2019 Discussion

[umina panther]

Still a bit perplexed why we re-signed Mansour tbh. Would have rather kept Sivo and then had a contest between Too, Sivo and Aitkens in pre-season. I love sauce...but he's not exactly going to out-jump or out-sprint anyone now and sometimes has a turning circle of a cruise ship to chase a kick.

I hope we don't live to regret letting Sivo go.

Yeah but our props showed on Friday night why he's still so important

 

[Copperhead]

Slater No
Tom T No
Moses Mbye No
Ponga No
Boyd No
RTS No
Holmes No
Dufty No
Wighton No
James Tedesco No
Johnson No
Hoppa No

I'd have him in front of Hoppa, Johnston and Wighton. Line ball with Mbye and Dufty. So around 7th or 8th.

 

[OldPanther]

Slater No
Tom T No
Moses Mbye No
Ponga No
Boyd No
RTS No
Holmes No
Dufty No
Wighton No
James Tedesco No
Johnson No
Hoppa No

I'd take him before Dufty, Wighton or Hoppa on that list easily. Not sure on the Johnson you're referring to.

 

[Copperhead]

I'd take him before Dufty, Wighton or Hoppa on that list easily. Not sure on the Johnson you're referring to.

Souths fullback, missing the t.

 

[umina panther]

Slater No
Tom T No
Moses Mbye No
Ponga No
Boyd No
RTS No
Holmes No
Dufty No
Wighton No
James Tedesco No
Johnson No
Hoppa No

If you think Jack Wighton is better im not sure you can be taken seriously

 

[Exsilium]

I'd take him before Dufty, Wighton or Hoppa on that list easily. Not sure on the Johnson you're referring to.

Alex Johnston.

Rabbitohs.

 

[OldPanther]

Souths fullback, missing the t.

Alex Johnston.

Rabbitohs.

Oh ok thanks. I'd keep Edwards over him as well.

 

[unKwn]

Slater No
Tom T No
Moses Mbye No
Ponga No
Boyd (he has become really shit lately, only good thing about him is his passing)
RTS No
Holmes No
Dufty Yes
Wighton Yes
James Tedesco No
Johnson Yes
Hoppa Yes

FTFY

 

[PenrithPanther45]

That starting team would match this year.. Not sure it gets us a Prelim or further and we'd struggle when injuries hit

I don't know what else we can do though. Even if we offload Merrin, the priority seems to be retaining players.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Get rid of Merrin as 21 minutes and 13 metres is not good enough
Keep Tamou coming off the bench
Stop getting so many f**king injuries
Have a competent coach come in and have a full pre-season with the team and build from there
Make Yeo captain
Luai on the bench
Grow some f**king balls, take a page out of Ricky Stuart's book and call out refereeing publicly. Friday was the 4th f**king time in five years when we were trying to come back and the refereeing was extra weight for us to carry in the race. Even if we get better and go beyond week two the matches are only going to be tougher and closer and it's going to make every decision more crucial and with how we've copped it repeatedly every year you'd have to be deluded to think that's going to change for no reason. We shouldn't be complicit with having to run with weight to carry whilst our opposition doesn't. We're the Penrith Panthers not f**king Pharlap.

Also, the money from Merrin going to Newcastle will go towards re-signing Blake, Fish and Cleary. No, we're absolutely not signing a Taupau or a Luke. Our cap isn't as large as the Roosters. Stop deluding yourselves.

Let's just have a controversy-injury-analled by refereeing-less year please and sort out our starts. Freddy is welcome to help Maloney with his defence in the off season too.

 

[Kilkenny]

I have believed for a long time we are at least two real quality players away from being a top four side and a premiership threat. There has been nothing to change my mind from what I have seen in 2018.

Despite a really difficult season with a horrific injury toll we did well without ever at any stage looked likely to threaten the sides that remain in the competition.

As always seem's to be the case since Phil Gould came back to the club the production line keeps on churning out players of NRL standard but unfortunately as yet no real superstar or superstars.

Until we unearth a couple of superstars to bolster our roster in key area's the reality is we will be doing well to make the bottom half of the top eight.

 

[Kilkenny]

I agree 100% with your post about our outside backs. Mansour is too slow and too small.
DWZ at fullback failed to get a finger on Townsend and Lewis for 2 of the Cronulla tries.
We need a try scoring machine like we had with Wesser for a couple of years because Dylan Edwards is steady at best.

We've had some pretty decent fullbacks in our history but no one any where as good as Rhys Wesser at his best. Electrifying.

It was interesting seeing your list of where Dylan Edwards fit's into the scheme of things in terms of fullbacks?

I take things one step further who from our current list makes the top 10 in any of the main positions.

Cleary would obviously be in the top 10 half backs, not the best but in the top half dozen I guess.

