https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...y/news-story/191eead2938b87cfb0ce3ed99bcdf2ad
The Panthers are coming off their best season in 17 years, but after letting go of two of their most experienced stars picking up where they left off will be no guarantee in 2021.
Penrith are on a hiding to nothing trying to emulate a season where they won a record 17 games in a row and fell one game short of a first title since 2003.
A return to a full 25 Round season will make it very difficult to maintain that sort of success again in 2021, especially with the return of the mid-season Origin series, which should feature a number of key Panthers players.
Ask any grand final and minor premiership winning side and they will tell you it is much harder the following season when every club is out to knock you off your perch.
The Panthers’ two biggest losses from last season are captain James Tamou (Tigers) and winger Josh Mansour (Rabbitohs), but they have also lost premiership winner Zane Tetevano to (Leeds).
The club also let handy back-up players Jack Hetherington (Bulldogs), Caleb Aekins (Raiders) and Kaide Ellis (Dragons) walk out the door.
The Panthers were not overly active in the player market as they prioritised re-signing a number of young stars in a bid to keep the bulk of their grand final side together.
However they did sign handy back-ups Jaeman Salmon (Eels), Robert Jennings, Matt Eisenhuth (both Tigers) and Scott Sorensen from the Sharks.
Ivan Cleary faces a delicate balancing act to continue what worked for the Panthers last season, while being careful not to make the Panthers predictable, particularly in attack.
The Panthers conceded the fewest points (308) and fewest tries (53) last season so keeping that strong defensive unit will be a priority.
They also scored the most points (626) and the most tries (106), but backing that sort of output up year after year has been something only clubs like the Roosters and Storm have managed consistently.
If the young Panthers can deal with the extra pressure that comes with being reigning minor premiers then they have the tools to go all the way in 2021.
But if the players think they can just rock up and things will carry on from last year they are in for a rude shock.
THE STRENGTH
Squad stability and youth. The Panthers have managed to keep the bulk of their minor premiership winning side together with the exception of Josh Mansour and James Tamou.
Ivan Cleary has chosen to put his trust in a young core of players who have come through the ranks together at the club after letting go of the two veterans, Mansour to the Rabbitohs and Tamou to the Tigers.
After winning an amazing 17 games in a row last year, the Panthers fell one game short of a first premiership since 2003 after going down to the Storm in the decider.
However the young squad would have learned plenty from their experiences last year and they will be a tighter unit from having gone through it all together.
The pain of their grand final loss to the Storm should provide plenty of motivation to go one better in 2021 and hopefully that will see them avoid the dreaded second-year syndrome.
The Panthers will be marked men in 2021 as they become the hunted rather than the hunters and every team will get up to play them each week.
Their settled spine in Dylan Edwards, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary and Apisai Koroisau should give them plenty of stability to deal with the increased competition from the rest of the league.
THE PRESSURE IS ON
Nathan Cleary. The Panthers halfback is coming off his best season in the NRL and he was unlucky not to take out the Dally M Medal, which went to Raiders star Jack Wighton.
However unfortunately Cleary saved some of his weaker performances for the pointy end of the season in the Grand Final and in games one and three of the Origin series.
Time will tell if those experiences scar Cleary going into the new season or whether he can use them to take his game to even greater heights in 2021.
So much of the Panthers’ success is built around Cleary’s influence at halfback and his ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates on the edges.
However given his success in 2020, Cleary will have plenty of players coming his way in defence in an attempt to blunt his attacking prowess.
The 23-year-old now has scored 36 tries and 809 points in 100 games for the Panthers and is coming into his prime years as an NRL playmaker.
Cleary led the NRL with Cody Walker in try assists in 2020 with 24 and the Panthers will need that sort of output again if they are to maintain the rage this season and go one better.
How Cleary handles the spotlight each week and the extra attention from rival defences will go a long way towards deciding the Panthers’ fate in 2021.
THE RISING STAR
Charlie Staines. The sample size may be small, but the Panthers winger has made a massive splash since bursting onto the scene in 2020.
Staines has scored six tries in just two games for Penrith since making his debut against the Sharks last season in a game he scored a remarkable four tries.
