Finals Week One: Warriors v Panthers

[Munky]

Ivan seems to like operating a two man bench in finals with the fourteen and Garner pretty much there for injury cover only.

Garner only gets second half minutes, potentially Ivan doesn't want him to build fatigue earlier in the match in case he is needed if a second rower or outside back goes down.

 

[Chins]

Ivan seems to like operating a two man bench in finals with the fourteen and Garner pretty much there for injury cover only.

Garner only gets second half minutes, potentially Ivan doesn't want him to build fatigue earlier in the match in case he is needed if a second rower or outside back goes down.

Martin can't run a line to save his life and Sorro has slowed down.
Garner is being wasted and it makes our halves job so much harder.

 

[Iamback]

Does Ivan even watch our backrowers play? Garner should be pissed off with his treatment really.

The only thing I can think of was being back cover they wanted him to get some rest incase he was needed.

Should of been the 1st bench guy used regardless

He made a half break 1st touch. We don't get the Casey try without him

 

[Fangs]

It is what you expect in finals from us, high completion rate, dominate possession and grind out the win.

Too many penalties but that is probably on the referee more then the team. Once we worked out what the standard was we improved in that area

I was impressed with that aspect. Atkins was killing us but I thought we did very well to react and move faster in the ruck.

Earlier this year we just didn't have that in us. And then under fatigue gave away lots of silly penalties like high shots. We've still got that big game DNA in us.

 

[Fangs]

Brad Schneider played well. Ivan must have given him a simple game plan. The passes from dummy half felt quicker from him (no double axle here)

Quite a few wobbly passes in his first stint. And maybe I was just seeing things but it appeared harder for him to pass left to right off the ground. In any event I didn't see any hit boot laces.

Perhaps the HIA knocked some sense into him. His best game as a Panther. He really does love NZ.

 

[Hamstring awareness]

I was impressed with that aspect. Atkins was killing us but I thought we did very well to react and move faster in the ruck.

Earlier this year we just didn't have that in us. And then under fatigue gave away lots of silly penalties like high shots. We've still got that big game DNA in us.

To be fair quite a few of those “holding down/slow release” penalties were blatant.

 

[Fangs]

To be fair quite a few of those “holding down/slow release” penalties were blatant.

It didn't feel that way for the Warriors though.

Its subjective. The ref can decide how strict they want be. Atkins was calling us to get up way too quickly IMO.

 

[Iamback]

I was impressed with that aspect. Atkins was killing us but I thought we did very well to react and move faster in the ruck.

Earlier this year we just didn't have that in us. And then under fatigue gave away lots of silly penalties like high shots. We've still got that big game DNA in us.

That was it, Yeo had a word to him. Would of realised that they were getting less leeway as opposed to most finals games.

There are a few in our side Tago, Martin and Moses who at times look very bored with regular seasons.

Add Talagi and needing to sort out the left side, then we had injuries and our squad numbers 19-25 being very average ( only Jenkins who missed out is NRL standard ). No surprise our run coincided with sorting the left out and getting a consistent 17

 

[Whino]

Just a fine for Paps. No further charges from the MRC.

 

[Iamback]

To be fair quite a few of those “holding down/slow release” penalties were blatant.

I know numbers alone don't tell the story, we conceded 8 penalties

Warriors
Bulldogs
Storm

All allowed a slower average play the ball then we did but less penalties.

It looked like we expected to get a certain amount of leeway based on previous finals, It didn't happen so we had to adjust

 

[Chins]

The wind and rain we bad but Dyl being too scared to contest kicks is a big worry. He looks like a fighter who's been knocked out and is never the same again.

 

[BxTom]

I know numbers alone don't tell the story, we conceded 8 penalties

Warriors
Bulldogs
Storm

All allowed a slower average play the ball then we did but less penalties.

It looked like we expected to get a certain amount of leeway based on previous finals, It didn't happen so we had to adjust

I noticed that for most of the game afterwards, Penrith players were clearing the tackle and holding their hands in the air so that the ref could not penalise them. Yes, we held some players down a little, but so did warriors but they were not penalised for the same thing.

 

[Iamback]

I noticed that for most of the game afterwards, Penrith players were clearing the tackle and holding their hands in the air so that the ref could not penalise them. Yes, we held some players down a little, but so did warriors but they were not penalised for the same thing.

That is the match awareness that has got us to this level, many teams are more skillful but we use the system

 

[Fangs]

Add Talagi and needing to sort out the left side, then we had injuries and our squad numbers 19-25 being very average ( only Jenkins who missed out is NRL standard ). No surprise our run coincided with sorting the left out and getting a consistent 17

The draw was favourable. 6/7 games at Commbank during and post Origin (Could have been 7/8 at Commbank if we didn't play in Bathurst). Winning 9 in a row felt impressive at the time but before the season started it looked like we could easily go on a run there.

Very impressed with the improvement in Tailagi and McLean. Casey had a knock on him about his passing and you started seeing improvement there within a fortnight. We've got excellent coaching staff here.

 

[Fangs]

Just a fine for Paps. No further charges from the MRC.

Still a worry. The next charge he cops would be a suspension I imagine.

Sorensen is the other guy. He needs to be a choir boy this finals series.

 

[Iamback]

The draw was favourable. 6/7 games at Commbank during and post Origin (Could have been 7/8 at Commbank if we didn't play in Bathurst). Winning 9 in a row felt impressive at the time but before the season started it looked like we could easily go on a run there.

Very impressed with the improvement in Tailagi and McLean. Casey had a knock on him about his passing and you started seeing improvement there within a fortnight. We've got excellent coaching staff here.

We lost to Manly and Cows at CommBank, so it helped for sure but evened out the junk from earlier

 

[Fangs]

We lost to Manly and Cows at CommBank, so it helped for sure but evened out the junk from earlier

Those losses were brutal.

Manly one pissed me off because the week prior I thought we were back after beating the Roosters. Lose to Manly then put in a great performance against Brisbane, then drawing against the Cows. That was an annoying period of football.

Speaking of Brisbane, I would like to run into them this finals series. They have enough dangerous players but I really do think we have the wood on them. The way we got them in round 9 re-opened some old wounds I reckon.

If Brisbane win today then its puts them on a path to play us in a prelim if we make it through. That is my ideal match up because I'd love to see a Penrith v Canberra final. Not a fan of doing replays too soon so Brisbane/Melbourne can go away.

 

[Iamback]

Those losses were brutal.

Manly one pissed me off because the week prior I thought we were back after beating the Roosters. Lose to Manly then put in a great performance against Brisbane, then drawing against the Cows. That was an annoying period of football.

Speaking of Brisbane, I would like to run into them this finals series. They have enough dangerous players but I really do think we have the wood on them. The way we got them in round 9 re-opened some old wounds I reckon.

If Brisbane win today then its puts them on a path to play us in a prelim if we make it through. That is my ideal match up because I'd love to see a Penrith v Canberra final. Not a fan of doing replays too soon so Brisbane/Melbourne can go away.

Canberra are at risk of going straight out, they lack experience in key positions

 

[Fangs]

Canberra are at risk of going straight out, they lack experience in key positions

In the spine its a bit light.

I think they've got issues on both edges in defence. Especially on their right. I think any team in the finals can hurt them there.

 

[Chins]

Stoked Alamoti is in the side kicking arse,I was sure we were going to lose him.