Round 1 vs Eels

[Crashtest]

RCG off the bench surely.

I just think Parra are ordinary and while we are fairly injury free is perfect time to try new guys and RCG sucks when he starts

RCG is our best prop, so he has to start. We need him to help dminate teams early and gain field position. No more slow starts to games.

I know he can play well off the bench, and that his form was down after coming back from his broken jaw. But if his confidence and form are back this season, he is a must to start games, especially with Merrin gone.

 

[franklin2323]

RCG is our best prop, so he has to start. We need him to help dminate teams early and gain field position. No more slow starts to games.

I know he can play well off the bench, and that his form was down after coming back from his broken jaw. But if his confidence and form are back this season, he is a must to start games, especially with Merrin gone.

How is he our best prop? Stats don't back that up. He is ordinary in defence and to improve our starts need better defence and less errors

 

[Fangs]

RCG has a lot to prove, backing him to succeed for our benefit. He is the true enforcer in our pack.

I'd probably bench him as well. Make him earn a starting position.

 

[Crashtest]

How is he our best prop? Stats don't back that up. He is ordinary in defence and to improve our starts need better defence and less errors

He is a current Australian and NSW player, so Meninga and Fittler see something in him. He needs to use that experience though to be the leader of our pack this year.

Stat wise, for run metres per game he is still averaging the highest over the last couple of years from our middle forwards:
- RCG: 110m per game
- Grant: 89m per game (this is his last 3 year averages with the Tigers)
- Tamou: 101m per game (this is his last 2 years averages with the Panthers)
- Leota: 49m per game
- JFH: 76m per game

Re tackle efficiency percentage, I agree he was down last year compared to the others. But lets see how he goes this season in Cleary's defensive structure.

Who do you think we have better than him? Last season ended up a poor season for him, but he still averaged more metres per game in 2018 than Tamou, Grant, Leota and JFH. And his best has so much more upside.

 

[franklin2323]

He is a current Australian and NSW player, so Meninga and Fittler see something in him. He needs to use that experience though to be the leader of our pack this year.

Stat wise, for run metres per game he is still averaging the highest over the last couple of years from our middle forwards:
- RCG: 110m per game
- Grant: 89m per game (this is his last 3 year averages with the Tigers)
- Tamou: 101m per game (this is his last 2 years averages with the Panthers)
- Leota: 49m per game
- JFH: 76m per game

Re tackle efficiency percentage, I agree he was down last year compared to the others. But lets see how he goes this season in Cleary's defensive structure.

Who do you think we have better than him? Last season ended up a poor season for him, but he still averaged more metres per game in 2018 than Tamou, Grant, Leota and JFH. And his best has so much more upside.

He ave 91m a game last year when starting. That is a huge drop from the 140 or a so a game that got him those rep jersey's.

He also played more minutes then all those guys too. He should still get 50-60 mins but after someone has done the ugly stuff early on.

Then the rushing up to put hits on like he does will be against tired defenders and is more effective.

 

[martielang]

RCG is our best prop, so he has to start. We need him to help dminate teams early and gain field position. No more slow starts to games.

I know he can play well off the bench, and that his form was down after coming back from his broken jaw. But if his confidence and form are back this season, he is a must to start games, especially with Merrin gone.

Looked three times the player coming off the bench & playing decent minutes.

 

[Panfa]

RCG coming off a broken jaw last yr for a front rower is always gonna make you a bit tentative when it comes to contact in the middle of the field.Now injury free and with a new off season behind him he has to start games tamou needa to show more aggression or be benched.

 

[Abacus]

Never been a fan of the metres per game stat - its a real SuperCoach stat and too easily influenced by minutes per game. Also doesn't account for whether the player gets rolled onto his back and a slow play the ball as a result. Quick PTBs and defensive efficiency, IMO, are more important for a prop than metres per game quoted without either number of hitups or minutes as a secondary reference.

Re Katoa v Egan, I think Katoa can cover back row should we get an injury in the outside backs, Egan can cover halves if necessary and, if no injuries, either starts and plays for as long as he can provided they are still positively impacting the team. If thats 30 minutes and the other come on and covers the rest of the game, so be it. I think the use of the 2 hookers gets over analysed sometimes. We just need to find out if 1 of them can become a 80 minute player. If either player shows they can go 65-70 minutes without brainsnaps or tired penalties, they are likely the 1 and we re-evaluate the need for 2 hookers at that point. Luai to play halves in Reserves the first few rounds.

 

[TheFrog]

He is a current Australian and NSW player

He's neither actually. Last year after coming back from injury he was tentative. Another broken jaw in the off season, but less serious. I'd have him off the bench to start with.

