2021 season

[franklin2323]

The brains trust put all there eggs in the one basket thou, chose to show faith in Staines ahead of the elder statesmen. We can’t afford the gamble to backfire. Staines really needs to be an instant success.

Have they though? The preference is Staines. Staines will start the year but whether he stays there all year is the question

I have liked what I have seen from Staines so far but 2 60 min trials don't make a season

 

[franklin2323]

As long as Staines stays fit he’s a must for the wing. Raw pace is one area our backline needed improving in.

I agree Naden is more of a winger, but Staines is so electric and the wing is the perfect place for a backline rookie to start.

Fit is the key word. That is my question mark I see a lot of similarities with JAC and Staines.

Early on JAC had issues getting up to speed. So may see that this year but next year and beyond. Staines should be a mainstay of the side

 

[WestyLife]

People bag the new rules but in theory they all are aimed to make the game better

They are good and bad for me for different reasons.

 

[franklin2323]

At the time I was banging my head against the wall like everyone else, Naden shat the bed. But we had two weeks off, lots of time to work on his defence, and if things got bad you always could’ve hooked him for May. But then after seeing May play at centre against Souths, I knew we needed to go back to Naden. It wasn’t that May played poorly, he did okay, but he was up against a fellow back rowers, and the team lacked spark. Melbourne were able to take advantage of our lack of right side attack, they stacked the defence against our left side, we weren’t quick enough to take advantage of it.

At the very least Naden should’ve come on in the GF much earlier. We were struggling to score points, and he’s a huge strike weapon.

I doubt there weren't signs that Naden's head wasn't right. I don't think anyone knew of the coke and are we even certain it was the only team he took it?

If the off field stuff wasn't quite right to go with the onfield then it was a no brainer. It is preparing for a GF you want 110%

The bigger gamble for me was playing a busted Tetevano

 

[franklin2323]

They are good and bad for me for different reasons.

No doubt some will be duds. The Video Ref changes I can see causing issues but sped up game is a bonus

 

[panthersam]

The brains trust put all there eggs in the one basket thou, chose to show faith in Staines ahead of the elder statesmen. We can’t afford the gamble to backfire. Staines really needs to be an instant success.

That’s not really true, our depth in the backline positions is pretty good with Naden and Momo and then even Rennings being able to play on the wing if need be and then Burton/Salmon etc as centre options to push one of the mentioned above out to the wing also.

Staines will be fine but we have adequate back up if for whatever reason he isn’t.

 

[betcats]

That’s not really true, our depth in the backline positions is pretty good with Naden and Momo and then even Rennings being able to play on the wing if need be and then Burton/Salmon etc as centre options to push one of the mentioned above out to the wing also.

Staines will be fine but we have adequate back up if for whatever reason he isn’t.

Yep I think our backline depth is much improved on last year.

 

[WestyLife]

https://pythagonrl.com/2021/03/06/a...021-nrl-season/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

A Deep Dive in to the 2021 NRL season

Assessment: 2nd group / Regression

If Melbourne are the Roman Empire, then Penrith is Macedonia in the late fourth century BC. A group of young and extremely motivated men took advantage of the specific time and place that the gods had provided them and as a result, almost conquered the world. The 2020 grand final was their Hyphasis, a long campaign finally ended by reaching the absolute limits of their capability. The 2021 season will then be their march back to Persia to consolidate their gains. As students of history will know, that didn’t go particularly well for the Macedonian aristocrats. Will Jarome Luai catch typhoid and die after eating poultry and drinking wine? Will Nathan Cleary also die of typhoid? Will Matt Burton flee to Egypt to create his own kingdom, which I guess might be the Bulldogs? Who will play the roles of the other Diadochi? Ivan Cleary as Seleucus or Philip II? Who can say.

There are many questions, mostly revolving around the safety of western Sydney’s drinking water, but I think that the Panthers will regress hard. There are three reasons for this:

1. Ivan Cleary can’t maintain the same standard
2. The Panthers lost players
3. Penrith got lucky

It’s a little baffling to watch Ivan Cleary, a man with a club coaching record of 170-168-4, suddenly turn into a superstar. A little too baffling for my taste. The 2020 Panthers outperformed their projections so thoroughly that it is literally unprecedented. Craig Bellamy was rated +7 in 2019, the previous best coach factor. Cleary was rated +12 in 2020. He was as good as Seibold was bad. That simply makes no sense.

It is incredibly rare to see everything go so right for a team and it is similarly impossible to imagine it happening again. While the Panthers might be one of the top rated teams by projected Taylors, if we wipe 10% off that to account for the rigors of reality hitting home, they come right back into the pack. Their Pythagorean expectation was outperformed by more than two wins in the regular season and Pythagoras will demand his tribute this year, perhaps with an equal overreaction in the other direction.

