Week 3 Finals v Melbourne

[soc123_au]

I agree but I worry about if Peach is at left centre.

He's clutched at air against bad teams this season too many times.

The idea is not to let him get in a position to take advantage. Easier said than done, but we seem to have success with that kind of thing.

 

[jane the pain]

Good points

 

[snickers007]

Good points

"From the outset of this season most tipped Penrith to win the grand final. It's been a given"

Lol.
Considering no team in the last 40 years has won 3 in a row, and we lost the best hooker and second rower (at the time) as well as a stack of our depth, I find the above statement pretty hard to agree with.

We deserve to be favorites to win it all at this stage - but to say it's been a given all season is completely revisionist.

Even here on LU, most of us were saying that Top 4 would be a great result.

 

[Fangs]

I picked us to come 1st but agreed with the back to the pack sentiment.

What I overestimated was the strength of the other 16 squads. I assumed teams like the Roosters and Storm would go to another level and really challenge us. In the regular season that hasn't been the case. They've still got one more game on Friday night to change that but I don't see it.

 

[jane the pain]

I picked us to come 1st but agreed with the back to the pack sentiment.

What I overestimated was the strength of the other 16 squads. I assumed teams like the Roosters and Storm would go to another level and really challenge us. In the regular season that hasn't been the case. They've still got one more game on Friday night to change that but I don't see it.

The Eels and the West Tigers owned us this year

 

[PANTHERMIKE]

Some click bait articles going around about Nathan. Hurt his finger, went and got a scan, no damage etc. Fine to play.

 

[Fangs]

The Eels and the West Tigers owned us this year

Every dog has its day.

We've been the best team this year. The ladder says so.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I haven't read this, just saw the headline and thought it might be of interest -

Panthers’ young gun’s timely return; Storm star out in huge blow - Teams Analysis

Panthers’ young gun’s timely return; Storm star out in huge blow - Teams Analysis

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[jane the pain]

I haven't read this, just saw the headline and thought it might be of interest -

Panthers’ young gun’s timely return; Storm star out in huge blow - Teams Analysis

Panthers’ young gun’s timely return; Storm star out in huge blow - Teams Analysis

www.foxsports.com.au

All clear.

 

[maple_69]

At the start of the year it looked like we'd be top 4 certainties along with the Roosters. Cows/Sharks/Bunnies were expected to take another step and probably fill out a pretty even top 4-5. Storm & Eels were expected to take a step back but likely be 6-7 type sides.

The only sides that have exceeded expectations really are the Warriors, Knights & Brisbane with the former two realistically coming from too far back to become a real premiership threat in one year. The rest have flopped, Storm obviously always there or thereabouts.

Even now, next year, you'd have to say, Brisbane should take another step forward, as should the Warriors and Roosters. Melbourne should be steady. Newcastle will likely have high expectations but I'm pretty skeptical about them. Maybe a few of the flops rebound but its hard to see any squad except Brisbane's or the Roosters having the quality and balance to really keep up with us next year. I actually think the Sharks seem the best placed to slowly build a foundation around that squad, build experience and some mongrel before going to the next level over the coming years. The rest of these sides yo-yoing are rarely going to trouble us in the big games.

 

[WestyLife]

The Eels and the West Tigers owned us this year

It was more of a rental.

 

[jane the pain]

It was more of a rental.

Hopefully next year the rentals turns into ownership for us

 

[Port Stephens Magpie]

When's pig nose back?

 

[jane the pain]

When's pig nose back?

Who?

 

[Luke Bowden]

Who?

Ignore the wanker Jane, he’s just a troll being offensive.

 

[jane the pain]

Ignore the wanker Jane, he’s just a troll being offensive.

Done. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Girds89]

You shut Walsh down with structure not speed. Garner can handle him if we remain in our structures.

No doubt structures help and are a big part... but You still need enough speed on the edges to counter him.

Everyone watched him carve up nsw...

They attack in a way that the play very direct which keeps the defence from sliding and walsh drifts out the back...

So essentially you have centres having to be right for a flat crash ball or be quick enough to cut to get to walsh out the back.

Garner is a 2nd rower who can cover centre.. hes not someone id want up against walsh. You can put any spin on it you want but theres no doubt hed be heavily heavily targeted and given he basically has no big game experience and has barely played centre in our structures in proper match games it is an absolutely huge ask...

Best just to hope tago is fit.

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

No doubt structures help and are a big part... but You still need enough speed on the edges to counter him.

Everyone watched him carve up nsw...

They attack in a way that the play very direct which keeps the defence from sliding and walsh drifts out the back...

So essentially you have centres having to be right for a flat crash ball or be quick enough to cut to get to walsh out the back.

Garner is a 2nd rower who can cover centre.. hes not someone id want up against walsh. You can put any spin on it you want but theres no doubt hed be heavily heavily targeted and given he basically has no big game experience and has barely played centre in our structures in proper match games it is an absolutely huge ask...

Best just to hope tago is fit.

Need to win this weekend to before we begin thinking about a GF.

 

[Luke Bowden]

No doubt structures help and are a big part... but You still need enough speed on the edges to counter him.

Everyone watched him carve up nsw...

They attack in a way that the play very direct which keeps the defence from sliding and walsh drifts out the back...

So essentially you have centres having to be right for a flat crash ball or be quick enough to cut to get to walsh out the back.

Garner is a 2nd rower who can cover centre.. hes not someone id want up against walsh. You can put any spin on it you want but theres no doubt hed be heavily heavily targeted and given he basically has no big game experience and has barely played centre in our structures in proper match games it is an absolutely huge ask...

Best just to hope tago is fit.m

It’s not spin, it’s just the way it is mate. Our defence is more than capable of stopping Reece Walsh. It’s taken years to get here.

It’s got nothing to do with speed and everything to do with positioning and intent.

 

[murraymob]

The kicking game could well decide the game if hughes plays and Munster in on we will be working out from our tryline all game .If Cleary is on we can grind them down.The game will be way closer than some on here t