Round 4 vs the eels

[Iamback]

That’s 3 losses by 1 point and still haven’t scored more than 16 points in a game this year. That’s a pretty alarming drop in level from what fans have been used to seeing and sure we’d expect a drop off with the players that have left but the form of some of our premiership winning players is rather concerning too.
We’re no sure thing to win in Canberra either, with no Soni Luke and no creativity out of dummy half we come right back to the field. I don’t see that as doom, I see it as realism.

@globalpanther can confirm I said pre-season we would start slow. 6 points from the 1st 6 rounds I said.

That should lead to some tweeks and then we play Knights, Tigers and Warriors and should sit just inside the top 8. That is where this side falls in the 5-6 spot

 

[Exsilium]

It was a game with very limited attacking opportunities for both sides. It was played how I’d expect a finals game to be.

It was a quality game and I suspect if we didn’t lose Luke, we’d have likely won.

The bigger concern is the lack of punch and creativity. Not seeing where it’s going to come from.

 

[Iamback]

It was a game with very limited attacking opportunities for both sides. It was played how I’d expect a finals game to be.

It was a quality game and I suspect if we didn’t lose Luke, we’d have likely won.

The bigger concern is the lack of punch and creativity. Not seeing where it’s going to come from.

That seems to be most people's concern the lack of creativity

 

[Munky]

The biggest issue was not replacing Api and the second row rotation with average players.

It's that the replacements are well below average and would struggle to make first grade at a mid tier club.

When opposition defences know the edge has no speed or power they'll just compress and pick off power middles all day.

Problem is 2024 contracts are mostly done across the league so we'll need a bolter or a release for next year.

The problem may not be fixed until the 2025 season!

 

[Buzzard Breath]

We lost the game in the opening 30 minutes. After then we were playing catch up.
We had opportunities to steal a win but were not good enough.
Irrespective of Luke's HIA he should had been on in the 1st half.

 

[Bred not Bought]

Letting Api go with Mitch Kenny next in line is gonna go down as one of the stupidest decisions the club has ever made.

Said that one a couple of weeks ago. Ivan's biggest blunder of his coaching career.
Kenny is a bench player at best.
My early impressions of Luke are he shows promise but I have big concerns about his body lasting.
A Kenny/Luke combo only works if Luke gets the lion's share of the minutes. And I don't see that happening.

 

[BossleyPanther]

The biggest issue was not replacing Api and the second row rotation with average players.

It's that the replacements are well below average and would struggle to make first grade at a mid tier club.

When opposition defences know the edge has no speed or power they'll just compress and pick off power middles all day.

Problem is 2024 contracts are mostly done across the league so we'll need a bolter or a release for next year.

The problem may not be fixed until the 2025 season!

When you replace Elite Players from teams like the tigers, this is what you get.
Kenny, Eisenhuth, Salman, Garner. Only 2 can stay. Hoskings is ok slightly better than the above. We lose next week, I would try offload critter now, maybe get Pangai Jnr. Play around with our hookers role with who we have. Trial Jenkins, cole for that centre spot, preparing for next year. Someone mentioned that Kenny and Cleary are good mates. That maybe an issue, a tough decision needs to be made there.

 

[Bred not Bought]

Should of hit the market

For who then? Don't say Verallis. He is always injured.
There are only a couple of class Hookers. The rest are plodders or young and promising.
I would have kept Api and sacrificed elsewhere. Hooker is the 2nd most important position after Halfback imo.

 

[BossleyPanther]

If Ivan really believes the shit he said postmatch, we are dead set in trouble.

 

[Munky]

Ivan's solution:

 

[BossleyPanther]

For who then? Don't say Verallis. He is always injured.
There are only a couple of class Hookers. The rest are plodders or young and promising.
I would have kept Api and sacrificed elsewhere. Hooker is the 2nd most important position after Halfback imo.

I would try get Egan back. I'm not sure if there is anything in the UK to think about, but we need a fix

 

[Iamback]

For who then? Don't say Verallis. He is always injured.
There are only a couple of class Hookers. The rest are plodders or young and promising.
I would have kept Api and sacrificed elsewhere. Hooker is the 2nd most important position after Halfback imo.

Someone young fits the bill.

We had 14 months to plan for it.

we have a skinny hooker who can't stay on the field

Or

A hooker 60 games into his career with

1 try
2 try assists from those games.

Yet we went all in on these only options

 

[Iamback]

The biggest issue was not replacing Api and the second row rotation with average players.

It's that the replacements are well below average and would struggle to make first grade at a mid tier club.

When opposition defences know the edge has no speed or power they'll just compress and pick off power middles all day.

Problem is 2024 contracts are mostly done across the league so we'll need a bolter or a release for next year.

The problem may not be fixed until the 2025 season!

Need to fast track some internal options

 

[betcats]

The really concerning thing is if you look at the 22 man sides we are naming we have no young halves pushing into the top 20, same for young props and edge forwards and hookers. Where has the development gone? I get we arent going to rush kids through but we won all grades last year besides HM and yet we dont have any young edge or middle forwards, halves or hookers that are pushing for spots on the extended bench. It could change throughout the year but right now it feels like we are going away from what made us successful in the first place, development. Besides the outside backs we are plugging any holes we have with journeymen including the depth positions.

 

[Flashstep]

I know nothing about our juniors so I’m just talking out of my ass here, but we have lost a lot of players over the last few years, mostly local juniors and a few players we helped kicked on.