Compounding this, the squad that made it to Hyphasis has already started to drift apart. Matt Burton has one foot out the door. James Tamou, captain and commander, has gone to Leichhardt/Campbelltown/Tamworth. Zane Tetevano, who has rated few mentions in the aftermath of the campaign, is taking his .152 TPR (36th best in the league) to Leeds. A number of lesser lights, including Caleb Aekins, Josh Mansour, Kaide Ellis and another half dozen names, have departed Penrith. That kind of turnover is bad for cohesion at the best of times and worse to eliminate all of the depth that would help the Panthers ride out any potential crises this year.

A big deal was famously made of wanting to keep the squad together but when it came down to a choice between divying up the spoils of war and continuing the campaign together, the lads (justifiably) took the former. Good for them but Gedrosia lies ahead. The Macedonians survived the desert crossing but they weren’t expected to play finals footy after

 

[John Hamblin]

What a absolute load of hogwash!

 

[martielang]

I was questioning Naden's defence all year but dropping him for a semi final for a lock who has played limited centre was brain dead imo. I thought we looked our best with the ball last year when May came on for 20 - 30 odd minutes a game and played as a second 5/8th, it was just as baffling to me that we went away from that completely.

 

[Jane Murray]

Only five sleeps to go. What are your team selection predictions for round one?

Here's mine:
1. Dylan Edwards
2. Charlie Staines.
3. Paul Momirovski.
4. Stephen Chricton.
5. Brian To'o.
6. Jerome Luai.
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota.
9. Api Korosai.
10. James Fisher-Harris.
11. Liam Martin
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Issah Yeo
14. Tyrone May
15. Spencer Leniu
16. Matt Burton
17. J'Maine Hopgood.

 

[WestyLife]

What a absolute load of hogwash!

It was definitely savage on us. I thought a little unfair in places.

 

[snickers007]

Only five sleeps to go. What are your team selection predictions for round one?

Here's mine:
1. Dylan Edwards
2. Brian To'o
3. Stephen Crichton.
4. Paul Momirovski
5. Charlie Staines.
6. Jerome Luai.
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota.
9. Api Korosai.
10. James Fisher-Harris.
11. Liam Martin
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Issah Yeo
14. Tyrone May
15. Spencer Leniu
16. Matt Burton
17. J'Maine Hopgood.

Wait is Kikau injured or suspended?

 

[Jane Murray]

Wait is Kikau injured or suspended?

A brain freeze. He comes in for Hopgood, or Burton. He will also start.

 

[MugaB]

https://pythagonrl.com/2021/03/06/a...021-nrl-season/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

A Deep Dive in to the 2021 NRL season

Assessment: 2nd group / Regression

If Melbourne are the Roman Empire, then Penrith is Macedonia in the late fourth century BC. A group of young and extremely motivated men took advantage of the specific time and place that the gods had provided them and as a result, almost conquered the world. The 2020 grand final was their Hyphasis, a long campaign finally ended by reaching the absolute limits of their capability. The 2021 season will then be their march back to Persia to consolidate their gains. As students of history will know, that didn’t go particularly well for the Macedonian aristocrats. Will Jarome Luai catch typhoid and die after eating poultry and drinking wine? Will Nathan Cleary also die of typhoid? Will Matt Burton flee to Egypt to create his own kingdom, which I guess might be the Bulldogs? Who will play the roles of the other Diadochi? Ivan Cleary as Seleucus or Philip II? Who can say.

There are many questions, mostly revolving around the safety of western Sydney’s drinking water, but I think that the Panthers will regress hard. There are three reasons for this:

1. Ivan Cleary can’t maintain the same standard
2. The Panthers lost players
3. Penrith got lucky

It’s a little baffling to watch Ivan Cleary, a man with a club coaching record of 170-168-4, suddenly turn into a superstar. A little too baffling for my taste. The 2020 Panthers outperformed their projections so thoroughly that it is literally unprecedented. Craig Bellamy was rated +7 in 2019, the previous best coach factor. Cleary was rated +12 in 2020. He was as good as Seibold was bad. That simply makes no sense.

It is incredibly rare to see everything go so right for a team and it is similarly impossible to imagine it happening again. While the Panthers might be one of the top rated teams by projected Taylors, if we wipe 10% off that to account for the rigors of reality hitting home, they come right back into the pack. Their Pythagorean expectation was outperformed by more than two wins in the regular season and Pythagoras will demand his tribute this year, perhaps with an equal overreaction in the other direction.