 

[GongPanther]

My line up would be:

1.Edwards
2.Sauce
3.Blake
4.Whare
5.DWZ
6.Maloney (C)
7.Cleary
8.Tamou
9.Katoa
10.RCG
11.Heatherington
12.Yeo
13.Fish

14.Luai
15.Sele
16.Leota
17.Fuimaono

I endorse this side to play next Sundee.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Early mail

PENRITH

Team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 4. Dean Whare 5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 6. James Maloney 7. Nathan Cleary 8. James Tamou 9. Sione Katoa 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Jack Hetherington 12. Isaah Yeo 13. James Fisher-Harris. Interchange: 14. Wayde Egan 15. Tim Grant 16. Kaide Ellis 17 Hame Sele/Moses Leota

Comment: The Panthers lost star young forward Viliame Kikau (knee — expected to return round 3-5) to injury during the trials and the man tipped to replace him on an edge is Jack Hetherington. The backline looks settled with Dylan Edwards returning to fullback after his season was cut short in round eight last year due to a shoulder injury. Sione Katoa looks to have beaten Wayde Egan to the starting role at number nine. Jarome Luai may push Egan for a bench spot. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak must prove hit fitness.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...n/news-story/75b2c1b84c92ee2283931b732f699ee5

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Winterstein may also come into contention.

 

[panthersam]

Early mail

PENRITH

Team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 4. Dean Whare 5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 6. James Maloney 7. Nathan Cleary 8. James Tamou 9. Sione Katoa 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Jack Hetherington 12. Isaah Yeo 13. James Fisher-Harris. Interchange: 14. Wayde Egan 15. Tim Grant 16. Kaide Ellis 17 Hame Sele/Moses Leota

Comment: The Panthers lost star young forward Viliame Kikau (knee — expected to return round 3-5) to injury during the trials and the man tipped to replace him on an edge is Jack Hetherington. The backline looks settled with Dylan Edwards returning to fullback after his season was cut short in round eight last year due to a shoulder injury. Sione Katoa looks to have beaten Wayde Egan to the starting role at number nine. Jarome Luai may push Egan for a bench spot. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak must prove hit fitness.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...n/news-story/75b2c1b84c92ee2283931b732f699ee5

Would much rather Grant miss out and both Sele and Leota get a spot. Team looks good other than that.

 

[franklin2323]

RCG has a lot to prove, backing him to succeed for our benefit. He is the true enforcer in our pack.

I'd probably bench him as well. Make him earn a starting position.

Post injury he was ordinary. I have seen nothing since to show he is over that...Nothing wrong with him starting the year on the bench it is a long year

 

[franklin2323]

Winterstein may also come into contention.

Hetherington can't play full 80 so we need another edge forward on the bench. I'd say he is named in the 21

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Would much rather Grant miss out and both Sele and Leota get a spot. Team looks good other than that.

I think he will provided Leota is right to go. Sele has had a good off season.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Hetherington can't play full 80 so we need another edge forward on the bench. I'd say he is named in the 21

Yes I think so too.

 

[franklin2323]

Yes I think so too.

Sele is more a middle forward. you'd think Leota is the other prop.
Add Egan and that is 16.
Luai, MWZ is 18.
Fuimaono, Jed/Winterstein and another prop you'd think is the 21

 

[GongPanther]

Early mail

PENRITH

Team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 4. Dean Whare 5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 6. James Maloney 7. Nathan Cleary 8. James Tamou 9. Sione Katoa 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Jack Hetherington 12. Isaah Yeo 13. James Fisher-Harris. Interchange: 14. Wayde Egan 15. Tim Grant 16. Kaide Ellis 17 Hame Sele/Moses Leota

Comment: The Panthers lost star young forward Viliame Kikau (knee — expected to return round 3-5) to injury during the trials and the man tipped to replace him on an edge is Jack Hetherington. The backline looks settled with Dylan Edwards returning to fullback after his season was cut short in round eight last year due to a shoulder injury. Sione Katoa looks to have beaten Wayde Egan to the starting role at number nine. Jarome Luai may push Egan for a bench spot. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak must prove hit fitness.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...n/news-story/75b2c1b84c92ee2283931b732f699ee5

Did the DT used this thread's link as a source of their info?

 

[mxlegend99]

Goddamn Kikau is a huge loss.

We go from one of the most destructive second rowers in the game to the likes of Jack Hetherington, Jed Cartwright and Frank Winterstein.

Unless one of them has a breakout season we're really relying on our starting forwards staying fit. First trial in and we've lost Kikau for 4. We had better never need to replace Yeo and Kikau in the same game.

Better to do it early though. Might help get a better bench in the longterm. If someone lifts while Kiks is injured he can keep a bench spot when he returns. No one has really demanded to fight their way into our top 17 outside of Sele really. They get 3 or 4 weeks to do so now.