2019 Discussion

[Crashtest]

I can't wait till the Panthers are on the field again, and despite me thinking this for the past 3-4 seasons and being let down badly every time - I think we are in with a real shot this season.

I can relate to that unfortunately.

Maybe you need to change your user name to The Optimist, instead of The Realist

 

[Crashtest]

Poor Bugger. All the best Sam! Probably time to retire.

If a player is forced to retire part way through the year due to injury, is his remaining salary excluded from the salary cap?

 

[Luke Bowden]

If a player is forced to retire part way through the year due to injury, is his remaining salary excluded from the salary cap?

I believe so.

 

[Crashtest]

In an interwiew with RCG and DWZ on nrl.com, they are asked what it’s like to be reunited with Cleary again this season.

Pretty standard answers in regards to Cleary. The one interesting comment was from RCG, where he says last year there was some issues there but you cut out the cancer and start fresh again.

Is he referring to Griffin as cancer? That’s the strongest anti Griffin comment by one of the players I’ve heard, even though he didn’t actually mention his name.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/17/rcg-and-dwz-happy-to-be-reunited-with-ivan-cleary/

 

[Crashtest]

I believe so.

Then even though I feel sorry for him, the Panthers are much better of if he retires and can use his cap space to fill another position we are short in, like centre.

 

[franklin2323]

In an interwiew with RCG and DWZ on nrl.com, they are asked what it’s like to be reunited with Cleary again this season.

Pretty standard answers in regards to Cleary. The one interesting comment was from RCG, where he says last year there was some issues there but you cut out the cancer and start fresh again.

Is he referring to Griffin as cancer? That’s the strongest anti Griffin comment by one of the players I’ve heard, even though he didn’t actually mention his name.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/17/rcg-and-dwz-happy-to-be-reunited-with-ivan-cleary/

Hard to say we have had a lot of staff turnover. Could of even fallen out with another player...anyway it still sounds positive though all off season talk is.

 

[Matthew Ellis]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/01/17/rcg-and-dwz-happy-to-be-reunited-with-ivan-cleary
"Cut out the cancer and start fresh."
Jesus Christ RCG doesn't mince words. I know he probably meant fix the worst parts of our game but that you could take that to mean Hook.

Which is why I have it at a 50/50 call. DWZ is only a year older then Edwards. So even age is close.

Granted it took Edwards/RTS getting injured to have this discussion but that is footy

Tbf DWZ looks a fair few kilos lighter than Edwards and throws his body around running at forwards like he's the size of RCG. They're both around the same age but barring injuries to Edwards one's career is going to be be a fair bit shorter than the other.

 

[Matthew Ellis]

I really feel for him. To end it like this would be tough.

I do too but at this point I can't help but feel if he 100% should retire. I was willing to give him a chance no matter how slim it was that his leg could hold up til GF week but if it blows up during a standard rehab training drill....

 

[Matthew Ellis]

If a player is forced to retire part way through the year due to injury, is his remaining salary excluded from the salary cap?

1) He doesn't have a contract yet so it doesn't matter. The club was waiting till he finished rehab to see how his leg is going.
2) If you do have a contract and you retire due to injury the contract can be rendered void however there are conditions. The injury that forced the retirement has to be new unexpected one. It can't be an ongoing issue that was happening when the player signed the contract.

 

[roofromoz]

RCG (91) and Waqa Blake (78) are set to join the 100 matches for Penrith club this year.

Nathan Cleary (444) is 56 points off becoming just the 5th player to score 500 points for the Panthers, after Ryan Girdler, Greg Alexander, Michael Gordon and Preston Campbell. He only needs to score 11 more points to become fifth outright anyway, with Rhys Wesser being currently fifth on 454 points (113 tries and 1 goal).

 

[Abacus]

RCG (91) and Waqa Blake (78) are set to join the 100 matches for Penrith club this year.

Nathan Cleary (444) is 56 points off becoming just the 5th player to score 500 points for the Panthers, after Ryan Girdler, Greg Alexander, Michael Gordon and Preston Campbell. He only needs to score 11 more points to become fifth outright anyway, with Rhys Wesser being currently fifth on 454 points (113 tries and 1 goal).

f**k me, I'd forgotten about Wesser's goal kicking until your post.