Compounding this, the squad that made it to Hyphasis has already started to drift apart. Matt Burton has one foot out the door. James Tamou, captain and commander, has gone to Leichhardt/Campbelltown/Tamworth. Zane Tetevano, who has rated few mentions in the aftermath of the campaign, is taking his .152 TPR (36th best in the league) to Leeds. A number of lesser lights, including Caleb Aekins, Josh Mansour, Kaide Ellis and another half dozen names, have departed Penrith. That kind of turnover is bad for cohesion at the best of times and worse to eliminate all of the depth that would help the Panthers ride out any potential crises this year.

A big deal was famously made of wanting to keep the squad together but when it came down to a choice between divying up the spoils of war and continuing the campaign together, the lads (justifiably) took the former. Good for them but Gedrosia lies ahead. The Macedonians survived the desert crossing but they weren’t expected to play finals footy after

What a load of cum, absolute garbage writing, and this whole article can be said for any club who made the finals, barr the storm of course, parramatta had a great run and most games at home, then they shite the bed a month or two out from finals, roosters had key injuries, and no cronk makes it so much harder to push for their 3peat, canberra lost games they should had won, also probably had the hardest travel during the season, being at campbelltown for home matches early on, and Souths had the right team pushing for the GF, we were just better on the night, had they had a fit latteral, maybe we just lose.
So many teams and so many factors, seems more like this reporter or journo has a bone to pick with eithe club or cleary, and has a hard on for Roman mythology/history

 

[MugaB]

Wait is Kikau injured or suspended?

Probably got signed to the ESL

 

[WestyLife]

The "kikau on the bench" club is growing. It's also really silly to me but anyway.

 

[MugaB]

The "kikau on the bench" club is growing. It's also really silly to me but anyway.

He wasn't named so 18th man, i suppose

 

[WestyLife]

He wasn't named so 18th man, i suppose

The player opposition truly fear.

 

[betcats]

https://pythagonrl.com/2021/03/06/a...021-nrl-season/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

A Deep Dive in to the 2021 NRL season

Assessment: 2nd group / Regression

If Melbourne are the Roman Empire, then Penrith is Macedonia in the late fourth century BC. A group of young and extremely motivated men took advantage of the specific time and place that the gods had provided them and as a result, almost conquered the world. The 2020 grand final was their Hyphasis, a long campaign finally ended by reaching the absolute limits of their capability. The 2021 season will then be their march back to Persia to consolidate their gains. As students of history will know, that didn’t go particularly well for the Macedonian aristocrats. Will Jarome Luai catch typhoid and die after eating poultry and drinking wine? Will Nathan Cleary also die of typhoid? Will Matt Burton flee to Egypt to create his own kingdom, which I guess might be the Bulldogs? Who will play the roles of the other Diadochi? Ivan Cleary as Seleucus or Philip II? Who can say.

There are many questions, mostly revolving around the safety of western Sydney’s drinking water, but I think that the Panthers will regress hard. There are three reasons for this:

1. Ivan Cleary can’t maintain the same standard
2. The Panthers lost players
3. Penrith got lucky

It’s a little baffling to watch Ivan Cleary, a man with a club coaching record of 170-168-4, suddenly turn into a superstar. A little too baffling for my taste. The 2020 Panthers outperformed their projections so thoroughly that it is literally unprecedented. Craig Bellamy was rated +7 in 2019, the previous best coach factor. Cleary was rated +12 in 2020. He was as good as Seibold was bad. That simply makes no sense.

It is incredibly rare to see everything go so right for a team and it is similarly impossible to imagine it happening again. While the Panthers might be one of the top rated teams by projected Taylors, if we wipe 10% off that to account for the rigors of reality hitting home, they come right back into the pack. Their Pythagorean expectation was outperformed by more than two wins in the regular season and Pythagoras will demand his tribute this year, perhaps with an equal overreaction in the other direction.

Compounding this, the squad that made it to Hyphasis has already started to drift apart. Matt Burton has one foot out the door. James Tamou, captain and commander, has gone to Leichhardt/Campbelltown/Tamworth. Zane Tetevano, who has rated few mentions in the aftermath of the campaign, is taking his .152 TPR (36th best in the league) to Leeds. A number of lesser lights, including Caleb Aekins, Josh Mansour, Kaide Ellis and another half dozen names, have departed Penrith. That kind of turnover is bad for cohesion at the best of times and worse to eliminate all of the depth that would help the Panthers ride out any potential crises this year.

A big deal was famously made of wanting to keep the squad together but when it came down to a choice between divying up the spoils of war and continuing the campaign together, the lads (justifiably) took the former. Good for them but Gedrosia lies ahead. The Macedonians survived the desert crossing but they weren’t expected to play finals footy after

The Macedonians he’s comparing us to is actually Alexander the Great and friends who never lost a battle and literally conquered every bit of land they set foot on for about 12 years, suggesting Alexander just got lucky is incredibly dumb.