Warriors end playoff drought

The Warriors have ended their play-off drought in exquisite style, trouncing a limp Penrith 36-16 in arguably their best performance of the NRL season.

A hat-trick to David Fusitu'a and masterful display from Shaun Johnson laid the foundations of a memorable win which ensures the Kiwi club enters the post- season for the first time since 2011.

Hot and cold performances over the last two months left the Warriors' fate on tenterhooks for an extended period but the Panthers never threatened to halt the party for 17,195 supporters.

A second successive loss under caretaker coach Cameron Ciraldo drops the Panthers from fifth to sixth and drives a dagger through their top-four hopes.

It also reduces the slim play-off dream of the ninth-placed Wests Tigers, who need Brisbane to lose their last two games to have any chance.

Halfback Johnson and second-rower Tohu Harris - playing his first game in nearly two months - were the game's most potent attackers down their lethal right edge.

Strapping winger Fusitu'a was the chief beneficiary, going top of the competition try-scoring list on 21 as his team cast out the demons of their dreadful 36-4 loss in Penrith last month.

It was a mixture of relief and delight for Johnson, whose other play-off campaign came in his debut season, when they lost the grand final to Manly.

"Unreal, unreal. I'm just so happy for the boys, they just ripped in," he said.

"Fus is a finisher. You just have to give him the ball in a little bit of space and he finishes it off. A special night for him and the club."

Wanting to halt a run of slow starts to matches, the Panthers did exactly the opposite.

Pinged heavily by referee Ashley Klein, they didn't touch the ball in the first nine minutes.

The Warriors led 8-0 by then, on the back of a simple dummy-half try to prop Agnatius Paasi.

A trademark try in the corner to Fusitu'a was followed by a gritty solo score from Mason Lino, filling in for injured five-eighth Blake Green.

Penrith's hopes dived further when centre Dean Whare left the game with an apparent hand injury.

They conjured a fortunate try before the break to winger Josh Mansour to trail 18-4.

Fusitu'a crossed twice more in the third quarter of the match, the hat-trick coming off a sizzling 50m Johnson burst.

Solomone Kata extended the lead before Waqa Blake and Trent Merrin bagged Panthers consolation tries.