The fight continued after the field goal

Anthony Eltarraf of The Catholic Weekly uses the Penrith Panthers' 19-12 victory over the Roosters in the NRL finals to illustrate the necessity of perseverance in the Christian life.

Eltarraf notes that after Nathan Cleary scored a field goal to put the Panthers ahead, the team still had to defend their lead for several minutes before Brian To’o secured the win. He compares this period of waiting and defending to spiritual experiences where progress is made but the desired outcome is not yet visible.

The author suggests that believers often face similar gaps between taking a right step and seeing results, such as praying for an answer that does not arrive immediately or struggling with temptations after receiving forgiveness in Confession. Eltarraf concludes that, much like the rugby league match, Christians must endure even after making progress.