Where Will The Panthers Finish In 2018?

[TheFrog]

Walsh played 107 games for us for 49 wins and a draw. A success rate of 46.3% which is higher than the club's overall 51 year win rate. So while he wasn't an Alexander, Gower or Cleary, the fact that he was chosen 107 times over 5 seasons and three coaches shows he was the best we had at the time and by no means the worst we've had in that position. His SL record backs this up. He's been able to make a presumably quite handsome living playing as a 7 in the two premier competitions in this sport for a decade now.

The club finally moved him on and replaced him with Peter Wallace, who was the subject of equal derision from the same quarters.

 

[franklin2323]

Walsh played 107 games for us for 49 wins and a draw. A success rate of 46.3% which is higher than the club's overall 51 year win rate. So while he wasn't an Alexander, Gower or Cleary, the fact that he was chosen 107 times over 5 seasons and three coaches shows he was the best we had at the time and by no means the worst we've had in that position. His SL record backs this up. He's been able to make a presumably quite handsome living playing as a 7 in the two premier competitions in this sport for a decade now.

The club finally moved him on and replaced him with Peter Wallace, who was the subject of equal derision from the same quarters.

He'd be in the top 5 halfbacks with that win %. Says alot about the rest

 

[Westernised Panther]

Walsh may have run lots of metres, but it was usually away from the line. Didn't like tackles - lacked heart. It was a shame really as, on the few occasions that he took on the line, he looked like a much better player. He did it just enough to make himself look promising.I agree with Pomoz, he was a low to mid range half, definitely first grade, but only in the bottom half. Can't remember now whether McCrone came before or after, he was probably better than McCrone, but only just.

Tom

Geez! I totally forgot that McCrone once played for us

 

[BxTom]

Geez! I totally forgot that McCrone once played for us

Depends upon your definition of playing . He was pretty forgettable!

Tom.

 

[mxlegend99]

Walsh played 107 games for us for 49 wins and a draw. A success rate of 46.3% which is higher than the club's overall 51 year win rate. So while he wasn't an Alexander, Gower or Cleary, the fact that he was chosen 107 times over 5 seasons and three coaches shows he was the best we had at the time and by no means the worst we've had in that position. His SL record backs this up. He's been able to make a presumably quite handsome living playing as a 7 in the two premier competitions in this sport for a decade now.

The club finally moved him on and replaced him with Peter Wallace, who was the subject of equal derision from the same quarters.

Luke Walsh career average is 44.17%
Josh McCrone career average is 44. 72%
Luke Lewis 2008 at half was 46.6%

Luke Lewis in his only year as a half had a better win percentage than Walsh both with us and his entire career.

We were a write off the time he was with us because he was a reserve grade quality half. No one else got a chance. He didn't earn the right to get unlimited chances. Yet somehow no half regardless of talent got more than a token game here and there.

Hes not the worst half to play for us. But hes the worst in the past 20 years to have a guaranteed spot. Joe Williams. Richie Williams. Brett Firman etc. Are on par with him or worse. But fortunately they got dumped.

 

[TheFrog]

Luke Walsh career average is 44.17%
Josh McCrone career average is 44. 72%
Luke Lewis 2008 at half was 46.6%

Luke Lewis in his only year as a half had a better win percentage than Walsh both with us and his entire career.

We were a write off the time he was with us because he was a reserve grade quality half. No one else got a chance. He didn't earn the right to get unlimited chances. Yet somehow no half regardless of talent got more than a token game here and there.

Hes not the worst half to play for us. But hes the worst in the past 20 years to have a guaranteed spot. Joe Williams. Richie Williams. Brett Firman etc. Are on par with him or worse. But fortunately they got dumped.

So who were these halves who were better than him but weren't given a chance?

 

[mxlegend99]

So who were these halves who were better than him but weren't given a chance?

Blake Austin
Wade Graham
Josh McCrone

Never know how any halves like Harry Siejka for example would have gone had they been given a proper shot either.

Walsh played 120 NRL matches. 16 matches his team scored 1 try or less. 4 of those they scored no tries.

At one point we went 204 minutes without scoring a try with Walsh in the team. The try that broke the drought was a dummy half run from Jennings.

