Round 2 vs. Storm

[franklin2323]

Yeah he is getting better at all aspects that's all you want from a young guy

 

[mxlegend99]

Second half stats are impressive.

Possession - Storm 59% - Panthers 41%
Penalties - Storm 7 - Panthers 4
Linebreaks - Panthers 2 - Storm 0
Tackles - Panthers 177 - Storm 129
Missed - Panthers 10 - storm 14

We did amazing to outplay such a strong side in the second half without the ball. That performance beats any other side except maybe Roosters and Souths. Hopefully thats our new standard of play. Because if it is we will be pushing for a top 4 spot.

I have a feeling we will fail to back it up though.

 

[Bob]

Second half stats are impressive.

Possession - Storm 59% - Panthers 41%
Penalties - Storm 7 - Panthers 4
Linebreaks - Panthers 2 - Storm 0
Tackles - Panthers 177 - Storm 129
Missed - Panthers 10 - storm 14

We did amazing to outplay such a strong side in the second half without the ball. That performance beats any other side except maybe Roosters and Souths. Hopefully thats our new standard of play. Because if it is we will be pushing for a top 4 spot.

I have a feeling we will fail to back it up though.

That was a great post right up to the last line, I have a feeling we will get better...

 

[mxlegend99]

We will. But will we be better this weekend against Dogs? We tend to play great games against good teams and average ones against the shit ones when we are expected to do well. Like against the Tigers last year.

 

[soc123_au]

Both games so far the 2nd half has been great & the first a bit ordinary. If we can start well against the Dogs & keep it up then we should win well.

 

[mxlegend99]

Yep i think we play aswell as the second half against Dogs we should have a 20+ point win. We play like we did against Knights and we should win in a close game.

 

[franklin2323]

That was a great post right up to the last line, I have a feeling we will get better...

Yeah but the Panthers usually do well and are flat after a big game. We should win but should of won many over the years we have lost

 

[Doomednow]

I don't think this is the same team we are used to.

 

[franklin2323]

I don't think this is the same team we are used to.

It's a perfect test to see where we sit at this early stage in the season

 

[soc123_au]

I don't think this is the same team we are used to.

The problem is we have had so many false dawns over last 45 odd years. This one does feel different though.

 

[Doomednow]

The problem is we have had so many false dawns over last 45 odd years. This one does feel different though.

I think it feels different because it really is. Think of the personnel turnover we've had. Over the last couple of years we've moved on almost every entrenched player of influence, we moved on a stack of rubbish upper management. The entire previous culture has pretty much been lensed from the team. We've replaced it with solid heads and those used to success. Has any other false dawn had such a complete overhaul? The new kids brought up are eager and the old heads recruited are professional and accustomed to success and professionalism (well, at some point or another) Brent Kite's old team has been a consistent dominant force and although we aren't expecting Wallace to set the world on fire, he was partnered with Lockyer for decent chunk.

There's no reason we should be expecting the same old Panthets anymore.

 

[MaxPower]

If Penrith go through a period of sustained success, we need to build a statue in Gus's honour.

 

[maple_69]

We played Melbourne Storm at the graveyard with the big 3 playing (with extra motivation given the milestones) without our 2 highest paid players and came within a missed penalty of a win. Regardless of how promising we've looked at times in the past 10 years, Melbourne has always shown us how far off we are. With 5 months to gel as a team we showed on Saturday that we are not far off the best teams.

 

[betcats]

I think it feels different because it really is. Think of the personnel turnover we've had. Over the last couple of years we've moved on almost every entrenched player of influence, we moved on a stack of rubbish upper management. The entire previous culture has pretty much been lensed from the team. We've replaced it with solid heads and those used to success. Has any other false dawn had such a complete overhaul? The new kids brought up are eager and the old heads recruited are professional and accustomed to success and professionalism (well, at some point or another) Brent Kite's old team has been a consistent dominant force and although we aren't expecting Wallace to set the world on fire, he was partnered with Lockyer for decent chunk.

There's no reason we should be expecting the same old Panthets anymore.

I think this side this year is tougher and more determined then our side of previous years.

Re the Dogs, Ive not been impressed, they have a poor spine, average outside backs and an overrated forward pack.

That being said they could easily beat us but if our forwards aim up and win the battle then we should be ok.

We might not have some of the superstar names of other forward packs but maybe with the exception of Lewis Brown I would back our pack against any other pack most of the time. I think the bash brothers defences in the middle is invaluable, really lays the platform for our big guys to get rolling.

Add Manu and Grant to that pack and we are really well stocked in the forwards.

 

[mxlegend99]

The problem is we have had so many false dawns over last 45 odd years. This one does feel different though.

That's it. By rights there shouldn't be much chance of this side being flat like previous ones have. We've practically been rebuilt from the ground up.

But it's hard to forget the many times I have felt we should win and win easily due to coming off a good game against a good team and coming up against a poor team in poor form... only to make them look like they were in great form.

I think we should smash the Bulldogs based on our roster and performances so far this year. But I also have a gut feeling that being confident of a win will leave me disappointed. :lol:

 

[mxlegend99]

Looking at the Bulldogs roster, the only player in the 1-7 that would stand a chance at cracking our roster this year is Josh Reynolds, and IMO it would be as a hooker/utility.

They have some awesome forwards, but I think our pack is still able to match it with the one playing tonight. Especially with Tony Williams wasting a spot... Kevin Kingston is more damaging in the second row then he is.

 

[Panther Pete]

We played Melbourne Storm at the graveyard with the big 3 playing (with extra motivation given the milestones) without our 2 highest paid players and came within a missed penalty of a win. Regardless of how promising we've looked at times in the past 10 years, Melbourne has always shown us how far off we are. With 5 months to gel as a team we showed on Saturday that we are not far off the best teams.

You are spot on with this post but it's important to remember the best teams like Storm, manly etc play pretty much like that week in and week out. For us to truly show we aren't that far off, we have to do it regularly and not once every half a dozen games. Only time will tell if that's the case.

 

[maple_69]

Yeah very good point.

 

[Kilkenny]

Wife and I were at the Storm game at the weekend and to say we were gutted is an understatement! We were so close to getting the two points ever allowing for our poor start and not converting field position into points just like they did on the first two occasions they attacked our line.

You could argue the on field referee decisions balanced out in the end but from what I saw the game (I haven't watched the replay) key decisions at critical moments went against us and arguably cost us the game. We were certainly gallant in defeat, but we lost the two points and that is most disappointing in a game which was there for the taking.

For the record our NYC side is pretty ordinary to say the last and one can only hope we will improve once the SG Ball season is over and the better players are drafted in.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I wonder what the thinking is behind swapping the wingers?