Round 5 versus Storm

[Munky]

It's still mind boggling that Dyl was a 6 as a junior. Zero natural ballplaying in the bloke

His 2021 inside the opposition half was painful to watch.

The amount of tries him and Momo murdered on the right side was ridiculous.

 

[Crazylegsdane]

I had to create an account just to ask these two questions:

1.) Anyone else think Nathan got hurt being tackled late in the first half? He seemed kind of gimpy and tentative the rest of the way before he went off.

2.) What’s the go on Ben Harden? I know he’s been a pathways coach at the club for quite a while but is he an offensive specialist or something? Was our NSW Cup team playing like this the last two years? Our attack looks insane.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

I had to create an account just to ask these two questions:

1.) Anyone else think Nathan got hurt being tackled late in the first half? He seemed kind of gimpy and tentative the rest of the way before he went off.

2.) What’s the go on Ben Harden? I know he’s been a pathways coach at the club for quite a while but is he an offensive specialist or something? Was our NSW Cup team playing like this the last two years? Our attack looks insane.

Welcome.

I don’t know the answer to either of your Qs definitively, but I would hope that Ivan would have replaced Nathan much earlier if he had of been carrying something (particularly with Cogger on the bench).

Attach does look brilliant. Ball zings around the park, but when it gets to the right point the running is so direct. What amazes me is the whole team seems to be making such awesome decisions (most impressive is Blaize).

 

[Girds89]

What do we think about Dylan Edwards?

Bit of talk that maybe father time had caught up to him and he was done after 2025. I think he is proving with a full off-season and a fit team around him that he is still the games best.

When dyls at his best like he has been to start the year i genuinely believe we have the 3 best players in the whole comp and all 3 in the spine.

1. Nath
2. Yeo
3. Dyl

 

[Munky]

IMO the ability to attack like this year was always there. The boys did it in 2020 and early 2021.

However grinding Pantherball was so effective in late 2021 and then 2022 no team could get close.

There were diminishing returns in 2023 and 2024 however it was still brutally effective in the finals. The 2023 GF comeback only happens because of the high competition and fatigue forced on the Broncos in the first half.

2025 Pantherball fell apart. Eight point leads in the second half were game over throughout the reign. Late last season the Titans, Storm, Raiders all came back in the second half from positions where prior Penrith teams would extend the lead and grind out the win.

It obviously came to a head in the prelim when a fourteen point couldnt get it done. Is the current warm weather attack here to stay? I guess we'll find out, however every major pre season contender has now been run through and those players/coaches know it. The pre game mental battle when we meet these teams in the post season has already been won.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

IMO the ability to attack like this year was always there. The boys did it in 2020 and early 2021.

However grinding Pantherball was so effective in late 2021 and then 2022 no team could get close.

There were diminishing returns in 2023 and 2024 however it was still brutally effective in the finals. The 2023 GF comeback only happens because of the high competition and fatigue forced on the Broncos in the first half.

2025 Pantherball fell apart. Eight point leads in the second half were game over throughout the reign. Late last season the Titans, Storm, Raiders all came back in the second half from positions where prior Penrith teams would extend the lead and grind out the win.

It obviously came to a head in the prelim when a fourteen point couldnt get it done. Is the current warm weather attack here to stay? I guess we'll find out, however every major pre season contender has now been run through and those players/coaches know it. The pre game mental battle when we meet these teams in the post season has already been won.

In reality the attack could hibernate for the winter from here. I hope it doesn’t, but keep teams to 8 points and we’ll win enough games to make top two.

There will be time to warm the attack up again in the spring.

 

[Fangs]

When dyls at his best like he has been to start the year i genuinely believe we have the 3 best players in the whole comp and all 3 in the spine.

1. Nath
2. Yeo
3. Dyl

Yeah if we are happy calling the 13 a spine player. Not sure all clubs are using their 13 in that way they just don't have the cattle.

