2024 Panthers

[Luke Bowden]

Does the world club challenge count towards his punishment?

 

[Iamback]

Does the world club challenge count towards his punishment?

Yes. If he gets say 1 week he plays Round 1

 

[Chins get the wins]

Soni Luke the World Club Challenge champion.......ewwwww

 

[MugaB]

Soni Luke the World Club Challenge champion.......ewwwww

I give that a solid thumbs UP!

 

[Fangs]

Luke or Sommerton in the WCC team you'd think. But neither of them have the build to start unless they've had a massive off-season.

I'm guessing Schneider will be the starting 9 now. Of those vying for the 6 he is the only one with the frame to handle the defence I think.

Means that Laurie or Cole fans will get to see them play 6. That is if Luai doesn't make the trip.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Luke or Sommerton in the WCC team you'd think. But neither of them have the build to start unless they've had a massive off-season.

I'm guessing Schneider will be the starting 9 now. Of those vying for the 6 he is the only one with the frame to handle the defence I think.

Means that Laurie or Cole fans will get to see them play 6. That is if Luai doesn't make the trip.

Summo should start with Luke off the bench.
That makes the most sense to me.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Luke or Sommerton in the WCC team you'd think. But neither of them have the build to start unless they've had a massive off-season.

I'm guessing Schneider will be the starting 9 now. Of those vying for the 6 he is the only one with the frame to handle the defence I think.

Means that Laurie or Cole fans will get to see them play 6. That is if Luai doesn't make the trip.

Can’t see Luai playing, not worth the risk.

 

[Iamback]

Luke or Sommerton in the WCC team you'd think. But neither of them have the build to start unless they've had a massive off-season.

I'm guessing Schneider will be the starting 9 now. Of those vying for the 6 he is the only one with the frame to handle the defence I think.

Means that Laurie or Cole fans will get to see them play 6. That is if Luai doesn't make the trip.

I wouldn't risk Luai, No point. Schneider has the size for sure to handle hooker

 

[Fangs]

Summo should start with Luke off the bench.
That makes the most sense to me.

They are the proper 9 options.

I'd like to see how Sommerton looks in terms of size. He didn't handle Manly's pack all that well last year.

 

[Fangs]

The back up 7 has spent time in the 9 recently. Cogger did a little bit. O'Sullivan I think did some training there. I assume Schneider is on a similar road with us.

 

[Iamback]

The back up 7 has spent time in the 9 recently. Cogger did a little bit. O'Sullivan I think did some training there. I assume Schneider is on a similar road with us.

He said he trained in a few positions

 

[Bob]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/nrl-preseason-challenge-every-clubs-positional-battle-ahead-of-round-1/news-story/fdfb161453803aacf6888d06cbdebf75?amp

NRL Pre-Season Challenge: Every club’s positional battle ahead of Round 1​

Young guns staking their claim, new recruits making a statement, veterans under pressure to retain their spots. These are every NRL club’s key positional battles.

PANTHERS​

Centre (Paul Alamoti and Taylan May)

Coming off the back of a third premiership, the Panthers have a big spot to fill after the departure of Stephen Crichton.

Incumbent centre Izack Tago is expected to retain his spot on the left edge but his partner is locked in a two-horse race between Paul Alamoti and Taylan May.

Alamoti has the world at his feet but could be seen as inexperienced.

Former Bulldog Paul Alamoti has found a new home at Penrith. Picture: Justin Lloyd
May hasn’t played since coming suffering an ACL injury in last year’s World Club Challenge. Both players will be on the plane to England.

Key quote: “I have set myself some goals, and that is obviously one with Critta gone. The opportunity is there but it’s not going to be given to me. I have to work for it.” – Paul Alamoti

Verdict: Taylan May

 

[jane the pain]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/nrl-preseason-challenge-every-clubs-positional-battle-ahead-of-round-1/news-story/fdfb161453803aacf6888d06cbdebf75?amp

NRL Pre-Season Challenge: Every club’s positional battle ahead of Round 1​

Young guns staking their claim, new recruits making a statement, veterans under pressure to retain their spots. These are every NRL club’s key positional battles.