Rhys, keep to your strengths - just take the ball and run.

 

[Abacus]

1) He doesn't have a contract yet so it doesn't matter. The club was waiting till he finished rehab to see how his leg is going.
2) If you do have a contract and you retire due to injury the contract can be rendered void however there are conditions. The injury that forced the retirement has to be new unexpected one. It can't be an ongoing issue that was happening when the player signed the contract.

1. Pretty sure Sam is contracted for 2018.
2. Not sure the contract will be rendered void, however, insurance will cover a new injury and the NRL will exclude that amount from the cap.

 

[Fangs]

f**k me, I'd forgotten about Wesser's goal kicking until your post.

Rhys, keep to your strengths - just take the ball and run.

1/4 that night wasnt it? To be fair I remember him having quite a few sideline attempts.

Reminds me of Rhys' field goal attempt against Melbourne. In fact I think he made two attempts that day. Lost in golden point.

Who took over that night? I think it was Waterhouse

 

[Abacus]

1/4 that night wasnt it? To be fair I remember him having quite a few sideline attempts.

Reminds me of Rhys' field goal attempt against Melbourne. In fact I think he made two attempts that day. Lost in golden point.

Who took over that night? I think it was Waterhouse

0/4 but who's counting. We lost by 8. Yep, Waterhouse took over.

 

[TheFrog]

Is he referring to Griffin as cancer?

Could have been Merrin, Wallace, or Peachey, or CHN, or Tim Browne. Probably was Hook though. So I guess RCG must have played the best footy of his career after Hook left, then?

Or maybe one of the cheer girls knocked Reg back at some stage?

 

[BxTom]

I think that it was a player. RCG had a short clip up around the time that Hook was hooked with words to the effect "you've heard one side and the other, then there's the truth". This clip was taken down after a couple of days. The words above may not be exact word for word, but they are pretty close. And if he said a cancer was cut out, I don't think he's referring to Wal, as he is still more or less part of the team.

 

[franklin2323]

Could have been Merrin, Wallace, or Peachey, or CHN, or Tim Browne. Probably was Hook though. So I guess RCG must have played the best footy of his career after Hook left, then?

Or maybe one of the cheer girls knocked Reg back at some stage?

That is a good point about his form. The props were very ordinary v the Sharks in that semi.

It is strange that the players all speak highly of Ivan yet he got the ass. Surely the players had some say in it

 

[OldPanther]

I think that it was a player. RCG had a short clip up around the time that Hook was hooked with words to the effect "you've heard one side and the other, then there's the truth". This clip was taken down after a couple of days. The words above may not be exact word for word, but they are pretty close. And if he said a cancer was cut out, I don't think he's referring to Wal, as he is still more or less part of the team.

Could have been Merrin. His game time dropped sharply and was moved on pretty suddenly.

 

[Crashtest]

Could have been Merrin, Wallace, or Peachey, or CHN, or Tim Browne. Probably was Hook though. So I guess RCG must have played the best footy of his career after Hook left, then?

I don't think he was talking about any one of those players though. Wallace and Browne were offered jobs at the club when they retired, which they wouldn't have got if they were considered cancerous.

Given the emotional speech from Gould about Peachey and CHN when he announced they were leaving, and the high praise he gave them as people and not just as players, its not the way you speak of players that are cancerous.

So that would only leave Merrin. Although his form was down in 2018 and not worthy of the salary he was earning, I don't think I have ever heard one bad word said about Merrin while he was at the panthers. The opposite in fact. Gould praised him for being a role model to the younger squad and his leadership skills, and even wanted him to be named captain of the NSW Blues.

So realistically, RCG could only be referring to Griffin. None of the players would of had the sort of negative impact that would need to be described in an interview as a cancer needing to be cut out.

 

[martielang]

RCG should be sending Griffin a Christmas card rather than slagging him off. Not sure too many other coaches would of left him starting prop or even in the 17 given his last couple of months of footy.