Those three are the best in their positions. Kenny will always be underrated for what he does. And Tailagi is no slouch at 6. Nathan Cleary is totally backing him as well when Blaize is trying something he gives him ball.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

Yeah if we are happy calling the 13 a spine player. Not sure all clubs are using their 13 in that way they just don't have the cattle.

Those three are the best in their positions. Kenny will always be underrated for what he does. And Tailagi is no slouch at 6. Nathan Cleary is totally backing him as well when Blaize is trying something he gives him ball.

Blaize is making amazing decisions when the game is in the wrestle. Pushing some oasses when the game is won; needs to work on that such that when we are eventually chasing points it isn’t a habit he falls back into.

 

[Fangs]

Blaize is making amazing decisions when the game is in the wrestle. Pushing some oasses when the game is won; needs to work on that such that when we are eventually chasing points it isn’t a habit he falls back into.

Not always taking the right option but I don't really mind. He is firing shots and getting support from his team to do so. The pay off will come.

A really astute pick up. I've almost forgotten we had Luai.

 

[Murraymob1]

I had to create an account just to ask these two questions:

1.) Anyone else think Nathan got hurt being tackled late in the first half? He seemed kind of gimpy and tentative the rest of the way before he went off.

2.) What’s the go on Ben Harden? I know he’s been a pathways coach at the club for quite a while but is he an offensive specialist or something? Was our NSW Cup team playing like this the last two years? Our attack looks insane.

Nathan is not injured just rested he did the same last week with yeo
As fior nsw cup they have a different set of players every year as players come and go .So it’s not a case of a coach making the difference

 

[Oldpanther86]

Nathan is not injured just rested he did the same last week with yeo
As fior nsw cup they have a different set of players every year as players come and go .So it’s not a case of a coach making the difference

This is why I laugh at people saying panthers won't be able to maintain it. Ivan is managing the workload no nicely

 

[Iamback]

It's still mind boggling that Dyl was a 6 as a junior. Zero natural ballplaying in the bloke

It was the bush, He was probably playing against some sheep and cows

 

[Oldpanther86]

Everyone says bizza is short but they don't know he has wings. the man is an angel in my eyes.

 

[Caged Panther]

The Panthers to the rest of the comp right now.

 

[jane the pain]

 

[Kilkenny]

Despite the Storm being down a number of key forwards they did have there spine on the field.

we were super impressive , great crowd so it was great to serve up such a exciting win for the fans.

 

[Kilkenny]

It's still mind boggling that Dyl was a 6 as a junior. Zero natural ballplaying in the bloke

For a player with zero ball playing ability he seems to contribute towards so many tries that we score in some shape or form. plenty of our competitors would love to have a player like Dylan even allowing for his limited skillset. Amazing.

 

[Iamback]

Despite the Storm being down a number of key forwards they did have there spine on the field.

we were super impressive , great crowd so it was great to serve up such a exciting win for the fans.

Blore ran out for NSW Cup, So there has to be some form from the guys there.

 

[Kilkenny]

His 2021 inside the opposition half was painful to watch.

The amount of tries him and Momo murdered on the right side was ridiculous.

In a season where we won 21 of 24 regular season games and won the GF your lasting memory of the season is Dylan’s supposed inability to capitalise on attacking opportunities. Good for you, glass half empty for most of us we remember things in a much more positive light..

 

[Crazylegsdane]

Nathan is not injured just rested he did the same last week with yeo
As fior nsw cup they have a different set of players every year as players come and go .So it’s not a case of a coach making the difference

Righto. What sparked my concern wasn’t that he was rested at the end of the game, I frankly welcome that for most of our key players. It’s more so that I noticed at the end of the first half he was kind of hanging off to the side and not as active in our attack, and then in the second half he spent time hiding out on the wing in defense with Alamoti and Bizza pushing more inside. And when he was in his normal spot in defense he would just push up above the ball to prevent the pass so that he didn’t have to get physically involved in the tackle.