R 19 v Feather dusters

[umina panther]

Martin Lang needs to have a word to the embarrassingly soft forwards.

 

[chrisD]

Masoe leaving f**ked us. Well we f**ked us by letting him go but at the time no-one knew better.

 

[mxlegend99]

Well barring any new signings, about the best front row rotation we could hope for is McKendry, Manu, Latimore and one of BMM, Anderson or RCG. Kite has had maybe 3 good games this year. Plum is clearly not the player he was last year. Latimore is a solid player, but when he's your best performing front rower it's pretty disgraceful. It's not because he is playing well, it's because the other guys aren't. He's playing at the level we should expect from him. None of our other front rowers can say that.

 

[Panther Pete]

There is no doubt we need a couple of big, hard running forwards. Kite has offered very little in the way of impact as has Plum. I think this is more reason to put Idris in the second row to provide some go forward in the middle of the field as he is too slow for the backline.

 

[Blues Riff]

Martin Lang needs to have a word to the embarrassingly soft forwards.

Now there's a guy who regularly played through the "concussion barrier"

 

[Pomoz]

But isn't that the problem?

He's not showing why he should be in first grade via his performances in NSW Cup. I've watched about 4-5 games of him in NSW Cup and he's been ordinary. Sam Anderson has been better by far.

Doesn't that show a lack of application to the task at hand which is to get back in first grade?

If he is just going through the motions waiting till he gets to Souths why should he be selected in First Grade?

For mine yeah we are lacking that genuine impact style prop but hopefully with an off-season in the weight room Sika Manu will turn into that as he said in Western Weekender. Then there is the possibility we get Mose Masoe back along with the development of RCG, BMM, Sam Anderson if he is re-signed.

I think we have the players there to do the job if we DON'T sign someone, but hopefully we do. But even without additions it certainly isn't the worst pack in the league...that's just an emotional response based on yesterday imo. This pack isn't a bad pack.

I don't think the situation is dire....That game yesterday was just an aberration as far as I'm concerned. We were playing off 4 days rest, 1 training session all week, a new halves pairing vs a team who had 2 weeks to prepare and was hungry after being embarrassed by Sharks. I don't think it's any cause to panic.

Agree with everything there. Especially about not getting too worried. Bad start, a bit flat and the Roosters were motivated and are no mugs.

I think the way Grant is playing illustrates exactly why Cleary dropped him. He is not playing at the standard required and if you factor in how much he is paid and wants to be paid, he is very poor value.

I hope we can do something with Sika because he isn't playing very well right now. Bryce Cartwright yesterday run for 92m, made 37 tackles, 9 tackle breaks, scored a try, made a line break and got an offload away. He made one error and missed two tackles. He played the full 80 minutes.

Bloody hell, that was his first starting game in first grade. There are players who can't get stats like that in a whole career, let alone in a starting debut against the reigning premiers. I don't like to talk up young players too much, but he was freakin awesome!

Obviously, another off-season on the weights and maybe some more growing and he will be physically more than capable to play a season of first grade.

 

[MrAnonymous]

I think the way Grant is playing illustrates exactly why Cleary dropped him. He is not playing at the standard required and if you factor in how much he is paid and wants to be paid, he is very poor value.

I wouldn't give my all either if i knew the club didn't want me.

We will never see Grant in first grade again for Penrith no matter how well he plays in reggies, he knows that as well.

 

[Pomoz]

I wouldn't give my all either if i knew the club didn't want me.

We will never see Grant in first grade again for Penrith no matter how well he plays in reggies, he knows that as well.

Sorry, but that's a cop out. He has been playing badly for two seasons. Do you think if he was playing well and showing the right attitude the club would not have resigned him? He is being paid more than just about any prop in the game and yet Jeremy Latimore has owned him for two seasons. Last year Plum made him look like a lightweight.

If he had any ticker, he would give his all just like he is paid to do. "Boohoo, the coach doesn't love me", is a pathetic excuse and if that is why he is playing poorly (I doubt it) then it shows he hasn't got the right mentality. I was a big fan after his SOO display but watching him the last two years he has lost the fire within.

My final point is this. There are many people who feel sympathy for Tim and say he has been badly treated by the club and so on. The fact is the previous management gave him a contract that was far to good for the level he was playing at and he has been overpaid for a number of seasons. That was not his fault. He took what was on offer, as most people would. I am sure when he has gone to the market to get a new contract his management would have realised he was on an unbelievable deal. Rather than think "great, I have been overpaid for three seasons. I will have to take a pay cut now, but it was good while it lasted", he decided to leave and has played like a journeyman.

Coaches want to win. Cleary may hate the sight of Grant, but if he thought he was the best player in his position and best for the team, he would pick him in a heartbeat. The thing is, long before he decided to leave he was playing poorly and just wasn't good enough. He still isn't.

 

[meek]

Sorry, but that's a cop out. He has been playing badly for two seasons. Do you think if he was playing well and showing the right attitude the club would not have resigned him? He is being paid more than just about any prop in the game and yet Jeremy Latimore has owned him for two seasons. Last year Plum made him look like a lightweight.

If he had any ticker, he would give his all just like he is paid to do. "Boohoo, the coach doesn't love me", is a pathetic excuse and if that is why he is playing poorly (I doubt it) then it shows he hasn't got the right mentality. I was a big fan after his SOO display but watching him the last two years he has lost the fire within.