PANTHERS​

Centre (Paul Alamoti and Taylan May)

Coming off the back of a third premiership, the Panthers have a big spot to fill after the departure of Stephen Crichton.

Incumbent centre Izack Tago is expected to retain his spot on the left edge but his partner is locked in a two-horse race between Paul Alamoti and Taylan May.

Alamoti has the world at his feet but could be seen as inexperienced.

Former Bulldog Paul Alamoti has found a new home at Penrith. Picture: Justin Lloyd
May hasn’t played since coming suffering an ACL injury in last year’s World Club Challenge. Both players will be on the plane to England.

Key quote: “I have set myself some goals, and that is obviously one with Critta gone. The opportunity is there but it’s not going to be given to me. I have to work for it.” – Paul Alamoti

Verdict: Taylan May

Paul in the second row?

 

[Chins get the wins]

Paul in the second row?

NSW cup. May will play centre and then I have him also behind Cole and McLean

 

[jane the pain]

NSW cup. May will play centre and then I have him also behind Cole and McLean

Time will tell

 

[Iamback]

NSW cup. May will play centre and then I have him also behind Cole and McLean

He wasn't at NSW Cup today, So must be close to the 17 if he went to England

 

[jane the pain]

He wasn't at NSW Cup today, So must be close to the 17 if he went to England

Which players went to the UK?

 

[MugaB]

Which players went to the UK?

Penrith Players

 

[jane the pain]

Penrith Players

No shit Sherlock.

 

[jane the pain]

Slater's fear for Panthers after 'creativity' lost

By Simon Brunsdon

Billy Slater fears the wheels may be falling off the Penrith juggernaut after watching the three-time reigning NRL champions lose the World Club Challenge.

The Panthers lost 16-12 to Super League winners Wigan on Sunday morning in Manchester, although some dodgy referee decisions certainly didn't help the Aussie club.

While the NRL premiers went within a whisker of winning the showpiece, Slater was surprised to see such tight a contest.

"I'm sure the Panthers would be sitting there going, 'well we let it get that close'," Slater told Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast.

"The Panthers still played their style of football, they played that field position game and they won the majority of the field position game, but they couldn't score enough points.

"Is that a reflection of the amount of quality they've lost over the last two seasons? There's a lot of good players and lot of creativity (gone).

"It will be interesting to see if that continues into the NRL season, or Jarome Luai coming back into the fold adds another dimension and takes some responsibility off Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo.

"It's interesting, because this time last year we were saying the same thing... but they still went on to win the competition."

Since winning their first of three straight premierships in 2021 the Panthers have lost star players Api Koroisau, Matt Burton, Kurt Capewell, Viliame Kikau, Stephen Crichton, and Spencer Leniu - among others.

The exits of Crichton and Leniu this year robs Penrith of some X-factor and power. Next year five-eighth Luai heads to the Tigers.

Slater says, eventually, the loss of star power will catch up to the Panthers.

"It's hard to begrudge anyone that moves on. Our game is designed so the salary cap comes in, the successful teams can't stay together," Slater said.

"We've seen it time and time again, and the Panthers are going through it now.

"To hold that standard and continually find that success during this three-year period is phenomenal because they've lost a couple... of good players each year."

Penrith is the only team in the NRL era to win three consecutive grand finals.

No team has won four in a row since the famous St George side that claimed 11 straight from 1956.

Slater isn't discounting the Panthers' chances this year.

"They are a champion club, I think they've earned that tag, and you would be a brave man to back against them continuing their run," he said.

"The one question mark I do have is you continue to lose quality, and eventually quality will fall out of your game.

"I don't doubt that the fabric of their game and the foundation of their game will still be there. I don't doubt the hunger will be at less of a level.

"But when you take the quality out, and all of a sudden you're not finishing like you were a year ago. There is more pressure on the Nathan Clearys and Dylan Edwards."

Penrith opens its 2024 campaign against Melbourne on Friday week.

Source: wwos.nine.com.au