State of origin series

[The Realist]

I don't think Nathan is going to be the immortal some people assume he will be. He's just a solid halfback that does what he is told. He's basically a Cooper Cronk with less flair. And that's okay! He won us a Premiership and, hell, Chad Townsend and Mitchell Pearce have won a comp, so we don't need him to be anything different given how our team operates. But put him in a different environment where there is less structure and less time to drill a game plan into place, and he will often just default to the same old robotic plays because he just does not have that off-the-cuff brilliance that other much better halfbacks have had (Thurston, Cronk, Johns etc).

The problem for us is that we are paying him as if he were an Immortal. 1.1 Million is too much for what he currently brings.

People forget how much ‘help’ he has around him to get his results since 2019.
Api has been a huge help in getting our ruck speed up and misdirecting defenders. Yeo becoming a ball player has also helped him immensely. Then he has the option to spin it out to Luai/Kikau.

In 2023 he will lose 2 out of 4 crutches. It will be the Year we really see what the entire Panthers org is really made of all they way from IC, the coaching staff down to Nathan and the rest of the playing group.

No more super stacked roster to lean on for results.

 

[Iamback]

And also imagine Haas along with Wightin for Talaki

That is it too. Haas is a huge loss.

Poor selections but injuries also played their part

 

[Iamback]

Martin is ideally a bench prop at NRL level. Freddy is a loon

In the new game. Someone like him off the bench would be perfect

 

[Smug Panther]

In the new game. Someone like him off the bench would be perfect

Come on the belt merkins when they are tired. He would dominate

 

[Sime_11]

alot of Penrith criticism in the media - hoping Ivan and coaching staff are plastering this hate everywhere around the club facilities. Use this hate to go back to back

 

[martielang]

The problem for us is that we are paying him as if he were an Immortal. 1.1 Million is too much for what he currently brings.

People forget how much ‘help’ he has around him to get his results since 2019.
Api has been a huge help in getting our ruck speed up and misdirecting defenders. Yeo becoming a ball player has also helped him immensely. Then he has the option to spin it out to Luai/Kikau.

In 2023 he will lose 2 out of 4 crutches. It will be the Year we really see what the entire Panthers org is really made of all they way from IC, the coaching staff down to Nathan and the rest of the playing group.

No more super stacked roster to lean on for results.

Can’t agree with that. We’re potentially on our way to a 3rd straight GF and he’s been a major part of that regardless of how limited he may be in some areas or how good the other players are around him. Nothing so far suggests he’s not worth the money we’re paying him. You can’t base that on next year when next year hasn’t come. Seems to be a bit of recency bias on the back of SOO 3 where he was outplayed (but not disgraced imo) by a halfback on far more money than we’ve got Cleary for and produced less success.

FWIW I agree, Api is hugely underrated in our success however you’d think Cleary can continue to improve given his age and hopefully that minimises the loss.

 

[Pink Panther]

losing State of Origin actually helps the Panthers

it will light a fie in our players.

 

[Pomoz]

I hope the criticism sticks and we get no players picked. It is a poison chalice. Your players get absolutely smashed and their risk of injury increases due to the fatigue. It is supposed to improve the players selected but I'm not convinced. If your players have won a grand final they don't need the affirmation of SOO to know they are good.

I wonder if there has been a study about how often SOO players get injured in their club games in the next few weeks after origin?

 

[WestyLife]

I hope the criticism sticks and we get no players picked. It is a poison chalice. Your players get absolutely smashed and their risk of injury increases due to the fatigue. It is supposed to improve the players selected but I'm not convinced. If your players have won a grand final they don't need the affirmation of SOO to know they are good.

I wonder if there has been a study about how often SOO players get injured in their club games in the next few weeks after origin?

Something they don't get playing club games at the moment is teams pushing them as hard as qld did. That adversity and learning to play against it is a big benefit.

 

[Pomoz]

Something they don't get playing club games at the moment is teams pushing them as hard as qld did. That adversity and learning to play against it is a big benefit.

With the downside of getting fatigued and potentially injured. You don't think they are challenged in the final series?

The commentators keep comparing SOO to normal club games for intensity, something like a score of 85 for a club game versus 105 for a SOO game. But what is the intensity in a semi final game like Panthers vs Storm last year?

 

[WestyLife]

With the downside of getting fatigued and potentially injured. You don't think they are challenged in the final series?

The commentators keep comparing SOO to normal club games for intensity, something like a score of 85 for a club game versus 105 for a SOO game. But what is the intensity in a semi final game like Panthers vs Storm last year?

Of course it's a trade off. Pros and cons and all that. It's why I like that they're being rested this week and having a mid year holiday.

 

[WestyLife]

With the downside of getting fatigued and potentially injured. You don't think they are challenged in the final series?

The commentators keep comparing SOO to normal club games for intensity, something like a score of 85 for a club game versus 105 for a SOO game. But what is the intensity in a semi final game like Panthers vs Storm last year?

I should say I care about Panthers more than origin so club games and premierships will always mean more to me and be a priority. I wouldn't lose sleep if our players weren't picked.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

Cleary needs to remember to kick the team out of trouble. Early kicks into the corners, 40/20s etc. He was doing it last year when Penrith were under pressure even in their own 30m but it's gone entirely this year.

His game management and situational awareness that was so good last year doesn’t seem to be as good this year. He’s still a great player and if this is a ‘down year’ I’ll take it, but he isn’t as effective this year as last.

Thing we do need to remember he is still young for a halfback, but so much is expected of him. Give him time.

 

[WestyLife]

His game management and situational awareness that was so good last year doesn’t seem to be as good this year. He’s still a great player and if this is a ‘down year’ I’ll take it, but he isn’t as effective this year as last.

Thing we do need to remember he is still young for a halfback, but so much is expected of him. Give him time.

Yeah it's all part of developing.

 

[Smug Panther]

His game management and situational awareness that was so good last year doesn’t seem to be as good this year. He’s still a great player and if this is a ‘down year’ I’ll take it, but he isn’t as effective this year as last.

Thing we do need to remember he is still young for a halfback, but so much is expected of him. Give him time.

Also coming off a shoulder reco

 

[The Realist]

His game management and situational awareness that was so good last year doesn’t seem to be as good this year. He’s still a great player and if this is a ‘down year’ I’ll take it, but he isn’t as effective this year as last.

Thing we do need to remember he is still young for a halfback, but so much is expected of him. Give him time.

He's had 6 years basically uninterrupted at the position. Not many halfbacks going around ATM have that experience.

 

[ColdWetPanther]

He's had 6 years basically uninterrupted at the position. Not many halfbacks going around ATM have that experience.

They 100% do. They just don’t do it in first grade.

 

[Smug Panther]

Game 2 was the best game I've seen from a NSW 7 not named Andrew Johns. FMD some people a fickle

 

[ColdWetPanther]

Game 2 was the best game I've seen from a NSW 7 not named Andrew Johns. FMD some people a fickle

Has there ever been so much expectation on a 24 year old? Maybe SBW?

Or maybe it is just that NSWs favourite dish is always whoever is the current SOO 7.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

He's 24. He'll end up better than Cronk I have no doubt in the world

I have my doubts. Like Cleary, Cronk was a model professional, but he didn't go missing as often as Nathan does on big occasions, and he was a lot better kicker in general play. He knew how to control a game. Cleary the better runner and defender though.