Round 9 v Broncos

[mxlegend99]

You're hurting. I get it.

When this season started, I was realistic. I figured we'd be lucky to make the eight with this team, always remained optimistic but slowly but surely the Panthers of old crept in and it was like watching 2007 all over again.

This team is capable of being top 4. The roster isnt the issue. The way its being used and coached is.

 

[herbert henry1908]

You're hurting. I get it.

When this season started, I was realistic. I figured we'd be lucky to make the eight with this team, always remained optimistic but slowly but surely the Panthers of old crept in and it was like watching 2007 all over again.

We'd be lucky to make the 8?

We came in 6th last season, further improved the squad, top 8 was the minimum goal.

 

[Exsilium]

This team is capable of being top 4. The roster isnt the issue. The way its being used and coached is.

This is not a top 4 team. Never was. You believed the hype. We have a habit of performing well then sucking. 2010/11 is a good example.

Yes they could be a good team but top four? this year? No. Good teams and good players don't dish that shit up on a weekly basis, irrespective of how they are coached.

We have rookie halves, some overrated forwards and a couple decent juniors. We were always going to be scraping into the eight, if at all.

Learn to embrace reality my wholehearted friend.

 

[Exsilium]

We'd be lucky to make the 8?

We came in 6th last season, further improved the squad, top 8 was the minimum goal.

We overachieved.

 

[herbert henry1908]

This is not a top 4 team. Never was. You believed the hype. We have a habit of performing well then sucking. 2010/11 is a good example.

Yes they could be a good team but top four? this year? No. Good teams and good players don't dish that shit up on a weekly basis, irrespective of how they are coached.

We have rookie halves, some overrated forwards and a couple decent juniors. We were always going to be scraping into the eight, if at all.

Learn to embrace reality my wholehearted friend.

Much of what you're saying sounds like it's coming from hindsight.

Did you say anything similar before the season started?

 

[herbert henry1908]

We overachieved.

Very simplistic analysis.

Overachieving to me says some players must've had career best years that were vastly superior to their norm. I don't think anyone fits that bill.

 

[kinghippo]

We overachieved.

We may well have overachieved but just about every game we competed hard. We barely won or lost a game by more than 2 points but we were in them all 100%.
We were hungry, maybe not merrin off season hungry, but enthusiastic as a team.
There has been no sign of that spirit this year, whatever has happened during the offseason, we are no longer working together as a unit.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Well Wallace was roughly a million times better at hooker than he ever was as a half for us.

 

[Exsilium]

Much of what you're saying sounds like it's coming from hindsight.

Did you say anything similar before the season started?

I've been disappointed by this team far too often to ever give them my full confidence!

As soon as the pre-season hype started I was sure we'd flop. Premiership favourites...after finishing 6th, I was skeptical.

 

[Exsilium]

Very simplistic analysis.

Overachieving to me says some players must've had career best years that were vastly superior to their norm. I don't think anyone fits that bill.

Or some players played well for a little bit. Call it confidence, first year syndrome or whatever but now that the spotlight is on they're nowhere to be found, must have lost all that talent in the off season cause I've seen none of last years performances this year.

I don't think a good year every so often is acceptable for a club that harps on about its talented juniors and players.

 

[panther.mike]

I know we are playing badly and I know our position on the ladder but I tire of reading how bad we are by certain posters [ with no optimism] and would rather read posts with a healthier attitude.

 

[age.s]

I know we are playing badly and I know our position on the ladder but I tire of reading how bad we are by certain posters [ with no optimism] and would rather read posts with a healthier attitude.

Me too, but the cupboard is pretty dry at the moment.

I think the positive is we know that there's a good footy team buried in there. Moylan bossed that game when he slotted into the 6 and gotta bit of space. When we could get some second phase play our edges looked as dangerous as they ever have. Discipline and attitude are ongoing problems but the latter might start to turn around if we aren't getting blown out of games. This season is probably gone, but a new coach (or some change in thinking from the current one) and we could look pretty good pretty quick.

Whether we can be optimistic about that actually happening is another matter.

 

[mxlegend99]

I know we are playing badly and I know our position on the ladder but I tire of reading how bad we are by certain posters [ with no optimism] and would rather read posts with a healthier attitude.

We are tired of watchimg seasons with so much promise end up as a battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

What exactly is there to be happy about? Unlike the Kniggts. We had rebuilt our squad. This is 6+ seasons into Gus rebuilding it... and we are worse than we were before he arrived despite having our best roster since then.

His coach isnt cutting it. His big name signings have been shit aside from Merrin last year. All our young kids who looked like they were starting to realise their potential last year have gotten worse.

The experiences last year of tough losses. Finals etc. Were supposed to teach them.and help them improve. This year we are getting smashed most weeks... exactly where is the reason to be optimistic? We afent losing because we lack talent. We are losing because our entire team are lazy and gutless in defence. None moreso than the guys on big contracts.

 

[hindy111]

Oh f**k off MX, we clearly played some good footy for a very short period of time. No ones saying we were terrific the whole 80 mins but it gave a brief glimpse of what we're capable of when we get some confidence. People are allowed to see a bit of light every now and then.

Or Brisbane played some bad footy for 10 mins? That is the way I saw it. Once Penrith got within 10 they switched back on.

 

[hindy111]

Hiku made 150mtrs
Blakes defense what lost the game early on I reckon.

 

[chiefy1]

Hearing Griffin will be sacked within a fortnight.
Toovey has already been sounded out.

 

[Munky]

I'd take Toovey in a heart beat.

I think this season had shown that Mansour is our MVP. Watching Moylan and Hiku make five metres and get pushed back when Josh would have made fifteen and got a penalty puts me in a state of despair.

 

[ACTPanthers]

Hearing Griffin will be sacked within a fortnight.
Toovey has already been sounded out.

At the moment, I'd literally cry with relief if this turns out to be true

 

[The Teach]

While the second half was definitely an improvement, it makes me wonder whether the team decided to throw out the game plan they were given by the coach and just play the way they wanted. That coupled with the donkeys doing what they're becoming renowned for the past 2 or 3 years, where they close up shop, makes me think that 15 minutes might give more hope for the future than is warranted.

 

[betcats]

Fittler was laughing at our refusal to kick grubbers pre game. He said we are paranoid of 7 tackle sets but short kicks inside the twenty make up 35 percent of all tries scored in the nrl so without short kicks we "basically give up any chance of winning" lol and our coach thinks it's a smart tactic. It's like a boxer refusing to throw a punch because he might get counter punched. It's disgraceful.