 

[TheFrog]

Blake Austin is not and was not a halfback. He replaced Walsh (whom it is assumed was injured) in that position for us in one game in 2013 and we were flogged. Ivan Cleary had Walsh back next game. He was used twice at 7 with the Tigers, and has never been used there by the Raiders. To say a bloke whop played 3 games at half is better in the position than a bloke who has over 200 (incl Super League) is just silly.

Wade Graham left Penrith in 2010 after we'd come second on the back of Walsh and Coote. Graham was a 5/8 in those times as well, certainly not a 7. He played 42 games for us at the age of 19 so certainly the side played him, just not at half. Why would you when the team is winning?

McCrone was never at Penrith at the same time as Walsh. It seems likely they crossed on the big revolving door out the front to Panthers during the 2008-09 off season (although come to think of it I recall Walsh landing in the place a few games into the season).

 

[Kilkenny]

So who were these halves who were better than him but weren't given a chance?

Tricky (Craig) Trindall probably deserved more than his handful of NRL games despite there being serious question marks over his true age & fitness.

 

[mxlegend99]

Blake Austin is not and was not a halfback. He replaced Walsh (whom it is assumed was injured) in that position for us in one game in 2013 and we were flogged. Ivan Cleary had Walsh back next game. He was used twice at 7 with the Tigers, and has never been used there by the Raiders. To say a bloke whop played 3 games at half is better in the position than a bloke who has over 200 (incl Super League) is just silly.

Wade Graham left Penrith in 2010 after we'd come second on the back of Walsh and Coote. Graham was a 5/8 in those times as well, certainly not a 7. He played 42 games for us at the age of 19 so certainly the side played him, just not at half. Why would you when the team is winning?

McCrone was never at Penrith at the same time as Walsh.

We were flogged plenty of times with Walsh at halfback. In consecutive weeks.

Walsh was f**king terrible. We were a terrible team with him in it. The fact we played just aswell with Luke Lewis and Maurice Blair in our halves is proof of that. He could go weeks without setting up a try. But he couldnt do that for conceding them.

The point is he was picked without fail no matter how bad he played and no one rlse ever got a crack. We couldnt exactly have fone worse than him... Lewis proved that. Anyone willing to put their body on the lines an upgrade on him.

Anyone who wasnt deserves to be dropped slso.

Edit
Who knows... he might have grown as a player and been more willing to put his body on the line had he not been guaranteed his spot.

 

[BxTom]

We were flogged plenty of times with Walsh at halfback. In consecutive weeks.

Walsh was f**king terrible. We were a terrible team with him in it. The fact we played just aswell with Luke Lewis and Maurice Blair in our halves is proof of that. He could go weeks without setting up a try. But he couldnt do that for conceding them.

The point is he was picked without fail no matter how bad he played and no one rlse ever got a crack. We couldnt exactly have fone worse than him... Lewis proved that. Anyone willing to put their body on the lines an upgrade on him.

Anyone who wasnt deserves to be dropped slso.

Edit
Who knows... he might have grown as a player and been more willing to put his body on the line had he not been guaranteed his spot.

Well you did prefer Jarrod Sammut didn't you.

Tom.

 

[mxlegend99]

Sammut atleast had a go. He also has a higher win rate than Walsh in the NRL.

Although his career went 5 games at fullback, a game from the bench, 6 games at halfback, 3 gameson the wing, 8 games at halfback and then finished out his NRL career as a fullback.

Good old Matt Elliott. Really had no idea what to do with him. Or Lewis. Blair. Or anyone with a bit of ability.

Something he has in common with Hook

 

[Mr Angry]

56th out of 16

 

[umina panther]

Sammut atleast had a go. He also has a higher win rate than Walsh in the NRL.

Although his career went 5 games at fullback, a game from the bench, 6 games at halfback, 3 gameson the wing, 8 games at halfback and then finished out his NRL career as a fullback.

Good old Matt Elliott. Really had no idea what to do with him. Or Lewis. Blair. Or anyone with a bit of ability.

Something he has in common with Hook

Ol mate Elliott didn't rate Wade Graham for f**ks sake

 

[Kilkenny]

There has been many fans posting that our roster is good enough to compete for a position in the top four I just can't see it.

