Greatest Side/Era put together!

[Kilkenny]

I’ll never forget the try against the Eels, where he picked the ball up from dummy half and scooted thru the line to run 60 and score. I took my parents to that game, panthers tragics but despite there love for the club rarely have gone to games live. They still talk about being there the day Rhys scored that special try. It was a truly special moment.

It was special. My parents well into there eighties, they can’t go to games at our stadium but they ring me up after each game loving where we are at present. Can’t go to games but live and breath every game. They just love the P@nthers.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I still rate the 91 team higher than this one, main reason being is they had a winning record against the Canberra Raiders over the 90/91 season, that Raiders team is one of the greatest teams in history. I think the winning record might even extend back to 89.

There’s a few ways you could select this team, I’m going with what’s the best team you can select without having to stick to the positions they predominantly played for us.

I’m also sticking to guys I’ve seen play. So post 1988 when I became interested and watching.

1. Alexander (people forget how well he could play FB)
2. To’o
3. Girdler
4. Izzard
5. Gordon
6. Fittler
7. Cleary
8. JFH
9. Gower
10. Civoniceva
11. Geyer
12. Kikau
13. Lewis

14. Puletua
15. Cartwright
16. Yeo
17. Campbell

Notable omissions

Royce Simmons - Legend, but I think the team is better with Gower

Steve Carter - Still the most capped Penrith Panther. Very good 5/8

Martin Lang - Close but I feel Petero is a better prop overall

Mansour - To’o is kinda a better version of Josh, but it’s close. Mansour was a beast at his best for us.

Wesser - Absolute gun, but I feel the team is better with both Cleary & Alexander starting

Colin Van Der Vort - the Flying Dutchman, a beast in the 91 team. Pipped by Yeo & Lewis though

Priddis/Api - We’re kinda stacked with quality 9’s, but I had to have Gower in the starting team.


Also I still rank Alexander higher than Cleary, he just had so much talent. But the balance of the team works better this way.

 

[Munky]

Some coin toss selections are cemented.

Edwards now ahead of Wesser.

Nathan undisputed as the halfback.

Quite smug with my Sorro call for the bench.

Edit. Leota on the bench too, folding merkins when it matters.

 

[Stinkfinger]

This side chosen only from players who played in one or more of the 4 premiership winning sides.

Edwards
Lewis
Fittler
Girdler
To'o
G Alexander
Cleary
Fisher-Harris
Simmons
Clarke
Geyer
T Puletua
Yeo

Gower
Leota
Kikau
J Cartwright

18th B Izzard

 

[mxlegend99]

Well back to back premierships and the most dominant 3 year period of our history kind of rewrite the team for us IMO.

Atleast 5 of the current guys would be in our greatest ever side. Edwards. Cleary. Yeo. To'o and Fish.

A case can be made for a couple others. But i think these 5 are all timers for us. No coincidence these guys also happen to be about the 5 hardest working players we've had in these positions either.

 

[hindy111]

This teams achieved more success if you look at wins. But if consider opposition then its a different story.

Canberra side that year had

Beltcher,Meninga,Gary Coyne,Stuart,Barnhil,Daley,Walters, Lazarus, Clyde, Croker. I think Fritz may of also played origin?

Compare it to the Eels and Souths. How many names will be rememeber in 30yrs? I'd say none. Daley,Stuart,Meninga,Lazarus, Clyde may all be considered in the top 10 in there positions ever to play the game.

Penrith side featured club legends

Filter, Simmons,Alexander,Geyer,Cartwright.

How many of current squad will reach that status?

N.Cleary and Yeo will. Unsure any others will be rememberd in the same way.

It's hard to compare eras as to who is better. But to beat that 91 Canberra side was a bugger achievement then what they knocked off the last two years for mine.

 

[hindy111]

Well back to back premierships and the most dominant 3 year period of our history kind of rewrite the team for us IMO.

Atleast 5 of the current guys would be in our greatest ever side. Edwards. Cleary. Yeo. To'o and Fish.

A case can be made for a couple others. But i think these 5 are all timers for us. No coincidence these guys also happen to be about the 5 hardest working players we've had in these positions either.

I think its hard to compare players but cause good players looks excellent in great sides. I feel this current side has a few awesome players and heaps of very good ones.
I assumed M.Jennings would push for a spot. He was a terrific player also.

 

[Munky]

This teams achieved more success if you look at wins. But if consider opposition then its a different story.

Canberra side that year had

Beltcher,Meninga,Gary Coyne,Stuart,Barnhil,Daley,Walters, Lazarus, Clyde, Croker. I think Fritz may of also played origin?