Viliame Kikau clearly would rank within the top 10 second rowers given he has been our best player in 2018.

James Maloney SOO NSW Blues 5/8 would be there even if he saved his worst for last.

Other than Cleary, Kikau, Maloney the only other player who may figure would be Isaah Yeo who may sneak in albeit there are a lot of quality second rowers running around.

I read a lot of posts on here about how we have a top four roster, but I just don't see it because we don't have the best players. We have a good side, a decent side, a competitive side but we lack superstars pure and simple.

 

[unKwn]

We've had some pretty decent fullbacks in our history but no one any where as good as Rhys Wesser at his best. Electrifying.

It was interesting seeing your list of where Dylan Edwards fit's into the scheme of things in terms of fullbacks?

I take things one step further who from our current list makes the top 10 in any of the main positions.

Cleary would obviously be in the top 10 half backs, not the best but in the top half dozen I guess.

Viliame Kikau clearly would rank within the top 10 second rowers given he has been our best player in 2018.

James Maloney SOO NSW Blues 5/8 would be there even if he saved his worst for last.

Other than Cleary, Kikau, Maloney the only other player who may figure would be Isaah Yeo who may sneak in albeit there are a lot of quality second rowers running around.

I read a lot of posts on here about how we have a top four roster, but I just don't see it because we don't have the best players. We have a good side, a decent side, a competitive side but we lack superstars pure and simple.

waqa could be the superstar we need.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Of course we have a f**king top four roster.

We were one win away with all of our injuries and Griffin as our coach ffs.

 

[franklin2323]

I don't know what else we can do though. Even if we offload Merrin, the priority seems to be retaining players.

We have messed the cap big time if that is the case

 

[franklin2323]

No guarantee he doesn't. This attitude we have to make mass changes is weird. People are calling for our entire backline to be purged when really all we need is Merrin to get good or leave, switch Katoa/Egan and stop getting so many injuries.

No but people are taking it as certain that a guy 20 games in will be a star. Like our hooker we need to keep an open mind to other options

 

[franklin2323]

He is not in the top 10 fullbacks in the NRL.......and he may never be.

Certainly not in the top 4 or 5 and won't be for Atleast 2 seasons if at all. So won't be the missing link we lack for that final step

 

[jane the pain]

We've had some pretty decent fullbacks in our history but no one any where as good as Rhys Wesser at his best. Electrifying.

It was interesting seeing your list of where Dylan Edwards fit's into the scheme of things in terms of fullbacks?

I take things one step further who from our current list makes the top 10 in any of the main positions.

Cleary would obviously be in the top 10 half backs, not the best but in the top half dozen I guess.

Viliame Kikau clearly would rank within the top 10 second rowers given he has been our best player in 2018.

James Maloney SOO NSW Blues 5/8 would be there even if he saved his worst for last.

Other than Cleary, Kikau, Maloney the only other player who may figure would be Isaah Yeo who may sneak in albeit there are a lot of quality second rowers running around.

I read a lot of posts on here about how we have a top four roster, but I just don't see it because we don't have the best players. We have a good side, a decent side, a competitive side but we lack superstars pure and simple.

You're a hard man to please. We have a great roster, given the right coach we will be up there with the best.

 

[OldPanther]

We've had some pretty decent fullbacks in our history but no one any where as good as Rhys Wesser at his best. Electrifying.

It was interesting seeing your list of where Dylan Edwards fit's into the scheme of things in terms of fullbacks?

I take things one step further who from our current list makes the top 10 in any of the main positions.

Cleary would obviously be in the top 10 half backs, not the best but in the top half dozen I guess.

Viliame Kikau clearly would rank within the top 10 second rowers given he has been our best player in 2018.

James Maloney SOO NSW Blues 5/8 would be there even if he saved his worst for last.

Other than Cleary, Kikau, Maloney the only other player who may figure would be Isaah Yeo who may sneak in albeit there are a lot of quality second rowers running around.

I read a lot of posts on here about how we have a top four roster, but I just don't see it because we don't have the best players. We have a good side, a decent side, a competitive side but we lack superstars pure and simple.

There were a lot of comments disagreeing with that list. Top 10 for their position.

Maloney
Cleary
Blake
Whare/Peachey
Yeo(massively underrated in the NRL)
Edwards
Kikau
RCG(prior to injury so maybe exclude for Sharks game)

 

[OldPanther]

Certainly not in the top 4 or 5 and won't be for Atleast 2 seasons if at all. So won't be the missing link we lack for that final step

He seems to have the potential for it. Has the same work ethic of a Billy Slater type. Probably the most excited I've been to see a player develop along with Cleary and Egan.

A spine of this is top 4 qith some development only lacking experience right now:


1. Edwards
6. Malone/Luai(change in 2020)
7. Cleary
9. Egan