Our run to the finals

[TheFrog]

And to make it worse Hayne is starring!

He got a kick in the face if its any consolation.

 

[tripster]

Looks like it is going to be a flogging, and might even bring the Dragons F/A down to less than ours!

If Dragons lose we finish the weekend in outright 4th.

I certainly don’t feel like we are a deserving top 4 team and the gap between us and the top 3 is massive. Even still it would be great to finish 4th and hopefully avoid the Storm in the first final, play in Sydney and get a second chance.

 

[chrisD]

Hehe Brandy so happy dragons getting flogged.

 

[TheFrog]

Look for the possession to even up in the second half. Parra were run down by the Rabbitohs under similar circumstances. This isn't over just yet.

 

[unKwn]

they've lost gareth widdop tho

 

[forby]

If things go our way over the next 2 weeks we could even be in a 1v2 match against the storm!
Crazy or what!

 

[TheFrog]

It's over now....we didn't even need to win today, we'd be 4th anyway if this is the final score.

 

[tripster]

Will Smith is now on the field for the Eels. Watch for the Dragons come back now..

 

[chrisD]

Haha the tackling, was like Dragons had 5 Maloneys.

 

[tripster]

Outright 4th!!

Crazy

Don’t feel like we deserve it at all.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Outright 4th!!

Crazy

Don’t feel like we deserve it at all.

I was going to say, we feel like the least deserving Top 4 side in a long while, but then I look at the rest of the options: Sharks, Broncos, Warriors, Dragons... none of them are especially deserving either. So it might as well be us

Seriously, there are three teams playing any sort of consistent football right now, and the Eels may well be the 4th best side in terms of (very) short-term form right now.

 

[OldPanther]

 

[BxTom]

The Saints choking towards the end of the season? It's like an NRL club sacking their Coach a few weeks from the finals - never happen I tell you

 

[forby]

If results go our way, the Storm game could be 1v2 for the minor premiership. That is absolutely crazy, but possible!
It is still possible to be top 4 in all 3 grades. ISP are already minor premiers and JF are guaranted top 4.
I firmly believe that without Gus none of this would be possible.

 

[franklin2323]

Outright 4th!!

Crazy

Don’t feel like we deserve it at all.

I think we can put a good month together. Much more than that no chance... So good that we haven't peaked yet.

7 games left at most.... Getting to what we are capable of

 

[maple_69]

I reckon the 8 finishes as below:

Easts, Storm, Bunnies, Panthers, Sharks, Warriors, Dragons, Tigers

There’s a few sides like the Eels, Cows, Bulldogs and Tigers who could shake things up a bit in the next few weeks.

If we can get back to our game from mid year, I don’t mind our chances against the Bunnies and we have a good track record against Easts in big games. Storm is an obvious no no. Below, the Sharks are the issue if we went to week 2 or any of those sides made it to week 3.

 

[OldPanther]

From a Cows fan:

Penrith have shades of cowbies 2015 about them.

• win more than 50% of games thru crazy comebacks
  
  
• one quality af experienced half (jt/memeloney) and one young talented half (mong/cleary) to steer the team
  
  
• top 10 starting props but an average 3 quarter line
  
  
• next stop, actually start playing well in the finals and win prem off a cleary flick pass u heard it hear first
  

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I reckon the 8 finishes as below:

Easts, Storm, Bunnies, Panthers, Sharks, Warriors, Dragons, Tigers

There’s a few sides like the Eels, Cows, Bulldogs and Tigers who could shake things up a bit in the next few weeks.

If we can get back to our game from mid year, I don’t mind our chances against the Bunnies and we have a good track record against Easts in big games. Storm is an obvious no no. Below, the Sharks are the issue if we went to week 2 or any of those sides made it to week 3.

If some other teams could eliminate the Storm and Sharks for us in the finals, we would stand a chance.

 

[GongPanther]

The good thing about the next three games is the gradual difficulty with each game,which will suit us. It will be better playing Newcastle,the Warriors then Melbourne than having an "easy" run into the finals.

Thing with the Melbourne games is that I hope Mel are in a position that they have to win to assure themselves a minor premiership win,then play us again in the first week of the finals.

This way,we can truly gauge ourselves on what we need to do to play them them if we are in that position because lets face it,you'll eventually have to play the best anyway. Not that any of them won't be a tough task.

 

[TheFrog]

I think the Warriors game is the critical one. They can make top 4 if they can hold their form, but they have to beat us. We will need to have snapped out of our funk by then. I'm hoping they will be complacent, it is a Warriors hallmark.

Newcastle is a danger game, and then there is the Storm. Of all the sides we play, I expect the Storm to pay us respect because of our position on the ladder. They'll treat it as a finals tune-up and will be ready to play a top 4 side.

The most promising thing I can think of is that teams that emerge from a form slump, often do so suddenly. And the other one is this is a side who knows how to, and expects to win. Comes from the time in the lower grades I expect.