Compare it to the Eels and Souths. How many names will be rememeber in 30yrs? I'd say none. Daley,Stuart,Meninga,Lazarus, Clyde may all be considered in the top 10 in there positions ever to play the game.

Penrith side featured club legends

Filter, Simmons,Alexander,Geyer,Cartwright.

How many of current squad will reach that status?

N.Cleary and Yeo will. Unsure any others will be rememberd in the same way.

It's hard to compare eras as to who is better. But to beat that 91 Canberra side was a bugger achievement then what they knocked off the last two years for mine.

Again you've ignored Melbourne 2021.

That side was record breaking cruising to a second straight title.

They ran into the black wall (and poor bench selection).

Penrith losing week one in 2021 forced them to play the best side in the prelim rather than the GF

 

[hindy111]

Again you've ignored Melbourne 2021.

That side was record breaking cruising to a second straight title.

They ran into the black wall (and poor bench selection).

Penrith losing week one in 2021 forced them to play the best side in the prelim rather than the GF

Yeah that's true but they lost B.Smith at 15th minute and Welch after 7mins. They are two very influential players and where two of their form players of the comp in 2021.
Game changer losing those two. I know many Panthers fans will get angry at me for posting this but it's just the reality of the situation. They had 15 men and 2 of best out.

 

[Munky]

Yeah that's true but they lost B.Smith at 15th minute and Welch after 7mins. They are two very influential players and where two of their form players of the comp in 2021.
Game changer losing those two. I know many Panthers fans will get angry at me for posting this but it's just the reality of the situation. They had 15 men and 2 of best out.

That was bad bench selection by Bellamy though and was called as such during the lead up the week before the game.

Same as Stuart in the 2003 GF who didn't trust his non starters at all.

 

[mxlegend99]

Yeah that's true but they lost B.Smith at 15th minute and Welch after 7mins. They are two very influential players and where two of their form players of the comp in 2021.
Game changer losing those two. I know many Panthers fans will get angry at me for posting this but it's just the reality of the situation. They had 15 men and 2 of best out.

We had 3 of our all timers (To'o, Cleary and Edwards) playing through injuries with busted bodies.

We saw just how much ahead of the competition we are when fit in 2022.

We lost Capewell and Burton who are Origin players. Yet were still better just through being healthy. We carried a weak gutted dog to a premiership even.

 

[hindy111]

We had 3 of our all timers (To'o, Cleary and Edwards) playing through injuries with busted bodies.

We saw just how much ahead of the competition we are when fit in 2022.

We lost Capewell and Burton who are Origin players. Yet were still better just through being healthy. We carried a weak gutted dog to a premiership even.

Capewell wasn't missed cause Kikau and Martin played longer minutes and are superior.
Tago is a superior centre then Burton. Tougher and more aggressive. Not suggesting Burton isn't a better player. He is far better but he is a half

 

[chrisD]

Edwards
To'o
Fittler
Girdler
Lewis
Brandy
Cleary
Fish
Simmons
Leota
Kikau
Geyer
Yeo

Gower
Dunn
Clinton
T Puletua

 

[Smug Panther]

Edwards
To'o
Fittler
Girdler
Lewis
Brandy
Cleary
Fish
Simmons
Leota
Kikau
Geyer
Yeo

Gower
Dunn
Clinton
T Puletua

Pretty close but Api and Priddis are better then Simmons from what I've seen (I'm only 36)
Also think Ben Ross was better than Clinton

 

[Iamback]

I imagine it will still change again, Edge backrowers and centres are still lacking from the great sides. Martin playing test footy atleast gets him in the talk for an edge

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Surely Langy’s there ahead of Clinton

 

[mxlegend99]

Edwards
To'o
Fittler
Girdler
Lewis
Brandy
Cleary
Fish
Simmons
Leota
Kikau
Geyer
Yeo

Gower
Dunn
Clinton
T Puletua

You forgot RCG...

 

[chrisD]

You forgot RCG...

Was only picking from the premiership teams so he doesn't make it on a technicality.

 

[gUt]

Wasn't that long ago that Petero was a walk up start to most Riff fans' all-time teams...

 

[Pomoz]

Wasn't that long ago that Petero was a walk up start to most Riff fans' all-time teams...

Not mine. He was a bad signing for us. A poor attitude and trouble maker as a captain. His influence in the other players was virtually nil. There is reason Gus cleaned the place out when he came on board. Jennings , Lewis, Petero, all left and they were our best players. How bad was the attitude at the club? Petero was supposed to be captain and set an example, but we sucked.