Where will we finish in 2015?

[Panther Pete]

It's been pretty quiet on here lately so with the new season just around the corner I thought we could get everyone's prediction on how we will go. Interestingly in the NRL section of this forum most supporters of other teams have us top 4. I know a lot can happen in a season but all things considered what do you guys think??

 

[TheFrog]

If we show the same grit, determination and will-to-win that we saw last year, I think we can make the top 4 again.

 

[umina panther]

Top 4 if Peach,Cartwright and Taylor stay fit. Soward is good and Wallace is ok but we are going to need to offer something different

 

[Rhyno]

Wooden spooners. Moylan to be dropped to reserve grade half way through the year

 

[mxlegend99]

If you're going to troll, atleast make a prediction that isn't completely fantasy based.

Matt Moylan will be the blues fullback in 2015, is the first player Wayne Bennett picked for the NRL All Stars, and if you ever get a missus (as unlikely as that would be) she will be imagining him anytime she is intimate with you. Everyone loves him. Which probably explains why you hate him.

Now for the thread:
I see us finishing between 4th and 6th. But if Soward kicks on in 2015 as he did 2014, I think we could definitely be a shot at the minor premiership. His form in 2014 was ridiculously good, but we also desperately needed him to be that good with our injuries. At full strength, not sure he will step up and dominate as much.

I can't see us missing the top 8 short of losing our entire spine for more then half the season. There's simply too much class in our team, and we have the depth to back up injuries in each position so long as they aren't out of hand like they were in 2014.

 

[umina panther]

Seg will also be better after fading out last year (understandably )

 

[soc123_au]

I can't help being a Pessimist having been a Panthers supporter for so long. We won't be taken lightly yhis season, so I think 5th or 6th. Hoping for top 4 & I am looking forward to the ride.

 

[soc123_au]

Oh, & an interesting bit of trivia, we have never finished lower than 5th & made the finals.

 

[Blues Riff]

I'd consider anywhere between 1 and 6 to be a successful follow up to last season. With a bit of luck with injuries, there's no reason why we can't be top 4 for the whole season.
I think Moyza will lift to another level and silence dickheads like Rhyno. He trained with the best for the Kangaroos tour. Apparently Ivan can't get rid of him at training.
Cartwright's looking good too. Like me, he's packed on the kilos over the summer. Unlike me, it's not around the waist.

 

[Thirsty Panther]

I think top 4 is realistic. We made top 4 last season with a massive injury list and the NSWCup team is full of talent. Hoping the likes of Blake and the Jennings brothers get a crack at first grade this year.

We should get thru soo without missing too many players ( Daley just doesn't like us ).

I look back a few years and I rember hoping we would make the 8 now after Gus and Ivan weaved their magic I have no doubt we will be in the finals minimum .

 

[billypilgrimnz]

No way we get the minor Premiership. Our pack is far too weak.

I say 5th or 6th, out in the second week of the finals.

 

[Devilous]

Personally if we aren't in the mix in the last two weeks of the season I'm going to be a pretty disappointed.

 

[Nugget10]

I reckon Top 8. Teams aren't going to take us lightly this year. The games against the chooks are gunna be crackers. Hoping the spine stays fit

 

[Westernised Panther]

Wooden spooners. Moylan to be dropped to reserve grade half way through the year

I thought Moylan was signed by Parra?!?

 

[MaxPower]

Rhyno isn't a complete moron, he knows our reserve graders would improve his team.

 

[murraymob]

Wooden spooners. Moylan to be dropped to reserve grade half way through the year

would that be once he signs with the heels as you have stated many times

 

[maple_69]

I think last year the competition was weaker than previous years. Souths tiled their run right and were the most deserving but even up to the finals no team had really consistently impressed for more than a few games at a time. Most teams have improved their squads this year and we'll be dealing with expectation and more respect from opposition.

We won't be dealing with the huge personnel change of most teams though. That should help bring the commitment and attitude that the team showed last year which was the absolute key. We'll also have hunger from falling short.

Forward pack is the key. I don't think it's a weak forward pack. It's different to some of the dominant packs of recent times but most premiers have a different style or strength. Souths, Easts and Melbourne have all had solid plodders in their premiership packs. They just need to do their simple job and let the Peacheys and Cartwrights win games.

I think 3rd and prelim or grand final. Soward is my biggest question mark. If he isn't very good we drop back to the field.

 

[franklin2323]

Spot on. Soward's the key. He's still the only player we can't replace Koroisau is close to Seg.

All things being equal you would think the young guys will be better then last year so Top 4 isn't unrealistic.... Though rarely does Penrith live up to expectations. So wouldn't surprise me if we do in fact miss the 8

 

[PANTHERMIKE]

I went out last year and predicted a top 4 finish, not far off the minor prems. This year, I am even more confident that we will hit the heights of last year and we WILL be be minor prems and will be there at the last game of the year!

Soward will be better than last year...

 

[GongPanther]

Undefeated.

One can dream.