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Not so Smug - Why can't the panfers beat the pommies?

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
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4,602
4 Trials, 2 against Super League teams, 2 against lower grades
Jan 20 vs Midland Hurricanes
Jan 26 vs Wakefield Trinity
Feb 4 vs Hull FC
Feb 10 vs Huddersfield Giants

And then Rd 1
Feb 17 vs Castleford Tigers

Here I was thinking their off-season is short enough already. Fair enough then.
 

Iamback

Referee
Messages
20,293
Here I was thinking their off-season is short enough already. Fair enough then.

No over there is crazy how long the season is, It is a fine line for the NRL sides, Peak early for that game or ease into the season.

personally I would of played a trial here the week before we left, I am not a coach working out such things
 

soc123_au

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19,835
The ref was arse as anyone with eyes could see. But Wigan played pretty well, they took pretty much every chance they got, and defended stoutly. It was decent hit out and as a trial we would have gotten plenty out of it.

It would have been nice to get the win and get the WCC monkey off the back, but anyone taking the result seriously is having a lend.
 
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15,415
Look, with the way international rugby league is scheduled for October and November each year, there is very little chance that the WCC match will ever be shifted from its current scheduling spot. The logistics are against it when you factor in internationals, plus players having mandatory "holidays" and the start of the UK and Australian seasons.

It is possible to win a WCC and also win a premiership in the same year (see 2019 for the most recent NRL example). It does not necessarily have to derail your season.

That said the Panthers copped at least 2 shocking decisions against them in that match which had a bearing on the outcome. I still can't see how the video referee could say there was insufficient evidence to overturn the onfield decision for Wigan's third try.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
19,835
Look, with the way international rugby league is scheduled for October and November each year, there is very little chance that the WCC match will ever be shifted from its current scheduling spot. The logistics are against it when you factor in internationals, plus players having mandatory "holidays" and the start of the UK and Australian seasons.

It is possible to win a WCC and also win a premiership in the same year (see 2019 for the most recent NRL example). It does not necessarily have to derail your season.

That said the Panthers copped at least 2 shocking decisions against them in that match which had a bearing on the outcome. I still can't see how the video referee could say there was insufficient evidence to overturn the onfield decision for Wigan's third try.
I kind of felt sorry for the video ref. I got the feeling he was trying to justify canning the Wigan try and award the May one on full time, but he had to go with the onfield decision.

Wigans 2nd "try" off the forward passes I can live with, plenty of those happen here too. 2 forward in the one play is stretching the friendship, but they are on the touchie more than the ref.

The policing of the ruck was shocking, the set we got our first 6 again was on the 4th tackle, on that set every proceeding tackle should have resulted in a six again, Wigan got braver with each subsequent tackle until old mate had to call one. You could see it nearly killed him.
 

Fangs

Coach
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13,776
Penrith are the best team in the southern hemisphere by a mile. We are also the second best team in the entire world.

If they are lucky enough to play again in the next year or two I'd back them to win it because they won't prepare the same way. We used to struggle through Origin losing our players, it was something the club wasn't used to handling. We have gradually improved in that area. Likewise finals 2016-2018 were crucial in getting this team ready to play in grand finals and eventually win premierships.

Refs aren't really an issue. You'll always cop bias (Especially from the English after we reamed them in the Ashes) so its not really worth talking about.
 
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