As I watched the game last night and the incredible toughness of the players I couldn't help but feel pride at the performance of the Panther players. When it was tough making metres, To'o, Edwards, Martin and Yeo just dug in and took the tough carries. Their guts and fitness just stood out.
They smashed Martin repeatedly. He laughed at them. They surrounded To'o and he just kept making metres. Edwards took the ball into the teeth of the forwards repeatedly, he got smashed several times. Dumped on his back for his troubles. Injury did not stop him. Yeo rumbled forward, built like an exclamation mark and waddling like a penguin, yet somehow continuing to make yards with three players hanging off him making more post contact metres than most of the QLD forwards made running metres.
In a game acclaimed to be one of the best ever and the toughest defence ever (2 - 0 at halftime!), Yeo topped the running metres for the forwards, Edwards for the backs. Just stop and think about that for a minute. Two Panthers players topped the running metre counts.
It was said that "Panther Ball" doesn't work at SOO level and that we need fewer Panther players. No, what we needed was a coach who would pick the right players and give them the right direction. Turns out the right players consist of 5 Panthers and two ex-Panthers.
When I look at some of the new players coming through like Henry, Smith and Cole I see the same traits as our Blues players. Tough, selfless, humble, fit. The Panthers don't do flash. They do quality. They build warriors, not highlight reels.
Cleary and the football management team have built a culture at the Panthers that builds players made of the right stuff. What an incredible achievement by the coaching team to deliver 7 NSW players to the Blues, all developed from the juniors. Right now, us Panther fans are living in an era where a legend is being formed right before our eyes.