I do think we are strong in the forwards, have great depth in the forwards but at the end of the day we just lack quality strike power in our three quarter line.

I think Mansour and DWZ both do a great job but there best work is done bringing the ball back from our own 20 zone as opposed to those occasions when we are on the attack. Neither is a winger who is going to score 15-20 tries a season which some of our competitors possess.

In respect of our first choice centres, they are not the worst in the NRL but at the end of the day they are not top drawer either . Waqa Blake is still young, has great speed and could yet prove to be a match winner but for most part our centres are average in comparison to some of the better sides. In addition, it has been well documented on here our depth in the outside backs is lacking and should injury strike well we can expect back rowers such us Yeo or Cartwright to be drafted in as make shifts which is far from ideal.

From my perspective 2018 is not about where we finish it is more about playing a really exciting brand of rugby league and performing well at our home ground. I will be happy to finish in the bottom half of the top eight if we accomplish the above because I am not sure I could suffer another season like the last one where the standard of footy we played was for the most part absolutely rubbish despite the fact we limped into the top eight at the end.

 

[mxlegend99]

Mansour played for Australia in November. DWZ played for New Zealand. Whare played for New Zealand. Blake and Edwards were arguably better than those internationals in 2017.

The only thing that has stopped our wingers racking up tries is having no set plays that give them space. Even shit wingers can score bucket loads of tries if a team has dome decent set plays.

Both players have shown freakish ability. They just dont get the shots most other wingers get. Hook has us playing flat at the line and our backs are either decoys or making hitups in this structure.

Edit
Oh and Mansour scored 15 tries in 2014. 16 tries in 2016. Dwz scored 7 tries in 10 games in 2014. Both can score a try if given the chance.

 

[umina panther]

Banning the halves from kicking in the 20m also didn't help

 

[Kilkenny]

Mansour played for Australia in November. DWZ played for New Zealand. Whare played for New Zealand. Blake and Edwards were arguably better than those internationals in 2017.

The only thing that has stopped our wingers racking up tries is having no set plays that give them space. Even shit wingers can score bucket loads of tries if a team has dome decent set plays.

Both players have shown freakish ability. They just dont get the shots most other wingers get. Hook has us playing flat at the line and our backs are either decoys or making hitups in this structure.

Edit
Oh and Mansour scored 15 tries in 2014. 16 tries in 2016. Dwz scored 7 tries in 10 games in 2014. Noth can score a try if given the chance.

If I need statistics I can use 'google' myself I am not illiterate!!!

As I pointed out, our outside backs are not the equal of the better teams in the competition!!!!

I am fully aware we have representative outside backs in our lineup but it does not alter the fact they do not have the attacking strike-power of some of the sides we have to beat to make the top four.

I am also fully aware you do not rate our current coach Anthony Griffin. You have devoted thousands of posts to that effect. We get it!!!!

I actually don't rate him either. I understand we are never going to win a premiership under his leadership but currently he is our coach and on that basis, as fans, we need to support him and the team 100%.

Going back to my original post, despite your usual anti Griffin excuse, our outside backs are simply not as good as some of our opponents and that is factual based not on who represents which country but just common sense.

 

[mxlegend99]

If I need statistics I can use 'google' myself I am not illiterate!!!

As I pointed out, our outside backs are not the equal of the better teams in the competition!!!!

Bullshit.

You said we didnt have a winger who could score 15 to 20 tries in a season.

I think Mansour and DWZ both do a great job but there best work is done bringing the ball back from our own 20 zone as opposed to those occasions when we are on the attack. Neither is a winger who is going to score 15-20 tries a season which some of our competitors possess.

Mansour has done that twice. That stat was posted because you said we didnt have a player who could do it.

Outside of the Storm our backline is equal to or greater than any in the competition. Deadset have a look at the team lists.

In our 1 to 7 we have 4x current tier 1 team internationals along with Dylan Edwards, Waqa Blake and Nathan Cleary. Who are more than capable of playing great footy themselves.

 

[Mr Angry]

Your coach is shyte..also rans.

Seriously no hope of winning. Not happy about it, but reality will set in.

Reggies and juniors probably will win.