Our Finals Chances.

[GongPanther]

We are not 100% safe, but would have to lose by 37 and then watch the Dragons win to not make it.

We wont be losing by that margin.With Moylan and Edwards out,and if things go Manly's way like St George last week,there'll be only 10 points in it either way IMO.

I'm confident of a Panthers win,and to regain a bit of flair that has not been seen for a few games.

 

[betcats]

We could easily get flogged, I don't know why people are so confident in this team. We could come out in any half and miss 30 tackles and complete below 70 percent, we have shown that over the course of the year. If Manly are on they could rack up a lot of points, it could easily go the other way as well the way Manly have been playing and we might flog them, ive no idea what will happen tbh.

DCE worries me, he has a very clever kicking game, he will be testing out Whare and Mansour for sure.

 

[Caged Panther]

We should make the finals from here but this seems tailor made as the sort of situation that a Panthers side can just complete screw up.

Or at least that is what experience has taught me.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

There is no way we lose by 40, which is what needs to happen for us not to make it.

 

[Pomoz]

We could easily get flogged, I don't know why people are so confident in this team. We could come out in any half and miss 30 tackles and complete below 70 percent, we have shown that over the course of the year. If Manly are on they could rack up a lot of points, it could easily go the other way as well the way Manly have been playing and we might flog them, ive no idea what will happen tbh.

DCE worries me, he has a very clever kicking game, he will be testing out Whare and Mansour for sure.

Well we could, but our biggest loss was round 1 against St George and that was 32 points. Our biggest score against was versus Souths and they scored 42 points, but we scored 14 for a margin of 28 points. We have lost by two points or less on four occasions (Roosters, St George, Cowboys, Souths) and by more than 20 points four times.

So yes, anything could happen but it would require us to play worse than at any time this year. So cheer up. I also share your worries about Whare catching bombs. As a Panther fan I am familiar with this feeling. Anybody remember Neil Baker?

 

[TheFrog]

We should make the finals from here but this seems tailor made as the sort of situation that a Panthers side can just complete screw up.

Or at least that is what experience has taught me.

These are the occasions I can find where we've gone into the last match able to either make the finals or not make the finals:

1984, Brandy's first year, needed to win at home against Parra (3rd) to make clear 5th. Result- Lost 22-10. It was a champion Parra team going for 4 straight premierships though. It was a dead rubber for Parramatta as they could only finish 2nd or 3rd. They would end our season the following year as well.

1985: Went into the last round against Easts (who also had a slight chance of making the finals) level 5th with Manly and trailing them in F/A by 4 points. In a tremendous performance in front of 8,000 (I was one of them) fans at the Sydney Sports Ground, Alexander (who soon after would become the club's only winner of the Dally M Medal) plucked the Roosters and we won 38-6. I remember Roosters fans shouting out not to give the ball to Col Drier, who apparently had a shocker. Manly won too, and so the historic match at the SCG midweek when we beat Manly in extra time. All to no avail, as Parra would again snuff out our season by the same score as the Easts game. Predictably so, as the celebrations after the Manly game were more like a team who'd won the GF, which making the top 5 was for our blokes at the time.

1988, Lost last two against Balmain and Manly to be forced into 5th place playoff against Tigers (who went on to lose the GF), lost that too. Again two very strong sides.

2013- Went into round 26 with the barest mathematical possibility, but thats all. We'd been going well a few weeks earlier but a few hidings killed us off. In the event, although we beat Manly at Brookvale in the final game, we would have had to make up almost 100 points in F/A on the Cows, even if they had lost, which they didn't. We had lost 8-6 to the Knights in Newcastle in a very poor quality round 6 game where we got the raw prawn from Badger and Perenara, if we'd won that we would have made it. Then there was the Tigers game when the NRL ordered the club not to play Matt Moylan. But we'd been getting belted badly by the better teams anyway.

2009- Once again went into the final game with the slimmest mathematical chance, and were hammered by the Knights 35-0. This is the game I like to think of when feeling sorry for the Knights in more recent times.

 

[Fangs]

2009- Once again went into the final game with the slimmest mathematical chance, and were hammered by the Knights 35-0. This is the game I like to think of when feeling sorry for the Knights in more recent times.

One of the lowest moments I can remember. We had every reason to play football that day, and they collapsed in a heap. That game and the losses in the weeks previous were extremely embarrassing.

 

[TheFrog]

Anybody remember Neil Baker?

Certainly do. A favourite of Ron Willey, who he followed to the club Darius-style but without Darius's talent. He could kick goals but we had Alexander who could do that as well. His errors cost us in a number of big games, especially in 1989. Considering we had David Greene in the club, and the success he had at fullback in 1990 under Gould, you have to consider Baker a serious mistake by a coach who took the club to heights it had never before experienced.

 

[Blues Riff]

So, which team's fans are supporting us this round? As far as I can make out, the Sharks are scared of playing Manly in the finals, and obviously Merge and Cowboys fans will back us ,Yeah?

Edit- Actually Merge fans don't care. They just don't want a draw.

 

[Fangs]

The easiest game to win week one would be the Cowboys. Yes they have a lot of ticker but surely they can't keep competing with their injuries.

