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Posted: 2017-07-24 05:49:36

The Panthers will pass on a report to the NRL's integrity unit after clearing winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak of any wrongdoing following an ugly incident at a junior rugby league match just hours before he starred in Penrith's win over the Titans.

The top eight hopefuls won't make any determination on Watene-Zelezniak – or any other players – volunteering at junior league games in the future after the 21-year-old was attacked by an irate man, incensed with a call Watene-Zelezniak made while acting as a linesman.

Penrith take tight victory over Titans

The Panthers kept their Top 8 aspirations alive with a narrow victory over the Gold Coast.

Watene-Zelezniak didn't retaliate and Penrith District Junior Rugby League general manager Phil Cummings scoured CCTV footage of the clash between St Clair and St Marys before clearing Watene-Zelezniak.

"It's just disappointing that he's out there promoting the game and you see a first-grader at junior rugby league on the day he's playing – which is a bonus for the kids – and then something like this happens which shouldn't," said Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher.

Watene-Zelezniak brushed off the incident to later score a try as the Panthers maintained their push for a top eight spot with victory over the Gold Coast.

The man responsible for the attack on Watene-Zelezniak, who lent his support to brother and Wests Tigers winger Malakai in the ANZ Stadium stands on Sunday, will face sanctioning by the Penrith District Junior Rugby League.

The Panthers will be sweating on the fitness of skipper Matt Moylan for the pivotal clash against the struggling Bulldogs at Pepper Stadium on Thursday night.

Moylan scored a crucial intercept try against the Titans before leaving the field with hamstring tightness.

The five-day turnaround for the clash against the Bulldogs will only add to the challenge Moylan faces to recover in time, but his possible absence could be offset by the top grade returns of Dean Whare and Bryce Cartwright.

Cartwright was heavily involved in Penrith's Intrust Super Premiership win on the weekend and is pressing for an NRL return with the Panthers just two points shy of the eighth-placed Dragons.

Anthony Griffin's men play the out-of-sorts Bulldogs and Tigers in the next fortnight before huge clashes against the Dragons and Sea Eagles in the final two weeks of the season.

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