Early predictions for season 2017!

[Russell Crowe's Band]

who replaces grevsmul?

panthers have a shit hot side full of young dudes. theres a lot of hype. almost too much...
but its good you have experienced guys like Tamou and Merrin.
Rein will be a good backup and good around the club.

top 4 aspirations.

shame about Mansour.

 

[franklin2323]

who replaces grevsmul?

panthers have a shit hot side full of young dudes. theres a lot of hype. almost too much...
but its good you have experienced guys like Tamou and Merrin.
Rein will be a good backup and good around the club.

top 4 aspirations.

shame about Mansour.

Depends on the makeup of our bench really.

Merrin
Wallace
Yeo
Bryce

all 80min players. Latu, Tamou, RCG and JFH are certainties. If Peachey isn't centre he's on the bench. I think Akoula gets Grevs spot but I'd go for Kikau

 

[Kilkenny]

A certain forum member will be thrilled to hear RCG has been named in Laurie Daley's SOO train on squad along with Bryce and Nathan Cleary.

Apparently both Sitaleki Akauola and Viliame Kikau are both training well so they will both certainly be pushing for spots in our top 17. You would have to think, if he stays injury free, Kikau is going to debut at some stage this season and he seems an ideal pick for a wide running back rower of the bench. Has all the attributes. Akauola is probably more your hit it up hard front rower.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

If Kikau is able to not give away stupid bloody penalties every ten seconds, he has my vote over Akauola.

 

[MrBlack]

I posted this on ZT last week.

Will be interested in your thoughts...





My predictions for 2017 (grouped, not in any order)

Top 4:
Panthers, Raiders, Sharks, Storm

5-8:
Cowboys, Titans, Broncos, Bulldogs

9-12:
Souths, Roosters, Eagles, Eels

13-16:
Warriors, Dragons, Knights, Tigers

Eels Warriors and Tigers can really finish anywhere from 9 – 16. Hard to predict.

Souths may finish better than I have predicted as well.

 

[umina panther]

Not bad but I can't see the Dogs getting near the 8 and I think the Roosters will make the 8 and even push for top 4

 

[betcats]

If Kikau is able to not give away stupid bloody penalties every ten seconds, he has my vote over Akauola.

Im pretty keen to see how Sitaleki goes next season tbh. I think he has a fair bit of improvement in him, discipline being one obvious area. Anyway for a fringe guy I think he could have some impact if he cleans a couple things up.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I don't think we'll get Top 4.

 

[Big Mick]

I don't think we'll get Top 4.

Neither.

But I see us in the final 4 at the end of the year. From there it's up to health and whether we can push on.

 

[hindy111]

Was mansours injury palmer related?

I heard a story Gus and ivan wanted to punt moylan.Said to small and Ron said give me a year with him. Rest is history.

Some injuries can put to trainers but things like hiku and whare sustained and TMM? Id say just unlucky.

Ive seen years where cop heaps of injuries and then years where dont. A few teams where hammered this season worse then penrith.

 

[Kilkenny]

Injuries happen. I am not in the camp of those who believe our fitness and conditioning staff where responsible for our injuries. I am a realist and on that basis I firmly believe injuries are a part of the game. It is a tough, tough game. Injuries can happen on during a full on NRL game or equally they can happen on the training paddock. So I don't lay the blame at the feet of Ronny Palmer or any other member of our fitness and conditioning team. Other's have a different opinion and that is there right. No biggy.

Having said that for us to have a successful 2017 it is critical we have a good run with injury, in particular the key 1,6,7,9. otherwise referred to as the 'spine' We have the depth to cover injuries in the forwards and outside back even in the worst case scenario good forbid if the likes of Trent Merrin got injured.

Our success in 2017 will rely on Moylan/Cleary/TMM and or Cartwright/Wallace and or Rein having injury free seasons.

We have already sustained a huge blow with the loss of Mansour who simply cannot be replaced fullstop.

We deserve a change of fortune on the injury front and if it happens in 2017 then I definitely see us finishing in the top four. There is so much upside to our young side, the improvement from almost all our top squad and the quality we have brought in.

