I think if Penrith can keep the bones of their squad together, we will see a mini dynasty over the next decade of them making prelims at a minimum.
There is some premierships in their future.
Melbourne...what can you say? Magnificent over two decades, they are just so well drilled and ready to punish you if a mistake is made or penalty given. When Cooper Cronk declared they’d win the GF by 20 most people abused him. He knows. Had the refs not orchestrated the comeback he would have been correct. I smile at suggestions they will fall in a heap without Cam and Bellyache. They said the same when Lazo left, and Folau, and Inglis, and Cronk, and Slater...it’s incredible to think that so soon after two legends left them they still collected another title.
Clubs like ours need to stop whinging and start studying what these guys are doing. Same goes for Roosters, Canberra, Souths and now Penrith...its not luck and it’s not salary cap rorting. They build good rosters and more importantly get the most out of those rosters. The Panthers did not play great footy during the finals yet beat very good Roosters and Souths squads. They came back from 26-0 down in the final and had they timed that better would have won. Melbourne and Easts are constantly in GFs, Souths and Canberra are always at their heels. I haven’t seen this level of belief and/or overachievement in our club in 15 years. Most games we seem beat before we take the field.