After that I'd take another shot at the Dragons. They have embarrassed us twice this year, hopefully not a third.

Sharks/Manly I'd like to avoid.

 

[mxlegend99]

We could easily get flogged, I don't know why people are so confident in this team. We could come out in any half and miss 30 tackles and complete below 70 percent, we have shown that over the course of the year. If Manly are on they could rack up a lot of points, it could easily go the other way as well the way Manly have been playing and we might flog them, ive no idea what will happen tbh.

DCE worries me, he has a very clever kicking game, he will be testing out Whare and Mansour for sure.

Manly are shit though. We might not beat them with injuries... but they arent a chance in hell at flogging us.

Since we beat them last they have only played one decent game... and it was really only half of the game tgat was decent (Beating Roosters). The other 2 wins were Tigers and Warriors. The losses:

Bulldogs have beaten them.
Tigers have beaten them.
Dragons crushed them putting 50+ on
Storm put 40 on them.

Our only loss was by 2 to Dragons and we were missing Moylan. Lost Edwards at halftime. Wallace has been playing busted and we were f**king terrible.

I dont think we have been impressive in our run as such. But this Manly team just doesnt have a 30+ victory in them no matter how badly we suck. We're more likely to win by 30 then they are.

This will be a 1-12 game IMO.

 

[mxlegend99]

The easiest game to win week one would be the Cowboys. Yes they have a lot of ticker but surely they can't keep competing with their injuries.

After that I'd take another shot at the Dragons. They have embarrassed us twice this year, hopefully not a third.

Sharks/Manly I'd like to avoid.

I reckon Dragons would be our best bet week 1. 2 regular season losses will have us fired up.

It is essentially the same scenario we were in against Bulldogs last year.

With Moylan returning our only real loss will be Edwards.

 

[betcats]

Manly are shit though. We might not beat them with injuries... but they arent a chance in hell at flogging us.

Since we beat them last they have only played one decent game... and it was really only half of the game tgat was decent (Beating Roosters). The other 2 wins were Tigers and Warriors. The losses:

Bulldogs have beaten them.
Tigers have beaten them.
Dragons crushed them putting 50+ on
Storm put 40 on them.

Our only loss was by 2 to Dragons and we were missing Moylan. Lost Edwards at halftime. Wallace has been playing busted and we were f**king terrible.

I dont think we have been impressive in our run as such. But this Manly team just doesnt have a 30+ victory in them no matter how badly we suck. We're more likely to win by 30 then they are.

This will be a 1-12 game IMO.

Manly are shit like we are shit. Their best performance form this year is a lot better than ours and they have better scalps then we do this year, their form sucks atm but that can turn. I don't think we will get flogged at all, but it is definitely possible.

 

[mxlegend99]

Manly are shit like we are shit. They have better scalps then we do this year, their form sucks atm but that can turn. I don't think we will get flogged at all, but it is definitely possible.

Manly were good in the early and middle part of the season. But deadset... there last 3 matches the Bulldogs and Tigers beat them and Warriors took them to golden point.

We have 6 wins against those teams and have beaten Manly. They might beat us... and possibly even do so easily. But theres no way they can do so by enough to eliminate us from the finals.

Im as pessimistic as it gets... but if we lose by that much to Manly then the Dragons deserve our spot anyway. This is the first time all season its been so hard to f**k it up that not even we could do it.

 

[betcats]

Manly were good in the early and middle part of the season. But deadset... there last 3 matches the Bulldogs and Tigers beat them and Warriors took them to golden point.

We have 6 wins against those teams and have beaten Manly. They might beat us... and possibly even do so easily. But theres no way they can do so by enough to eliminate us from the finals.

Im as pessimistic as it gets... but if we lose by that much to Manly then the Dragons deserve our spot anyway. This is the first time all season its been so hard to f**k it up that not even we could do it.

Mate I am well aware of who's beaten who and how poor manly have been recently, but teams can reverse form very quickly in this league, Manly probably have beaten more top four sides this year than we have in two years.

Like I said I don't think we will get flogged, but if they get their shit together they are more than capable of putting the cleaners through an understrength Panthers.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Just a reminder: if Dragons get through at the expense of the Cowboys (the most likely scenario), then it would mean we will get into the 8 having beaten only ONE other team in the Top 8. That would be something.

 

[OldPanther]

Just a reminder: if Dragons get through at the expense of the Cowboys (the most likely scenario), then it would mean we will get into the 8 having beaten only ONE other team in the Top 8. That would be something.

That would be pretty hilarious to be honest.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Griffin said Edwards "may be ahead of schedule".

 

[mxlegend99]

Just a reminder: if Dragons get through at the expense of the Cowboys (the most likely scenario), then it would mean we will get into the 8 having beaten only ONE other team in the Top 8. That would be something.

Doesnt really matter what top 8 teams we have beaten in the 26 regular season games though.

Beat 3 top 8 teams in the finals and we are premiers.

Our regular season was shit. But next week is the first week we need to be at our best.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Doesnt really matter what top 8 teams we have beaten in the 26 regular season games though.

Beat 3 top 8 teams in the finals and we are premiers.

Our regular season was shit. But next week is the first week we need to be at our best.

4 games to be premiers from our position.