Its easy to say we should just have a constant line of players next in line and tbh it has been true. But when you lose so many because of the salary cap or because we have some of the best players in key positions who are only young we were bound to hit a wall eventually.

 

[snickers007]

I would try get Egan back. I'm not sure if there is anything in the UK to think about, but we need a fix

I'd be going after Cade Cust. He's in his final year with Wigan. Can play Hooker or Half. Definitely tough enough.
Always liked what he brought to the table at Manly.


Just on last night's game overall, I thought we were dominated big time in the middle of the park for the first half.
Leota and Fisher-Harris were near invisible. Leniu and Sorenson were fanastic when they came on, and really shifted momentum.

I haven't seen enough footy outside of the Panthers games to know, but it seems like the refereeing in regards to the speed of the play the ball has significantly slowed this year. Or maybe it's just Ashley Klein? Regardless, it doesn't suit us at all.

Critter was very quiet - but that's not surprising - he's never been one to go looking for work. He needs good early ball, and none of our backs got that last night.

Felt very similar to the WCC for me. Was "happy" to force the game to Golden Point, but would have been a hollow victory if we went on with it, because we didn't deserve to win either. Not panic stations for me (yet), I still think we'll be around the Top 4 come season's end. But if we're still playing like this come Round 10, I expect we'll see the broom come out.

 

[Iamback]

The really concerning thing is if you look at the 22 man sides we are naming we have no young halves pushing into the top 20, same for young props and edge forwards and hookers. Where has the development gone? I get we arent going to rush kids through but we won all grades last year besides HM and yet we dont have any young edge or middle forwards, halves or hookers that are pushing for spots on the extended bench. It could change throughout the year but right now it feels like we are going away from what made us successful in the first place, development. Besides the outside backs we are plugging any holes we have with journeymen including the depth positions.

Early on after Nathan debuted he said Ivan told him, that he wouldn't of debuted him so soon.

If that is still the attitude then it is no surprise that Puru, Katoa, Teague etc have left.

They need to fast track Cole, Hassett and McLean so we are better prepared next season

 

[Iamback]

I'd be going after Cade Cust. He's in his final year with Wigan. Can play Hooker or Half. Definitely tough enough.
Always liked what he brought to the table at Manly.


Just on last night's game overall, I thought we were dominated big time in the middle of the park for the first half.
Leota and Fisher-Harris were near invisible. Leniu and Sorenson were fanastic when they came on, and really shifted momentum.

I haven't seen enough footy outside of the Panthers games to know, but it seems like the refereeing in regards to the speed of the play the ball has significantly slowed this year. Or maybe it's just Ashley Klein? Regardless, it doesn't suit us at all.

Critter was very quiet - but that's not surprising - he's never been one to go looking for work. He needs good early ball, and none of our backs got that last night.

Felt very similar to the WCC for me. Was "happy" to force the game to Golden Point, but would have been a hollow victory if we went on with it, because we didn't deserve to win either. Not panic stations for me (yet), I still think we'll be around the Top 4 come season's end. But if we're still playing like this come Round 10, I expect we'll see the broom come out.

Attack across the league is way up, Watch Souths v Manly on Sat night and compare that to the shit we dish up. we are just too predictable and the backs have no space


I'd expect we'd come flying home. A stack of home games

 

[betcats]

I know nothing about our juniors so I’m just talking out of my ass here, but we have lost a lot of players over the last few years, mostly local juniors and a few players we helped kicked on.

Its easy to say we should just have a constant line of players next in line and tbh it has been true. But when you lose so many because of the salary cap or because we have some of the best players in key positions who are only young we were bound to hit a wall eventually.

This is true, I think its time to start making it a priority to keep our future players now rather than trying to keep established role players. IF we have to lose players like huth, sorro, garner, hoskings even better guys like leota or luai then so be it. Lets build for another run in a couple years rather than try to cling on to the run we just had.

 

[snickers007]

The really concerning thing is if you look at the 22 man sides we are naming we have no young halves pushing into the top 20, same for young props and edge forwards and hookers. Where has the development gone? I get we arent going to rush kids through but we won all grades last year besides HM and yet we dont have any young edge or middle forwards, halves or hookers that are pushing for spots on the extended bench. It could change throughout the year but right now it feels like we are going away from what made us successful in the first place, development. Besides the outside backs we are plugging any holes we have with journeymen including the depth positions.

Our lower grades have been pillaged just as much as our NRL squad, we've lost at least 4 from Cup and another 4 from Flegg GF teams off the top of my head.
I expect as soon as our Matts and Ball teams are done, we'll see everyone pushed up.

Definitely need to get Connor Mason playing Cup, and I'd be getting Jack Cole playing 5/8 in Cup too. Need to get Jenkins back playing Centre instead of Wing. Push up Hassett too.

If this turns out to be a rebuild year, we need to recognise that early (eg. Round 10 at the latest), and be agile enough to make it work. Anyone with potential in the Flegg and Cup need to be playing in their #1 position. Anyone not part of the long-term plan (eg. Peachey, Eisenhuth, Falls, Cogger, Chris Smith etc) fill the gaps. We want guys like Cole, McLean, Lisati, Geyer etc to be ready to play NRL at the drop of a hat.

It honestly wouldn't worry me if we had guys in our Top 30 being sent back to play with St Mary's in Ron Massey Cup, if it allowed us to properly develop the next guy up.