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The rise of the Penny Panthers.

Jane Murray

Bench
Messages
2,837
With the minor premiership all but guaranteed, and hopefully, we make it to the big stage. I'm wondering what has impressed you the most this year?

Mine has been the fitness levels of the players, and their close bond. It is clear the players are tight and they work for each other.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,457
There has been plenty to be impressed about this year. My picks are,

The rise of Dylan Edwards, he has always been a high effort player & this year he has ramped it up even more. Safe as a vault & has added a bit of attacking flair. My Mrs came over from the Philippines last year & the first game of Rugby League she saw was Penriths first win after the loss streak. She has turned into a die hard & watches every game each week & has picked up the game really well. She is a massive Edwards fan, it's funny for someone who is very new to the game to notice all the things he brings to the table. One of the things she loves about him is his awareness, he just seems to know where he needs to be.

The evolution of Cleary. I have been on the Cleary wagon from day one, but I didn't see this year coming so soon. I was always confident he would get to a high level because of his work ethic, but he has come of age this year. It's actually scary how good he might become. His best is probably 3 or 4 years away. I can see him overtaking Brandy as our best ever half.

Luai, this I didn't anticipate. I wanted Burton to get the 6 ahead of Luai for the year. But Jerome hasn't put a foot wrong. He is solid defensively & he has improved his decision making out of site. He still dances around, but now he picks when to do it & it usually results in something good happening. He is straightening the attack more now which is what was needed. His kicking has also improved out of site, he can still improve his short kick decision making, but it's certainly getting there.

Mansour, I'm a massive Sauce fan, I thought he might be done this year, but he has been playing so well. If anyone deserves a premiership it's this bloke. What he has given to Penrith over the years can't be understated. I'm going to be so sad when his time is up.

Api, This has been a stellar year for him. He has always been a bloody good player, but this year he has been on fire & finally a decent run with fitness. he is the piece of the puzzle we have lacked for a long time.

The pack. Beasts, every one of them. They are relentless, I cant wait to see them go up against the Roosters at some point in the finals. They just dont stop working hard. Fish & Tamou have earned every cent of their contracts this year.
 

John Hamblin

Juniors
Messages
861
There has been plenty to be impressed about this year. My picks are,

The rise of Dylan Edwards, he has always been a high effort player & this year he has ramped it up even more. Safe as a vault & has added a bit of attacking flair. My Mrs came over from the Philippines last year & the first game of Rugby League she saw was Penriths first win after the loss streak. She has turned into a die hard & watches every game each week & has picked up the game really well. She is a massive Edwards fan, it's funny for someone who is very new to the game to notice all the things he brings to the table. One of the things she loves about him is his awareness, he just seems to know where he needs to be.

The evolution of Cleary. I have been on the Cleary wagon from day one, but I didn't see this year coming so soon. I was always confident he would get to a high level because of his work ethic, but he has come of age this year. It's actually scary how good he might become. His best is probably 3 or 4 years away. I can see him overtaking Brandy as our best ever half.

Luai, this I didn't anticipate. I wanted Burton to get the 6 ahead of Luai for the year. But Jerome hasn't put a foot wrong. He is solid defensively & he has improved his decision making out of site. He still dances around, but now he picks when to do it & it usually results in something good happening. He is straightening the attack more now which is what was needed. His kicking has also improved out of site, he can still improve his short kick decision making, but it's certainly getting there.

Mansour, I'm a massive Sauce fan, I thought he might be done this year, but he has been playing so well. If anyone deserves a premiership it's this bloke. What he has given to Penrith over the years can't be understated. I'm going to be so sad when his time is up.

Api, This has been a stellar year for him. He has always been a bloody good player, but this year he has been on fire & finally a decent run with fitness. he is the piece of the puzzle we have lacked for a long time.