 

[umina panther]

Moylan will go up yet another gear and will be the best player in the game very soon. Our success rests on his shoulders

 

[Kilkenny]

Moylan will go up yet another gear and will be the best player in the game very soon. Our success rests on his shoulders

I disagree. Yes Moylan is critical to our success and so hope he remains injury free throughout 2017 but you know we have a dozen other quality players who will make massive contributions throughout 2017.

I look at our squad and the back up juniors coming thru and I cannot remember a time when we had the depth of true quality that we have at present.

We truly have the nucleus of a great team and even allowing for injuries there is any number of quality back up's and juniors ready to step up to take there place.

I don't ever remember a period in our history where we are potentially on the cusp of a dynasty or at the very least a period where we can expect to qualify for the play offs each and every season for any number of years.

I truly feel we this is where we are placed at present to finally become a club who make the plays off every season for the foreseeable future.

 

[umina panther]

Any player except for Moylan or Cleary misses the whole year and we can cover it, either go down especially Moylan and its done for the year. Most talented player since Brandy and if he stays fit will be our best ever

 

[Kilkenny]

Any player except for Moylan or Cleary misses the whole year and we can cover it, either go down especially Moylan and its done for the year. Most talented player since Brandy and if he stays fit will be our best ever

Yes I understand what you are saying. Moylan and Cleary are crucial to our chances in 2017 no doubt but our success will be about our top 17 not just on the shoulders of one person be that Moylan or any other player.

 

[franklin2323]

Not bad but I can't see the Dogs getting near the 8 and I think the Roosters will make the 8 and even push for top 4

Same Bulldogs 10th for mine

 

[franklin2323]

Any player except for Moylan or Cleary misses the whole year and we can cover it, either go down especially Moylan and its done for the year. Most talented player since Brandy and if he stays fit will be our best ever

I agree. We won't have enough points regularly if either is gone

 

[franklin2323]

Was mansours injury palmer related?

I heard a story Gus and ivan wanted to punt moylan.Said to small and Ron said give me a year with him. Rest is history.

Some injuries can put to trainers but things like hiku and whare sustained and TMM? Id say just unlucky.

Ive seen years where cop heaps of injuries and then years where dont. A few teams where hammered this season worse then penrith.

Whare not being fit on the Tues yet playing 2 days later.
Blake getting 2 corks and then backing up 5 days later.
Soward getting other operations yet trying to 'nurse' a back through a whole season
Dallen lung collapsing opting not for surgery only to have the same injury the following season

All get put down to the S & C team poorly handling these injuries. Lets see how we go with a new team in place

 

[betcats]

We are a top four team on potential but there are still a few question marks imo such as:

Fitness? This is always one.

Can Moylan maintain or even improve his form from the back third of last season?

Same thing for guys like Cleary, Latu, Blake, DWZ, Yeo.

Can Carty, RCG, TMM and JFH find some consistency?

Can Tamou do a Merrin?

Can Sauce get back in time to make an impact?

If the answers to most of these is positive we will have a great year.

 

[mxlegend99]

Whare not being fit on the Tues yet playing 2 days later.
Blake getting 2 corks and then backing up 5 days later.
Soward getting other operations yet trying to 'nurse' a back through a whole season
Dallen lung collapsing opting not for surgery only to have the same injury the following season

All get put down to the S & C team poorly handling these injuries. Lets see how we go with a new team in place

Exactly.

Sometimes and injury is unavoidable. But when a player is already injured we tend to manage it extremely poorly. In 2015 we had pretty much every player being rushed back early or playing with an injury that wasn't properly managed and they missed more time as a result. It made it impossible to build upon an impressive 2014 season.

I don't think that Ronnie Palmer or anyone else can take sole blame for that. But our staff as a were just making bad judgement calls regularly.

The Dean Whare injury is the worst though. You don't need to be a genius to know if a player is struggling for fitness on a Tuesday, that playing him Thursday is a risk. It's not a risk worth taking for a game so early in the season with very little on the line. Even moreso when your next game is 10 days later on the following Monday. That was one decision I couldn't believe we made. If it was a sudden death game you take the risk. But not for a Round 2 match.