Round 25 v Dragons @ Pepper Stadium

[chrisD]

When was the last time we beat a team comfortably? It's a concern, would be practice for those periods we get on top against good teams.

 

[kinghippo]

Cleary will need some protection this game in defence and some help with kicking. Hopefully Wallace and May take a bit of the pressure off him.
Vaughan, JDB, Frizell, Thompson and Sims are all big units and will be running his way all night.
He handled Canberra well last week and I have no doubts he will go well this week but with Moylan out he will be their number one target in attack and defence.
I bet we see some very close to late shots on our kicker if he is being used as the only option.
Our forwards have a big score to settle this round, they will be fired up and ready to get even.

 

[tripster]

Shouldn't matter for this game. It's his fitness when he comes back that's a concern.

Completely agree. We saw how in his first game back after his last injury how he was a bit off the pace. If he misses the next two weeks (which is what the article suggests is likely) that means his first game back will be a final, which is a concern.

 

[MrBlack]

This game is ours to lose.

7 wins on the trot where any loss puts our season to bed. That is a lot of intensity.

Now, we will probably still make the finals if we win. Just hope that the boys don't clock off for this one.

Dragons (like every other team we have played in the last 2 months) playing for their season.

 

[Cagey Mac]

I'd like to dispute a couple of points made above
1. Little chance of unfair play and late hitting of kickers. Not this teams go and like the Panthers, no psychos in the team. Play hard and win or play hard and lose. They're a pretty good bunch.
2. Pack isn't that big. Vaughan, Au Mau are 110kg plus and Frizell close but the rest are 100-105
3. Not a weak team by any stretch and like your wins, our losses have almost all been close

The hope that I hold out for as a Dragons fan is that teams we have beaten with our style of play, barring injury, we have beaten twice.
It will be close but I think the Dragons will win this. Penrith should beat Manly at Brookvale.
Good luck in any case.

 

[Pomoz]

This game is ours to lose.

7 wins on the trot where any loss puts our season to bed. That is a lot of intensity.

Now, we will probably still make the finals if we win. Just hope that the boys don't clock off for this one.

Dragons (like every other team we have played in the last 2 months) playing for their season.

No probably about it. We win, we are in the finals. No team outside the eight can score more than 32 points to knock us out. At worst we would finish 8th on for and against.

 

[MrBlack]

No probably about it. We win, we are in the finals. No team outside the eight can score more than 32 points to knock us out. At worst we would finish 8th on for and against.

I meant to write that we probably still make the finals if we lose. Which is why I hope the boys don't clock off on this one.

We have the longest run of wins going into the finals. My friend is a mad Parra fan and his biggest fear right now is facing us in the first round of the semi's

 

[franklin2323]

Atleast if Moylan was suspended he would be training. 3 games in 8 weeks leading into the finals with no training inbetween will be tough to start him in finals. He will be in the 17 but doubt he will start

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I meant to write that we probably still make the finals if we lose. Which is why I hope the boys don't clock off on this one.

They shouldn't. With Moylan out a few of the senior boys will know they have to lift more. Plus there has been a lot of chatter around training this week about paying the Dragons back from round 1.
Motivation shouldn't be a problem.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

If you asked me if we would lose a few weeks ago without Moylan I would have said yes.

But the way this team has played with and without him suggests it's nothing to be worried about.

If I was a Dragons fan however, I'd definitely be worried about heading out to a packed, hostile Penrith crowd.Mansour, RCG, Dallin and etc are going to be charging the ball up with intent to make a line break every time and it's going to be glorious.

 

[MrBlack]

If you asked me if we would lose a few weeks ago without Moylan I would have said yes.

But the way this team has played with and without him suggests it's nothing to be worried about.

If I was a Dragons fan however, I'd definitely be worried about heading out to a packed, hostile Penrith crowd.Mansour, RCG, Dallin and etc are going to be charging the ball up with intent to make a line break every time and it's going to be glorious.

Not to mention all those Cowboy and Manly fans cheering us on as well.

 

[hindy111]

Moylan defense is a weakness and against a team that has limited attack it may be a good thing May in the side.

 

[5starcognac]

I think we will miss Moylan, for sure, but I think the biggest loss is the Dynamic that we have found when May comes on in the 2nd half.

 

[5starcognac]

We'll still win though!!!

 

[OldPanther]

Moylan defense is a weakness and against a team that has limited attack it may be a good thing May in the side.

It's really not. Last week he looked poor because they were learly playing him under done from his injury. This whole "it's a new injury" seems off to me.

 

[Kilkenny]

I've watched Tyrone May from his junior rep days and he is a natural footy player. While he has played mostly at five eighth/fullback he reminds me a little of Wade Graham in so much as his future surely lays as a ball playing lock or back rower. He's not really a play maker so ultimately if he is to forge a long career at NRL level then he will have to move to the forwards.

I think the loss of Moylan is a major issue for us in our last two games, leading into the semi's assuming we get there. It is not ideal to have your captain and chief play maker sidelined with hamstring issues which as anyone who has had such an injury knows, they can be very problematic.

We can only hope we will go up another notch this week against the Dragons on the back of our best overall performance for some time against the Raiders.

The whole forward pack have been very good lately and will need to be at there best this weekend.

Here's hoping for good weather, a full stadium and a great game of footy this weekend.

 

[OldPanther]

I'd like to dispute a couple of points made above
1. Little chance of unfair play and late hitting of kickers. Not this teams go and like the Panthers, no psychos in the team. Play hard and win or play hard and lose. They're a pretty good bunch.
2. Pack isn't that big. Vaughan, Au Mau are 110kg plus and Frizell close but the rest are 100-105
3. Not a weak team by any stretch and like your wins, our losses have almost all been close

The hope that I hold out for as a Dragons fan is that teams we have beaten with our style of play, barring injury, we have beaten twice.
It will be close but I think the Dragons will win this. Penrith should beat Manly at Brookvale.
Good luck in any case.

They might not be massive like Raiders but they are one of the best packs in my opinion.

 

[kinghippo]

I'd like to dispute a couple of points made above
1. Little chance of unfair play and late hitting of kickers. Not this teams go and like the Panthers, no psychos in the team. Play hard and win or play hard and lose. They're a pretty good bunch.
2. Pack isn't that big. Vaughan, Au Mau are 110kg plus and Frizell close but the rest are 100-105
3. Not a weak team by any stretch and like your wins, our losses have almost all been close

The hope that I hold out for as a Dragons fan is that teams we have beaten with our style of play, barring injury, we have beaten twice.
It will be close but I think the Dragons will win this. Penrith should beat Manly at Brookvale.
Good luck in any case.

Yeah I don't think the dragons are a dirty team, especially with packer out. I was more suggesting Cleary will cop a lot of hits if we don't use any other kicking options.
Your game plan will be to wear him out, I don't think it will work, but there is no doubt your mob will be targeting him.

 

[Caged Panther]

For those unaware the Penrith Show is on this weekend so parking options will be more restricted than usual.

http://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2017/08/23/parking_information_.html

 

[chrisD]

Dragons were one of the best packs then ran out of steam. Mary is proving the fans right.