Statistically, for sure. Logically and discerningly no. Does anyone think that the comp has been at its strongest these past few years? I don't. Just look at the caliber of halfbacks in the comp. That alone gives them a massive advantage when they have the most consistent German like half in the comp surrounded by a decent lot of guys that all know their job.
Put it this way, does anyone here think that they would have been as dominant as they have been if they where playing in a comp that had teams playing in it that still had the likes of Cameron Smith, Cronk, or Thurston in it playing behind some of the packs they played with? Add to that that the comp is relatively clean now and Cleary plays in a dinner suit most games compared to how previous playmakers used to get spotted and dealt with week in week out. Imagine giving Thurston or Cronk the kind of leverage that Cleary has been given in the last two years with kicking and taking it to the line and not fearing being hit the way that used to happen to them?
Elite halves make all the difference. Look at how terrible the Broncos could be with no Reynolds. And does anyone think that the sh*t hot Cowboys would have folded so easily and allowed us to comeback against them and miss the GF if Thurston was still directing them last season? Also lets not forget that the Storm beat them when there was still one team with a great roster and a couple of genuine superstars in it at least in C. Munster and C. Smith. Sure Penrith were the rookie team at the time, but check out the Storms team for that GF and you tell me who would you back to win this years GF if the Panthers of today versed the Storm roster of 2020?
Cleary is probably the best half in the game, but look at what happens to him if a team has another great halfback(DCE) in it that is surrounds with a bunch of blokes that play off the back of him with confidence like SOO. All of a sudden Cleary and Co have no answers.
Even if the Broncos get there, being their first time in and the Panthers being in the sweet spot for experience and still young and unscathed through time fatigue and injury, should be the short favourites. The Panthers in my view have hit that Goldilocks period in time of having a really good team, really good coach and really good nursery when nearly every other team was on the way down and or in a rebuilding cycle. Even when they won it against the Rabbitohs they had a leg up with Latrell missing and they still at one stage looked like they could have lost. If Latrell was playing what are the chances, even though he is a lazy merkin, he would have made a massive difference to the result.
My lament is that we(Parra) have a very good side but for a couple of positions. And if we had a better team of people in our retention and recruitment committee we could have relatively easily addressed those weaknesses. The Panthers have been vulnerable both last season and definitely this season, but no other team bar the Broncos has gotten better over that time. We should have but for the morons at the helm. It wouldn't have taken much to add strategically to the roster. But we didn't and the Panthers have a very good shot now of winning their 3rd straight title almost unchallenged significantly. The Broncos are a better team overall, but experience matters big time and most of their players haven't even played semis yet, so it will be a massive ask for them to go all the way. Like I said, the Panthers are in a Goldilocks period time in the game for them and they should take it out once again. Hope not but.
