Rumours and Stuff

[Twizzle]

gee we are clickbait for the media at the moment

 

[Pazza]

We signed him as a centre. There was so much drama surrounding him at the Dragons over his positional choice. We are not losing because of his position. I don't see the point in making turmoil in the papers after 3 rounds CRISIS RIFT between coach and player, even if they deny it. Dumb move.

Lomax is going to have to face up to the fact he is an ELITE winger and a decent centre. For the good of the team, just do what your best at.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Onto more serious topics.

Who let a Souffs fan into the swarm area on Sunday ffs

 

[senior]

I have heard a few people here and elsewhere mention that there may be political turmoil at the club and that the senior players may be so insipid because they either miss BA or they want him back or something else similar.

I find this really hard to believe, because no player would sabotage their career for a coach that is already sacked and has no concrete coaching future in Australia - it's just poppycock.

However, I have been thinking about the training reports from Sixties at TCT. The bloke provides a valuable service and I accept that he may not perceive what's really going on at training and there may be rose coloured glasses , but no one can dispute his statements that every facet of our play the past two weeks is the complete opposite of everything we worked on at raining - attacking shapes, defensive structures, systems, tactics etc.

For there to be such a gulf between the training paddock and the field in the FIRST TWO GAMES is mind boggling.

It cant just be a lack of effort or an epidemic of stupidity - there must be something going on behind the scenes to cause this.

I don't for one minute subscribe to the above BA-related conspiracy theories, but I DO think there MUST be some big issue between Ryles (and all the coaching staff) and some senior players. From the looks of it I would say Paulo, Offa, Cartwright, Matterson and possibly even Hands and Penisini have not bought in at all and that's why they are so insipid.

As for Brown, I think Chipmunk nailed it in another thread - I reckon he genuinely didn't want to leave Parra and feels jilted or slighted by the club and is playing like a sooky teenage boy whose girlfriend just broke up with him publicly on Insta....

Penisini wouldn’t have taken up his option if he wasn’t bought in

different for Matto as he is at the end of his career

 

[Incorrect]

Penisini wouldn’t have taken up his option if he wasn’t bought in

Has he actually triggered the option yet though?? All I can find is articles where he talks about taking it up but hadn't actually committed to doing so yet....

 

[King-Gutho94]

Has he actually triggered the option yet though?? All I can find is articles where he talks about taking it up but hadn't actually committed to doing so yet....

I wish the kid the best of luck if there is a club dumb enough to give him a better deal then what he is on now.

 

[senior]

I wish the kid the best of luck if there is a club dumb enough to give him a better deal then what he is on now.

He’s on 400k and is only 22. There would 100% be clubs willing to give him more

 

[Grimmace]

They'd be paying him on potential. Same we did with Dylan and Knights well and truely did.
All I see with Will is a strong ball running centre who is slow, regularly gets beat on the outside for speed.. and has zero consistency in his decision making which causes him and his inside and outside men troubles every week. Throw in his errors in concentration and execution and Ryles and his staff have a shit tonne to do to get value out of him.
Will isn't blessed with speed or acceleration so you'd hope he'd get his reads right and his positioning to make up for that. He gets neither right. The room he gave Bula at the scrum .. he just couldn't close the gap in time. Id almost be putting him in Cup until he sorts it but Ryles might give him some time with the fox to help him out.

 

[Lemon Squash]

Give Penisini to Bellamy for 6 months and he would be an absolute beast. He would turn into Olam v2 for them, very similar style players.

The kid is intelligent and can play footy, but he lets mistakes get to him mentally and shits then goes onto shit the bed.

 

[Johnny88]

Panthers in telling backflip on Blaize Talagi after shock return to Parramatta Eels floated
The 20-year-old has been forced to bide his time in reserve grade at Penrith.
Sam Goodwin
Sam Goodwin
Updated Tue 18 March 2025 at 11:56 am AEDT
3-min read

The Penrith Panthers appear to have changed their plans for Blaize Talagi, after the off-season recruit played centre in NSW Cup last weekend. The Panthers signed Talagi from Parramatta at the end of last season, with a view to him playing five-eighth to replace Jarome Luai.

But coach Ivan Cleary caused some shocks in the opening round in Las Vegas when he named Jack Cole at No.6 and left Talagi out of his first-grade team altogether. Talagi played five-eighth in the opening round of the NSW Cup competition, but last weekend he was switched to right centre on game day.

The 20-year-old was named at No.6, but it was Trent Toelau who played five-eighth with Talagi out wider. Talagi had a tackle break and line-break assist in the 38-10 victory, but also missed three tackles. The biggest impediment to him playing five-eighth appears to be his defence.

Panthers backflip on Blaize Talagi decision after return to Parramatta floated

It looks like the plans have changed dramatically. Read more here.

au.news.yahoo.com

 

[King-Gutho94]

If the best defensive side for the past 5 years are unable to fix his defence.

What hope have we got.

 

[Gazzamatta]

BA spent 11 years at the club. Part of Ryles job description is to unite the playing group and get them buying in. Whoever doesn't buy in can go.

It is a huge job, hopefully Ryles is the man to navigate it all.

Spot on Nanna!

 

[Gronk]

Panthers in telling backflip on Blaize Talagi after shock return to Parramatta Eels floated
The 20-year-old has been forced to bide his time in reserve grade at Penrith.
Sam Goodwin
Sam Goodwin
Updated Tue 18 March 2025 at 11:56 am AEDT
3-min read

The Penrith Panthers appear to have changed their plans for Blaize Talagi, after the off-season recruit played centre in NSW Cup last weekend. The Panthers signed Talagi from Parramatta at the end of last season, with a view to him playing five-eighth to replace Jarome Luai.

But coach Ivan Cleary caused some shocks in the opening round in Las Vegas when he named Jack Cole at No.6 and left Talagi out of his first-grade team altogether. Talagi played five-eighth in the opening round of the NSW Cup competition, but last weekend he was switched to right centre on game day.

The 20-year-old was named at No.6, but it was Trent Toelau who played five-eighth with Talagi out wider. Talagi had a tackle break and line-break assist in the 38-10 victory, but also missed three tackles. The biggest impediment to him playing five-eighth appears to be his defence.

Panthers backflip on Blaize Talagi decision after return to Parramatta floated

It looks like the plans have changed dramatically. Read more here.

au.news.yahoo.com

 

[Pazza]

I don't remember seeing blaize play 5/8 in sg ball, jersey flegg, nsw cup, played a tiny bit in first grade.

Why was everyone under tbe assumption he was a 5/8...

 

[TheCrowe]

Local Eels fans are getting restless here in Bangkok

 

[Soren Lorenson]

Talagi had a tackle break and line-break assist in the 38-10 victory,

It's not exactly huge numbers in a 28 point win. As usual our jnrs made to look average when chucked into a superior system.

 

[Someone2]

Lomax looks unhappy can see him seeking a release if we don’t start winning

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I’d take Starling in a heartbeat.

*Sterling

 

[hineyrulz]

Lomax looks unhappy can see him seeking a release if we don’t start winning

lol f**k off Ryhno.

 

[emjaycee]

Lomax looks unhappy can see him seeking a release if we don’t start winning

Would you rather he be happy that we are loosing?