Staines is actually a fullback, but looks set to continue his promising career on the wing, with Dylan Edwards having a mortgage on the fullback position for the foreseeable future.
The fact that the Panthers let go of club legend Josh Mansour after one of his best seasons and with two years remaining on his contract says a lot about the faith they have in Staines.
30-year-old Mansour was told he would play reserve grade in 2021, despite scoring 12 tries in 22 games last season, with the club preferring to start Staines on the wing.
Salary cap constraints no doubt played their part in Mansour’s departure, but at 20 years of age Staines is clearly the future and the Panthers feel his time has come to start on a regular basis.
Staines struggled with hamstring injuries at the end of last season and hopefully they do not become a recurring theme.
If Staines can stay healthy look for him to score plenty of tries on the end of this seriously good backline in 2021.
THE UNLUCKY ONES
Matt Burton, Mitch Kenny, Dean Whare, Robert Jennings and Scott Sorensen. It is little surprise that last year’s grand finalists have one of the deeper rosters in the NRL.
You don’t win 17 games on the trot without having plenty of competition for spots and players to fill holes when injuries strike.
Even accounting for the loss of Tamou and Mansour the Panthers again have plenty of depth in 2021.
Matt Burton provides excellent back-up for Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary in the halves before he joins the Bulldogs in 2022.
Mitch Kenny would likely be a starting hooker at a number of other clubs, but will struggle for consistent game time behind Api Koroisau.
Dean Whare is stuck behind grand final heroes Stephen Crichton and Brent Naden, while Robert Jennings scored 19 tries in 21 games for Souths a couple of seasons ago.
Scott Sorensen played 14 games for the Sharks last year and provides depth to the Panthers’ bench rotation should injuries strike.
IT’S A BIG YEAR FOR
Moses Leota. Replacing club skipper and seasoned front-rower James Tamou will be no easy task and Leota seems the man most likely of filling the void at prop.
Leota has played over 20 games the last three seasons, but mostly off the bench and it will be a new challenge to start up front on a weekly basis this season.
At 25 Leota has now played 81 NRL games and is at the right point of his career to test himself as a regular starter.
Tamou and James Fisher-Harris provided an excellent platform for the Panthers as they charged to a first minor premiership in 17 seasons last year.
How Leota fills the void left by Tamou could have big repercussions for how Penrith back up from their impressive 2020 season.
Leota can’t be expected to fill the captaincy void left by Tamou, but he does need to offer them stability in defence and plenty of metres in attack if the Panthers are to push for the title again in 2021.
PANTHERS
1 Dylan Edwards
2 Charlie Staines
3 Stephen Crichton
4 Brent Naden
5 Brian To’o
6 Jarome Luai
7 Nathan Cleary
8 James Fisher-Harris
9 Apisai Koroisau
10 Moses Leota
11 Viliame Kikau
12 Liam Martin
13 Isaah Yeo
14 Tyrone May
15 Kurt Capewell
16 Matt Eisenhuth
17 Spencer Leniu
2021 squad: Dean Blore (2021), William Burns (2022), Matt Burton (2021), Kurt Capewell (2021), Nathan Cleary (2024), Stephen Crichton (2021), Dylan Edwards (2022), James Fisher-Harris (2022), Robert Jennings (2021), Matt Eisenhuth (2022), Mitch Kenny (2021), Viliame Kikau (2022), Apisai Koroisau (2022), Spencer Leniu (2021), Moses Leota (2022), Jarome Luai (2021), Liam Martin (2023), Tyrone May (2021), Brent Naden (2021), Jaeman Salmon (2021), Charlie Staines (2023), Scott Sorensen (2021), Brian To’o (2023), Dean Whare (2021, MO 22), Isaah Yeo (2021)
2021 gains: Jaeman Salmon (Eels), Robert Jennings, Matt Eisenhuth (both Tigers), Scott Sorensen (Sharks)
2021 losses: Josh Mansour (Rabbitohs), Caleb Aekins (Raiders), Jack Hetherington (Bulldogs), James Tamou (Tigers), Zane Tetevano (Leeds), Kaide Ellis (Dragons), Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Pat Hollis, Brayden McGrady (all unsigned)
