Where will the Penrith Panthers finish in 2018?

[Panther Pete]

The 1st of our 5 in a row minor premierships with GF wins to go with each ofvthem.

Griffin is going coach this team to the promised land.

I admire your optimism and although i cant see it happening I do hope you are right.

 

[PenrithPanther45]

A lot of competition for spots in next year's top eight with the raiders dragons and even bulldogs all a chance of making it. I have cowboys storm and roosters as locks for top four and Brisbane as a lock for the top eight. Reckon we can snag 5th next year at the best but given the competition for spots there is still a chance we miss the eight. If Hayne goes to parra I could see them missing the 8 tbh I would stay away from him

 

[mxlegend99]

Cant see top 4 i think 3 spots are nearly certainly locked up with Storm, Roosters and Cowboys.

Add JT and Scott to Cowboys. . Theyre top 4.
Add Teddy and Cronk to Roosters. Theyre minor premiers.
Storm are just ridiculously consisten and even without Cronk have Slater, Munster and Smith in the spine.

Sharks. Raiders. Broncos. Eels... theres no shortage of teams who could earn that remaining spot

 

[OldPanther]

Cant see top 4 i think 3 spots are nearly certainly locked up with Storm, Roosters and Cowboys.

Add JT and Scott to Cowboys. . Theyre top 4.
Add Teddy and Cronk to Roosters. Theyre minor premiers.
Storm are just ridiculously consisten and even without Cronk have Slater, Munster and Smith in the spine.

Sharks. Raiders. Broncos. Eels... theres no shortage of teams who could earn that remaining spot

Even worse, Roosters will have Teddy playing off Cronk. That's going to be deadly.

 

[umina panther]

Roosters forwards are still peahearts. They are a good side but not great

 

[Panther Pete]

Roosters forwards are still peahearts. They are a good side but not great

You think Cordner, Friend and JWH are peahearts?

 

[umina panther]

You think Cordner, Friend and JWH are peahearts?

Not Cordner he's a good player. JWH is one of the fakest tough guys in the comp. Goes missing all the time

 

[franklin2323]

Cant see top 4 i think 3 spots are nearly certainly locked up with Storm, Roosters and Cowboys.

Add JT and Scott to Cowboys. . Theyre top 4.
Add Teddy and Cronk to Roosters. Theyre minor premiers.
Storm are just ridiculously consisten and even without Cronk have Slater, Munster and Smith in the spine.

Sharks. Raiders. Broncos. Eels... theres no shortage of teams who could earn that remaining spot

No Roosters have weak forwards still and Cronk without Smith has ??

The only top 4 certainty I have is NQ

Should be good season coming up

 

[mxlegend99]

No Roosters have weak forwards still and Cronk without Smith has ??

The only top 4 certainty I have is NQ

Should be good season coming up

Roosters finished second this year and have added a better fullback and halfback. No way they're missing top 4. Their pack is stronger than ours.

Storm... they still have half the Australian spine. Plus Munster who has played 6 for QLD and Australia. They have a tough no nonsense forward pack and the best wingers in the game.

An injury or two could change things. But it's hard to see either club finishing out of the top 4 and definitely not below us.

 

[franklin2323]

Roosters finished second this year and have added a better fullback and halfback. No way they're missing top 4. Their pack is stronger than ours.

Storm... they still have half the Australian spine. Plus Munster who has played 6 for QLD and Australia. They have a tough no nonsense forward pack and the best wingers in the game.

An injury or two could change things. But it's hard to see either club finishing out of the top 4 and definitely not below us.

Tohu Harris will be a huge loss for Storm. Versatile and under rated less depth too should a few younger guys need a rest.

We even scored more points then the Roosters last season and were ordinary in attack. So they needed help but how long will it take to click They Lost Pearce, Guerra, Watson out of their top 17. Evans from their depth.

So there is questions over the top teams too. NQ aside of course

 

[OldPanther]

Tohu Harris will be a huge loss for Storm. Versatile and under rated less depth too should a few younger guys need a rest.

We even scored more points then the Roosters last season and were ordinary in attack. So they needed help but how long will it take to click They Lost Pearce, Guerra, Watson out of their top 17. Evans from their depth.

So there is questions over the top teams too. NQ aside of course

To be fair the Rooster have added the 2nd or 3rd best fullback and the best halfback in the game.

 

[franklin2323]

To be fair the Rooster have added the 2nd or 3rd best fullback and the best halfback in the game.

A halfback who is 35 next year. A fullback that is an individual player

 

[OldPanther]

A halfback who is 35 next year. A fullback that is an individual player

That doesn't diminish what they'll bring to the team. No way they don't strengthen the attack/defence.

 

[mxlegend99]

A halfback who is 35 next year. A fullback that is an individual player

The Storm big 3 have been the exception to ageing. Normally hitting your 30s is the start of a decline in playmakers or backs. But Slater, Cronk and Smith keep defying their age

Smith and Cronk especially haven't relied on speed or strength to be great players. They are purely great based on how they can read a game and having the skill level to do what is necessary. They arent getting dumber so they are as good as ever. Storm dominated 2017 on the back of those 3 being perfect.

Trent Robinson knows what he's doing. He doesnt just throw cash at whats available. They knew the two players they wanted and were happy to sacrifice Pearce to get them. Infact I believe this is exactly what they hoped would happen. Getting out of their contract with Pearce and not costing them a cent.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Cronk has never played for his state, country or even club without Slater and Smith, ever, barring an incredibly rare one or two occasions over the years. Top player but you are crazy if you think he's going to jump into this team and start firing right away.

Roosters were poor in the finals, a terrible attempt to tackle from Roberts got them against a JT-less Cowboys and JWH backed up his shit talk with a whopping 41 metres.

Like Umina said, a lot of the Roosters forwards are trash, especially JWH.

 

[franklin2323]

The Storm big 3 have been the exception to ageing. Normally hitting your 30s is the start of a decline in playmakers or backs. But Slater, Cronk and Smith keep defying their age

Smith and Cronk especially haven't relied on speed or strength to be great players. They are purely great based on how they can read a game and having the skill level to do what is necessary. They arent getting dumber so they are as good as ever. Storm dominated 2017 on the back of those 3 being perfect.

Trent Robinson knows what he's doing. He doesnt just throw cash at whats available. They knew the two players they wanted and were happy to sacrifice Pearce to get them. Infact I believe this is exactly what they hoped would happen. Getting out of their contract with Pearce and not costing them a cent.

The 2 backs on the bench in the PF shows he has brain snaps too

 

[franklin2323]

Cronk has never played for his state, country or even club without Slater and Smith, ever, barring an incredibly rare one or two occasions over the years. Top player but you are crazy if you think he's going to jump into this team and start firing right away.

Roosters were poor in the finals, a terrible attempt to tackle from Roberts got them against a JT-less Cowboys and JWH backed up his shit talk with a whopping 41 metres.

Like Umina said, a lot of the Roosters forwards are trash, especially JWH.

This. They are far from a Top 4 lock. They will be one of the favourites no doubt but then we were last year too. People are idiots sometimes

 

[mxlegend99]

This. They are far from a Top 4 lock. They will be one of the favourites no doubt but then we were last year too. People are idiots sometimes[/QUOTE]
Yep.

Think that adding Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco to a roster will make the team worse.

Deadset.

 

[franklin2323]

Still haven't fixed holes in their roster though

 

[OldPanther]

Still haven't fixed holes in their roster though

They aren't perfect obviously but they are as good or better and they went top 4 in 2017.