The pack. Beasts, every one of them. They are relentless, I cant wait to see them go up against the Roosters at some point in the finals. They just dont stop working hard. Fish & Tamou have earned every cent of their contracts this year.
Well said agree with everything!!!!!
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
My Mrs came over from the Philippines last year & the first game of Rugby League she saw was Penriths first win after the loss streak.
Both my wife and my brothers wife are Phillies and they love the Panthers, neither would consider missing the game (on a shared Kayo sub). The Pinoys don't have much in the way of sport to follow really, in no sport does the country really excel which is why Pacquiao has become god-like. Your wife must be starting to think she's bringing the team success.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,457
Both my wife and my brothers wife are Phillies and they love the Panthers, neither would consider missing the game (on a shared Kayo sub). The Pinoys don't have much in the way of sport to follow really, in no sport does the country really excel which is why Pacquiao has become god-like. Your wife must be starting to think she's bringing the team success.
They have only lost a handful of games since she started watching. The streak last year ended when she went back to the Philippines for 6 weeks.
 

Pomoz

Bench
Messages
2,856
I will have to eat humble pie and admit Nathan Cleary has impressed me. I said he isn't very creative as a half and would struggle to justify his salary. Having watched the genius that is Brandy win a dally M at 19, and take us to two grand finals I always judged him against that gold standard. It's a high bar and lets just say he is unlikely to generate the same sort of try assists and line break assists that Brandy could. He just doesn't have his vision, but then again not many players ever do.

But, that said he is now showing he has his own strengths to compensate and I think he is a combination of Gower and Brandy. He has Gowers effort and toughness, he never shirks a tackle or avoids taking a hit (hello Mitchell Moses, how's the dinner suit) and Brandy's kicking flair. His tactical kicking this year is the best in the NRL.

I would also like to praise him for trying to constantly improve his game. Every year he has added a little something. Last year, under Maloney's guidance he improved his short kicking game and started getting lots of repeat sets. This year he has added a short passing game to his armoury and added the Cronk chip kick inside the 20 to his game. This year he has improved to the point of being considered to be one of the best players in the game. Considering the Tik Tok fiasco and the pressure of having your Dad as the coach, it's a remarkable effort to be where he is. His mental toughness on a scale of 1 to 10 Chuck Norris's is probably 11.

The second thing that has impressed me is the front row rotation. They have just monstered every single team and I'm sure after their demolition of Parramatta will lead the competition for pre contact metres and post contact metres. JFH has a massive engine and keeps generating big metres and high tackle counts. He also hits hard without any of the dramatic theatre of standing over players he has just felled, he is a silent, smiling assassin.

Tamou and Leota's work rates are so good, they currently sit at 15th and 6th in the NRL respectively for involvement rate. The involvement rate measures tackle % and run% during the minutes they are on the field and the their share in the number plays during that time. Every position is included in this so our props are competing against back rowers and locks, making their rating even more impressive. Furthermore, they both play reasonable minutes each game, making their ability to maintain a high work rate more difficult. Add to this the contribution from Tetavao and Leniu and our front row is absolutely smashing teams. Leniu is just a baby in front row terms and is making an average of 10m per run and has an effective tackle percentage of 94%!

I think this is the best front row rotation we have ever had and include the Lang, Ross, Clinton combination in that comparison. High praise indeed.

The fitness doesn't impress me because under Hook we were just as fit. Cleary mucked it up last year with his Pie Face fitness regime and has only got them back to where they were.

I also want to credit Cleary and the coaching team for helping Luai, Naden and Crichton improve in their second seasons, a difficult task that has seen many players struggle. The players deserve credit for knuckling down and working hard as well.

Lastly, I am also impressed by the togetherness of the team and applaud Cleary for creating the environment to foster that spirit. The removal of certain players seems to have improved morale and there isn't a single one of those players that we can look at and regret they left. An amazing turnaround from last year, a year where I heavily criticised Ivan Cleary. I am duty bound to offer praise for this year.
 

Panther Pete

Juniors
Messages
1,681
I will have to eat humble pie and admit Nathan Cleary has impressed me. I said he isn't very creative as a half and would struggle to justify his salary. Having watched the genius that is Brandy win a dally M at 19, and take us to two grand finals I always judged him against that gold standard. It's a high bar and lets just say he is unlikely to generate the same sort of try assists and line break assists that Brandy could. He just doesn't have his vision, but then again not many players ever do.

But, that said he is now showing he has his own strengths to compensate and I think he is a combination of Gower and Brandy. He has Gowers effort and toughness, he never shirks a tackle or avoids taking a hit (hello Mitchell Moses, how's the dinner suit) and Brandy's kicking flair. His tactical kicking this year is the best in the NRL.

