Charlie Staines had country fans singing his name after he scored the final try in the Penrith Panthers' NRL win at Bathurst on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Forbes junior has a strong following from his hometown and many made the trip to Carrington Park for the Panthers' annual match in the bush.
Staines gave them reason to stand and cheer when he produced an acrobatic effort on the final seconds to ice Penrith's 38-20 win over the Newcastle Knights.
"Mum and Dad were here and a few uncles, too. It was good and my girlfriend made the trip down from Penrith," Staines told the Panthers' official website post-match.
"They love to get around and watch me so that's good."
READ ALSO:
Staines played in the Panthers' match at Bathurst last year and he savoured being part of the experience again.
A former country junior, the flying winger is all too aware the impact games in the bush can have.
The 2022 edition of the Panthers' Bathurst match was a huge success as not only did the defending premiers win and keep their unbeaten start to the season alive, they did so in front of a record Carrington Park crowd of 11,253 people.
"It's always good coming out to Bathurst. I got an experience of it last year," he said.
"Growing up in the country, you grow up idolising NRL players so to get out to Bathurst, a country town, that's good."
Also savouring the win at Bathurst were Panthers rising stars Taylah May and Izack Tago.
The pair are good mates off the pitch so they were understandably thrilled after both starring in the 18-point win.
May scored a hat-trick in just his second ever match for the Panthers, while Tago scored twice in just his ninth NRL game.
"It was pretty good but the boys made it easy for me, basically pulling me across the line," May said.
"Growing up, you just want to play in NRL but to play with the boys I've known since I was little, it's a dream come true.
"It's good to come out here and play. There's good culture out here and they obviously love football."
Tago was always glad to score but admitted there's a bit his team needs to work on.
"It's always good when you score but obviously we've got a lot to work on," he said.
"There were definitely a few opportunities where we lacked concentration. That's something we definitely need to work on but we're definitely happy with the two points."
Tago was also pleased to play in front of the record Bathurst crowd.
"I think it's pretty cool. The whole community gets around it and there's a lot of support for us boys. We all appreciate it," he said.
"It's a good change to come out here. There's good culture out here and they obviously love football."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