My final point is this. There are many people who feel sympathy for Tim and say he has been badly treated by the club and so on. The fact is the previous management gave him a contract that was far to good for the level he was playing at and he has been overpaid for a number of seasons. That was not his fault. He took what was on offer, as most people would. I am sure when he has gone to the market to get a new contract his management would have realised he was on an unbelievable deal. Rather than think "great, I have been overpaid for three seasons. I will have to take a pay cut now, but it was good while it lasted", he decided to leave and has played like a journeyman.

Coaches want to win. Cleary may hate the sight of Grant, but if he thought he was the best player in his position and best for the team, he would pick him in a heartbeat. The thing is, long before he decided to leave he was playing poorly and just wasn't good enough. He still isn't.

very good post - agree 100%

On the sat game thought Cartwright and , Taylor where really the only Penrith guys worthy of praise - pretty dismal effort In my view
Id drop Docker and Plum [ ( Both IN my view lack impact size] against teams with powerful forwards move Taylor to lock , Cartwright to second row and give one of the other havles a run if Wallace not fit - maybe Capewell of Humble - and bring in RCG on the bench

 

[chrisD]

The Latimore nonsense ever continues. Grant not at his best still made the most meters per run out of all our props in almost every first grade game he played this season. And he did a lot of it starting and behind Kingston. He's simply the most damaging ball runner of our props, and we are a worse team for his exclusion.

 

[umina panther]

But we can spend 500k+ a Lot better.

Petero was also the worst value for money signing the club has ever made, you simple don't give props that sort of % of the cap

 

[mxlegend99]

His terrible games still beat Kite, Plum and Kites form this year.

 

[umina panther]

Agree MX Kite is woefully bad. I always laughed when he got rep games because he was never up to that level but now he's not even first grade quality

 

[martielang]

Agree with the majority that we lack some punch and size in the forwards. BMM would of been perfect if not injured.

From the limited time I've seen Cherrington at prop for NSW Cup, he's looked dangerous. Could be of use in first grade IMO. Big, strong and with a good offload.

Lets not panic but. We lost to the Roosters on a short turnaround and with plenty of injured troops. Doesn't really reverse the rest of the season IMO.

 

[Sime_11]

Lets not panic but. We lost to the Roosters on a short turnaround and with plenty of injured troops. Doesn't really reverse the rest of the season IMO.

precisely, equal 1st/2nd spot heading into the final 6 rounds of the comp, No complaints here, could be sitting in 16th......

 

[Doomednow]

Worked long hours all weekend and wasn't able to watch the game. Got the result spoiled for me on Facebook (my own fault, I know) and after looking through this thread not really keen to watch it at all.

Apparently we played terribly and the Roosters played pretty well. That was expected, I thought. Let's see what happens over the next couple of weeks.

 

[chrisD]

We should try something. I'd take Moa, JWH and FPN over any of our 4 props and starting lock. But then it's not just the Roosters pack I don't think we compare with, Parra have their massive islanders and that young bloke, Tigers start with Woods then Gavet and the other one, the Dogs pack is back together and looks twice as good as when we played them. I don't think our honest workhorses will cut it.

 

[franklin2323]

Grant pretty much told Cleary to f**k off regardless of form he's no chance of 1st grade. Manu, BMM and Cherrington should be 3/4 props.

Onto the game. Wasn't a bad performance all their tries came off penalties so that's something. Throw in a few dodgy calls & terrible last tackle plays we should be better for the run.

 

[MrAnonymous]

Sorry, but that's a cop out. He has been playing badly for two seasons. Do you think if he was playing well and showing the right attitude the club would not have resigned him? He is being paid more than just about any prop in the game and yet Jeremy Latimore has owned him for two seasons. Last year Plum made him look like a lightweight.

If he had any ticker, he would give his all just like he is paid to do. "Boohoo, the coach doesn't love me", is a pathetic excuse and if that is why he is playing poorly (I doubt it) then it shows he hasn't got the right mentality. I was a big fan after his SOO display but watching him the last two years he has lost the fire within.

My final point is this. There are many people who feel sympathy for Tim and say he has been badly treated by the club and so on. The fact is the previous management gave him a contract that was far to good for the level he was playing at and he has been overpaid for a number of seasons. That was not his fault. He took what was on offer, as most people would. I am sure when he has gone to the market to get a new contract his management would have realised he was on an unbelievable deal. Rather than think "great, I have been overpaid for three seasons. I will have to take a pay cut now, but it was good while it lasted", he decided to leave and has played like a journeyman.

Coaches want to win. Cleary may hate the sight of Grant, but if he thought he was the best player in his position and best for the team, he would pick him in a heartbeat. The thing is, long before he decided to leave he was playing poorly and just wasn't good enough. He still isn't.

I agree with parts of your post. But he is not getting picked because Cleary hates the merkin that's the only reason. He wasn't playing that bad in the first place when he got dropped. It doesn't matter how well he plays he is never going to play first grade again for Penrith, He knows that. Why would he bust his merkin to get back in first grade when he is never going to get back there? His mind is on next year with Souths.

I wouldn't pick him on his current form either the only reason he's form has been down is because he doesn't give a f**k. I usually don't want to be in a place I'm hated and disliked.

Grant is a SOO front rower he will play for NSW again I can guarantee it.

You just dont go from SOO to Reggies just like that, There is a reason he is playing like a busted asshole for 2 years. He probably would of taken a pay-cut if he was treated with respect, but he was told play your contract out and f**k off pretty much.

I think you forget how good Grant was 2011/2012.

 

[betcats]

The rumours are that Grant wont even speak to the coach, if thats true theres no way he should be picked no matter what his form is, and tbf his form hasnt been close to SOO level for over 12 months.