I would also like to praise him for trying to constantly improve his game. Every year he has added a little something. Last year, under Maloney's guidance he improved his short kicking game and started getting lots of repeat sets. This year he has added a short passing game to his armoury and added the Cronk chip kick inside the 20 to his game. This year he has improved to the point of being considered to be one of the best players in the game. Considering the Tik Tok fiasco and the pressure of having your Dad as the coach, it's a remarkable effort to be where he is. His mental toughness on a scale of 1 to 10 Chuck Norris's is probably 11.

The second thing that has impressed me is the front row rotation. They have just monstered every single team and I'm sure after their demolition of Parramatta will lead the competition for pre contact metres and post contact metres. JFH has a massive engine and keeps generating big metres and high tackle counts. He also hits hard without any of the dramatic theatre of standing over players he has just felled, he is a silent, smiling assassin.

Tamou and Leota's work rates are so good, they currently sit at 15th and 6th in the NRL respectively for involvement rate. The involvement rate measures tackle % and run% during the minutes they are on the field and the their share in the number plays during that time. Every position is included in this so our props are competing against back rowers and locks, making their rating even more impressive. Furthermore, they both play reasonable minutes each game, making their ability to maintain a high work rate more difficult. Add to this the contribution from Tetavao and Leniu and our front row is absolutely smashing teams. Leniu is just a baby in front row terms and is making an average of 10m per run and has an effective tackle percentage of 94%!

I think this is the best front row rotation we have ever had and include the Lang, Ross, Clinton combination in that comparison. High praise indeed.

The fitness doesn't impress me because under Hook we were just as fit. Cleary mucked it up last year with his Pie Face fitness regime and has only got them back to where they were.

I also want to credit Cleary and the coaching team for helping Luai, Naden and Crichton improve in their second seasons, a difficult task that has seen many players struggle. The players deserve credit for knuckling down and working hard as well.

Lastly, I am also impressed by the togetherness of the team and applaud Cleary for creating the environment to foster that spirit. The removal of certain players seems to have improved morale and there isn't a single one of those players that we can look at and regret they left. An amazing turnaround from last year, a year where I heavily criticised Ivan Cleary. I am duty bound to offer praise for this year.
Thats an impressive post mate. I know last year you and a couple of others on here couldn’t seem to write a single post without putting the boot into Nathan and Ivan to the point I thought you guys had must have agendas against them. After reading this it’s clear that wasn’t the case. Let’s just hope the boys can keep going on with it this year.
 

Jane Murray

Bench
Messages
2,837
Thats an impressive post mate. I know last year you and a couple of others on here couldn’t seem to write a single post without putting the boot into Nathan and Ivan to the point I thought you guys had must have agendas against them. After reading this it’s clear that wasn’t the case. Let’s just hope the boys can keep going on with it this year.

I agree. I am also confident, finally, that the players, Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton, Spencer Leniu and Charlie Staines will be retained. Happy days.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Pomoz is low on quantity but always high on quality and as they it is quality that counts. Good post.
 

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,135
Lastly, I am also impressed by the togetherness of the team and applaud Cleary for creating the environment to foster that spirit. The removal of certain players seems to have improved morale and there isn't a single one of those players that we can look at and regret they left. An amazing turnaround from last year, a year where I heavily criticised Ivan Cleary. I am duty bound to offer praise for this year.

I think you make a very good point here the comerardie, the spirit within the playing group is second to none and very special.
 
Messages
2,571
Both my wife and my brothers wife are Phillies and they love the Panthers, neither would consider missing the game (on a shared Kayo sub). The Pinoys don't have much in the way of sport to follow really, in no sport does the country really excel which is why Pacquiao has become god-like. Your wife must be starting to think she's bringing the team success.

Oh wow! I was born in the Philippines and I’m married to an Aussie. I’m also probably the only Filo that can’t play basketball!! :joy:

I always try and spread the Gospel According to Penrith whenever I fly home for a visit.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
Oh wow! I was born in the Philippines and I’m married to an Aussie. I’m also probably the only Filo that can’t play basketball!! :joy:

I always try and spread the Gospel According to Penrith whenever I fly home for a visit.
Im the opposite im an Aussie thats married to a Filo, im just a poster child for the panthers, i have like 30 different jerseys from 67 onwards
 

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