ditched touchdown to Jon Salas, a two-point attempt that failed upon the snapping of the ball, was just short of what the Lions needed to pull off a fourth straight victory.

Penrith never fully got off the ground, a lacklustre running game, led by Jon Salas with only 36 yards, his lowest since joining the Lions, and a receiver corps that seemed to have forgotten how to play, with concerns about whether this is the old Lions of before, of if this was just a blip on the radar. Unlike other times, many are wondering the very same thing. It wasn’t that they fully struggled, taking the Raptors to almost the end of the game, and having the chance to get a come from behind victory, but a game result like this does show how far the Lions have come and how far they still have to go. Fans could take a positive from the game, forcing the Raptors into seven punts in eight drives, while only having to punt four times in the whole game, there was room for improvement, and also room to learn from a defeat like this.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Roy Rodriguez was happy with the performance, despite the result, and was acutely aware that results like this would happen, and for fans not to get too worked up or worried about it heading into some tougher games this season:-

“The guys are hurting, it hurts to lose a game like that, but they played a great game. The Raptors are a strong side, they played their hearts out on that one and came away with the victory, so congratulations to them. We know that we have games like that, it just wasn’t our day when it came to the scoreboard, but there are still positives to come out of a loss like that one, and I know that we will analyse the results and come away with a better gameplan for the future, for when we face other strong opponents like the Raptors, because we have some of them coming up. The fans can look at this not as a loss, but as a learning moment, that we have come so far from where we were a few seasons ago, to be taking it to teams like Ulaanbaatar, and that we held our own and can come out of the game, despite the result, with an understanding that we are better next week”

Hopefully Penrith move the loss on quickly and get right back into the groove as they head back home for a three-game home stand, starting off with the still winless North York Wildcats, who are struggling this season to get their season off the ground, last week going down 16-10 to the Florence Fools, and many wondering if their division title defence is all but over, with the Lions in a much stronger position, the Fools and even the Catastrophe scoring vital victories, and the Wildcats still unable to get off the mark this season. They have been plagued by injuries in key areas and some wondering if they have already given up, but in such an early stage of the season, one strong performance can be all that is needed for a team to bounce back. Whether the Wildcats can do that, is anybody’s guess, but with the Week 2 performance and loss still fresh in everyone’s minds, it could be another slow day at the office for the Wildcats as they stare down the barrel of a fourth straight defeat.

Penrith, on the other hand, seem to be going from strength to strength, they are showing what three years of rebuilding can do for a franchise, they are in a much better position than they were before, and it honestly is starting to show, they are attempting more passes throughout games (sitting tied for 8th with 37.3 per game, Wildcats down at 20th with only 31.3), they are seeing a much stronger running game, at 27 rushes per game, compared to last season where they were down at 21.6 (good enough for 21st in the league). The defence is also showing signs of improvement, sitting fourth in the league for sacks per game (only the Tomb Kings, North Stars and Dragons are better), whilst only giving up on average 1 sack per game, it really does show how a rebuilding plan can work, that it takes time, but the positives greatly outweigh the negatives when it comes to having such a long-term plan in place.

Penrith, to take the victory, need to channel what they did in Week 2 against the Wildcats and just smother their offense, show them that it will be a tough time getting through their defence, and that the offense will have to rely on those missed opportunities to get up the field and into scoring range. Going back to Week 2, excluding the opening drive touchdown, the Lions defence put the Wildcats into an average of only 7.7 yards per drive, whilst they gave up 13.3 yards per drive. If the Lions can replicate that sort of performance, mixed in with their strong showings so far this season, it’s going to be a tough day for North York to etch out a first victory of the season, and could be another step in the right direction for the Lions to take back the divisional title this season. If we, however, see the Lions of last season, then it could be a tough day for them instead, and the Wildcats could easily run right over the Lions.

Penrith will have to go into this game again without rookie running back David Haskins, who has still not cleared the league’s concussion protocols, but should be ready to return next week, as long as everything goes to plan. Medical staff were confident earlier in the week that he would pass all the protocols but didn’t and will spend another week on the sidelines. The other major concern was with center Ernest Morley who suffered a nasty ankle sprain and will likely miss the next 5-6 weeks while he recovers from it. It doesn’t look good for Morley who is coming to the end of his rookie contract and these missed games will really hinder his opportunities to try and impress and grab another contract with the Lions moving forward. The defence on the other side of it, looks to be the healthiest, with only safety Dwayne Tabor being the only concern, and who looks to be at least another 3-4 weeks away from returning to full health.

Game Prediction: Back to winning ways for the Lions, sadly, they will compound more misery on the Wildcats this season.