Round 2 V Rabbitohs

[OldPanther]

More worried about the broncos tbh, they are going to chase him hard.

Yep. They are desperate for a half.

 

[OldPanther]

Updated team.

Panthers v Rabbitohs
5.30pm Saturday
Panthers Stadium

1. Dylan EDWARDS - sponsored by Hertz
2. Josh MANSOUR - sponsored by Potter Automotive
3. Waqa BLAKE - sponsored by Annlyn Motors
4. Tyrone PEACHEY - sponsored by Col Western Sheds
5. Dallin WATENE-ZELEZNIAK - sponsored by Chardon and Abbott Home Loans
6. James MALONEY - sponsored by Elite Sand and Soil
7. Nathan CLEARY - sponsored by Protech Locksmiths
8. James TAMOU - sponsored by Signace
9. Peter WALLACE (c) - sponsored by HIX Group
10. Reagan CAMPBELL-GILLARD - sponsored by Daily Press
11. Viliame KIKAU - sponsored by Sinclair Ford
12. Isaah YEO - sponsored by Heartland Holden
13. Trent MERRIN - sponsored by OAK Plus

14. Corey HARAWIRA-NAERA - sponsored by Irresistible Pools and Spas
15. Sam MCKENDRY - sponsored by Chemtools
16. Moses LEOTA - sponsored by Steel Roofing Supply Centre
17. James FISHER-HARRIS - sponsored by ABL Tile and Bathroom Centre
18. Sione KATOA - sponsored by OAK Plus
20. Dean WHARE

 

[TheFrog]

He's no Luke Walsh. But he could very well be the NSW halfback this year and hold into it for the next decade.

How many halves have debuted at 18 and started 42+ matches in a row. No bench. No injuries. Including 4 finals matches.

Yep, he's durable all right, and a damn fine goal kicker, all of which adds value. But just how good is he? Gus is usually a pretty good judge of this.

 

[Pomoz]

Cooper Cronk is a top level half whose ball playing skills aren’t in JTs stratosphere. I agree Cleary has a long way to go but as far young half backs go he’s done as much as possible. Kicks well, runs the ball consistently, has pretty good vision, tackles as good as any halfback and never looks flustered. These are huge qualities for a 21yo halfback.

Cronk may not have JT's ball playing skills but he reads the game as good as any halfback including JT and is an elite half. You have just listed all the things I praised Cleary for. It's like Mitchell Pearce's resume, but without any experience yet.

It's the reading of the defence and the ball playing that he lacks. Luke Walsh never really kicked on to the elite level and learned to read the defence, he just couldn't see gaps. Good passing, great kicking, finding holes? Nah. We toiled in the red zone and nothing happened. Methinks 2017 was bit of deja vu.

Cleary is a much better physical specimen than Pearce or Walsh, but so far hasn't shown that he can read a defence that well. I hope Nathan can learn to play what is in front of him like he did when he made that break against Parramatta. Can he develop those skills? We shall see in due course. I hope he can and I hope he then chooses to stay with us. If he is just a bigger, stronger, Mitchell Pearce that's OK (which is where he is now I think) too, but then he won't be worth mega dollars. We will need to find that creative spark somewhere else and have to pay mega dollars for that person.

 

[Pomoz]

Yep, he's durable all right, and a damn fine goal kicker, all of which adds value. But just how good is he? Gus is usually a pretty good judge of this.

Remember though, even if Cleary is not as good as Cronk or JT it doesn't matter. If he could be as good as Mitchell Pearce that would suit us fine, we would just need some more creativity somewhere else in the spine.

 

[TheFrog]

He's as good as Pearce now and much better behaved.

 

[OldPanther]

Looks like Whare will be centre over Peachy if fit.

 

[betcats]

Cronk may not have JT's ball playing skills but he reads the game as good as any halfback including JT and is an elite half. You have just listed all the things I praised Cleary for. It's like Mitchell Pearce's resume, but without any experience yet.

It's the reading of the defence and the ball playing that he lacks. Luke Walsh never really kicked on to the elite level and learned to read the defence, he just couldn't see gaps. Good passing, great kicking, finding holes? Nah. We toiled in the red zone and nothing happened. Methinks 2017 was bit of deja vu.

Cleary is a much better physical specimen than Pearce or Walsh, but so far hasn't shown that he can read a defence that well. I hope Nathan can learn to play what is in front of him like he did when he made that break against Parramatta. Can he develop those skills? We shall see in due course. I hope he can and I hope he then chooses to stay with us. If he is just a bigger, stronger, Mitchell Pearce that's OK (which is where he is now I think) too, but then he won't be worth mega dollars. We will need to find that creative spark somewhere else and have to pay mega dollars for that person.

I think he’s already better ability to read the defence than Pearce. Mitchel had a 3 on 1 overlap on the outside and grubbered back inside to himself, he has tunnel vision. He regularly goes short with massive overlaps outside him, I think Nathan already reads the defence a lot better than that. Let’s not forget he’s playing in an averageish side with very little structure, Pearce halfbacked a roosters side that won a gf and 2 or 3 minor premierships in his prime and was still taking wrong options all the time. Cronk is just the ultimate professional I don’t think he has any special ability to read the defence, Having smith there certainly helps him in that regard, cam calls most of the shots at Melbourne, Cronk runs set plays on the edges but it’s smith leading that team around a lot.

