The run home

[Frankus]

If we beat the Titans this week, they probably miss the finals - they will know this. It will be a finals atmosphere game. They finish with the Cowboys in Townsville.

The Warriors play the Tigpies and Eels at home in the last 2 rounds - both sides looking forward to mad Monday and probably sneak into 8th spot if we win this weekend.

 

[maple_69]

I think the Titans game will be really good for us. We need a bit of a test. See how this attacking fluency works under a bit more pressure and more committed defence. As much as another convincing win would be nice i think I'd prefer to see a tight game that we close out. We have a home final very much on the cards and a heap of momentum at stake so they should be up for it. Gonna be a cracker.

 

[Whino]

Didn't we get flogged by the Roosters in 2010? Seem to remember a Matthew Elliott masterstroke involving Adrian Purtell playing in the forward pack.

Edit: I was right, Dogs didn't even make the finals in 2010 according to this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NRL_season#Finals_Series

Your right I don't know why I put down 2010 for the dogs. Chooks knocked us out in 2010.
Dogs knocked us out in 04 & 14.
But we knocked them out in 1997.

 

[TheFrog]

The Warriors play the Tigpies and Eels at home in the last 2 rounds - both sides looking forward to mad Monday and probably sneak into 8th spot if we win this weekend.

I think the Tigers have every chance in this match, especially if their forwards can stand up for themselves. Moses is on fire and Brooks will be better for the run last week. The loss of Tedesco is more in the mind than in reality, IMHO. They have a backline full of players who can run into holes. If I were them I'd definitely bring Farah back but with specific instructions on what he should do at dummy half, ie give it to the halves, not try to be one himself. They can use his defence. Although ET Made 60 tackles they really were soft up the middle against us.

My feeling is that the Titans will limp into 8th without winning another game.

 

[betcats]

They looked pretty cooked on Friday outside of Moses who seems to be rocks or diamonds. Not taking anything away from our team because we put them away ruthlessly in the first half but they just weren't getting their bodies in front of us, some of the softest tries we have scored all year. When you have everything to play and you come out missing tackles like they did its a worry.

 

[hindy111]

The Eels are below us even without the points deduction. Not bad.

Would they be if Norman and Foran where playing?

 

[umina panther]

Depends if Foran was trying to win the games......

 

[mxlegend99]

Would they be if Norman and Foran where playing?

Or how about if they didnt cheat the salary cap to sign Jennings and Foran? Other clubs would have their services.

How would Panthers look if Hiku and Whare were fit? If Te Maire Martin never got injured? If Taylor and Segeyaro werent pushed out of the club? Would be a hell of a lot of competition for spots in the team.

It's easy to do what ifs... but Panthers with a bunch of kids are sitting in the top 8.

 

[forby]

And would be at least 8th even if .................

 

[Pomoz]

Would they be if Norman and Foran where playing?

Well, this has been answered by plenty of others with "what if" responses. You took my comments as an insult, I actually think to be above the Eels with such a young set of halves is an achievement. Norman and Foran are excellent, experienced halves. At the start off the years the Eels were flying. As it turns out, some of the players shouldn't have been available because of the salary cap, but lets be honest, it wasn't a Melbourne Storm scenario with half the Australian team illegally signed. It was just dumb management by the administration. Everybody could see Whatmough was on one leg and he was signed for a motza. That was the sort of stupidity that has wasted the great coaching of Arthur.

That said Foran is a huge loss. I'm sure if the whole team wasn't distracted by the salary cap drama, Brad Arthur would have been able to help Foran and he would have been saved. As it is, the poor old coach had so much to do he didn't have a chance of helping him. Im sure he'll get there though, once a new set of directors is sorted out and he can sign players again (legally this time).

 

[greynurse]

My predication right now. We play Bulldogs at ANZ first week. And that would be perfect.

 

[herbert henry1908]

My predication right now. We play Bulldogs at ANZ first week. And that would be perfect.

Yeah it looks very much like the dogs after tonight , cows & Broncs win their last round and it's the dogs.

We'd just need to win one game.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Dogs are our best chance. Don't think we can take the Cowboys or Broncos away in a finals game.

 

[PenrithPanther45]

Cronulla could possibly lose both two remaining games this year, then play the Raiders in Week 1 in Canberra, lose that. Then if we beat the Dogs we verse Cronulla at Allianz as they come off a 6 game losing streak and we possibly come in with a 6 game winning streak. But then it's Melbourne at AAMI but even making it to the semis/prelims would be great.

 

[betcats]

Dogs are our best chance. Don't think we can take the Cowboys or Broncos away in a finals game.

This. We needs the doggies, if not them than Brissy but I really want to get the dogs. The way our attack is going atm we should trouble those big boys.

 

[tripster]

This. We needs the doggies, if not them than Brissy but I really want to get the dogs. The way our attack is going atm we should trouble those big boys.

The other brilliant thing about playing the Dogs in the first week is that we will be playing at exactly the same ground as if we finished in the top 2, lol!

 

[PenrithPanther45]

The other brilliant thing about playing the Dogs in the first week is that we will be playing at exactly the same ground as if we finished in the top 2, lol!

we'd probably be playing allianz not anz but still its good

 

[tripster]

we'd probably be playing allianz not anz but still its good

So we are locked in for the finals now, and it seems pretty likely that we will play the dogs in Sydney (and who are likely to be the only other Sydney team, with the exception of Cronulla, in the 8). Definitely our best chance to win the first semi. I think we have the talent but I am concerned we will be overawed by the occasion and will fall apart.

 

[Pomoz]

So we are locked in for the finals now, and it seems pretty likely that we will play the dogs in Sydney (and who are likely to be the only other Sydney team, with the exception of Cronulla, in the 8). Definitely our best chance to win the first semi. I think we have the talent but I am concerned we will be overawed by the occasion and will fall apart.

Don't worry, you won't have long to find out. I think you may be surprised. I don't think our young blokes get overawed. They are young is all. Fearless too. Sure, they will have brain explosions at times, its part of their charm, but they will give a good account of themselves.

 

[tripster]

Don't worry, you won't have long to find out. I think you may be surprised. I don't think our young blokes get overawed. They are young is all. Fearless too. Sure, they will have brain explosions at times, its part of their charm, but they will give a good account of themselves.

I certainly hope we win and I'll be cheering them on. Good chance I'll also be at the ground (even though it will mean missing a friend's b'day BBQ). I am just scarred from being a long suffering supporter. The Dogs are a much more experienced team, and it only takes one or two brain explosions to lose a final (and we certainly have one or two such explosions in us!).