 

[mxlegend99]

Cleary is 20 years old. He is well ahead of the two best halves in the game at the same age. His resume reads:

Has started at halfback in 42x Consecutive NRL games.
2016: Became the first and only ever player to score 100+ points in Unders 20s and NRL.
2017: Became the youngest player ever to score 200+ points in a season
2017: Became the youngest player ever to be leading points scorer.
2017 / 2018: is currently only behind 2 players ever for most consecutive goals. Good chance he adds to that tomorrow.
Has 14 tries. 151 goals. Career win rate of 59.52%*


At 20 years of age:
Thurston played 22 games over 2 seasons. Jumping between bench, 6 and 7. Scoring 6 tries. His career win rate is 57%.

Cronk made his debut at 20. Playing 13 games. 12 from the bench and starting just 1 of thrm. Scoring 4 tries. His career win rate is just over 70%. Although at Clearys age it was 53%.

Pearce had played more games at 20. Although Cleary will be 20 all season and is still addingto it.

Pearce also only managed 13 games in a row to start his career. Missed a few then played a few off the bench before bepcoming the first choice 7 in his second season.

Pearce plays for a glamour club. Has won a competition and still.only has a 52.52% win rate. At 20 yearsof age his win rate was 36%.

Cleary meanwhile has a 59.52% win rate.

This kid is so much further along than any half in the game today was at his age. His attitude to improving himself is second to none. He's polite and a clean skin. Record books are all going to be rewritten through his career.

Is he the best half today? No. But he's well and truly on his way to being up there. If he makes Origin this year he needs only win 1 game and he's ahead of Pearce in his first series.

*these will all improve tomorrow. Cleary will hit 60.46% win rate when we beat Souths

 

[herbert henry1908]

So apparently Dean Whare is good to go, will help our defence.

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

So apparently Dean Whare is good to go, will help our defence.

I'm pleased about that. Maloney (because of his size) needs good defenders beside him. Peach (love him to bits) but he sure struggles in this area of the game.

 

[tripster]

So apparently Dean Whare is good to go, will help our defence.

I am still not sure whether or not he will make tomorrow's side, even if he is fit. I think there is a decent chance Hook still goes with Peach in the centres and runs with a bench of 4 forwards. Have to wait and see.

 

[OldPanther]

I am still not sure whether or not he will make tomorrow's side, even if he is fit. I think there is a decent chance Hook still goes with Peach in the centres and runs with a bench of 4 forwards. Have to wait and see.

The way he spoke in the interview suggested his thinking is Whare as first choice. How I took it.

 

[GongPanther]

Cleary is 20 years old. He is well ahead of the two best halves in the game at the same age. His resume reads:

Has started at halfback in 42x Consecutive NRL games.
2016: Became the first and only ever player to score 100+ points in Unders 20s and NRL.
2017: Became the youngest player ever to score 200+ points in a season
2017: Became the youngest player ever to be leading points scorer.
2017 / 2018: is currently only behind 2 players ever for most consecutive goals. Good chance he adds to that tomorrow.
Has 14 tries. 151 goals. Career win rate of 59.52%*


At 20 years of age:
Thurston played 22 games over 2 seasons. Jumping between bench, 6 and 7. Scoring 6 tries. His career win rate is 57%.

Cronk made his debut at 20. Playing 13 games. 12 from the bench and starting just 1 of thrm. Scoring 4 tries. His career win rate is just over 70%. Although at Clearys age it was 53%.

Pearce had played more games at 20. Although Cleary will be 20 all season and is still addingto it.

Pearce also only managed 13 games in a row to start his career. Missed a few then played a few off the bench before bepcoming the first choice 7 in his second season.

Pearce plays for a glamour club. Has won a competition and still.only has a 52.52% win rate. At 20 yearsof age his win rate was 36%.

Cleary meanwhile has a 59.52% win rate.

This kid is so much further along than any half in the game today was at his age. His attitude to improving himself is second to none. He's polite and a clean skin. Record books are all going to be rewritten through his career.

Is he the best half today? No. But he's well and truly on his way to being up there. If he makes Origin this year he needs only win 1 game and he's ahead of Pearce in his first series.

*these will all improve tomorrow. Cleary will hit 60.46% win rate when we beat Souths

A very promising post. And when he does come back from his first stint in SOO, I can only dream what good that will do him overall.

If Easts in one year can sign Cronk and Teddy,I can't see why we would have trouble in keeping both Cleary and Mansour.

 

[OldPanther]

 

[roofromoz]

Let's open this "Book of Feuds", shall we...

Second last on that contentious table, and therefore taking the 14th and last spot in the revised competition was Penrith. Controversy later raged as arguments about whether monies paid to Souths and Penrith should have been counted as "grants" or "sponsorship", but it didn't matter when the 2000 competition kicked off.

South Sydney, The Pride of the League, was kicked out of competition we had won 20 times.

The Chocolate Soldiers, with only 33 years of history and just a single Premiership, were in. And we were out.

https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2018/03/12/fight-for-survival/

 

[umina panther]

Mansour will be stoked

 

[OldPanther]

Mansour will be stoked

He'll be confused.

Whare pases the ball.

Mansour: "WHAT IS THIS THING!!"

 

[mxlegend99]

Mansour will be stoked

Not as much as I am. Pretty much exact changes I wanted made.

Leota needed dropping after that stupid penalty.

 

[Blues Riff]

Hope we wear these bad boys. It'll be hot out there.