You know you just have to admit it.

[Dragon Slayer]

Feel sorry for every middle forward this summer, coaches are going to push their fitness to the max being ready for teams trying to copy Penriths plan to tire out opposition middles.
Another reason why letting Hunt go is a good idea.

The tiring out of Melbourne’s middles was not just done by the forwards but.

As I mentioned Luai and a few others got a lot of second phase play going and then combined it with targeted fast straight running in spaces.

Harry Grant was farked my the 10min mark of the second half.

 

[carinashark]

Have to agree Quigs, those two sides are way ahead of everyone else. It was impressive. Storm started the second half well ,but after 10 min errors crept in that cost them Feild position and ball possession. The elite members of that team tried to jag a win but Panthers had all the answers. Probably we have to aim higher and be more ruthless with team selection. But after the GF I wonder if we are up to it. We just don’t have those 2016 type players or just not enough of them.

 

[Chimp]

Most will disagree but I think the Sharks have already been doing this. Just no where near as good as Penrith and don't have the second tier cattle. I reckon the Sharks are every bit as fit as they Panthers but miles from being as tight knit despite what they spruik. Yet, the spruiking is necessary to set being tight knit into culture.

Should be remembered that the famous 5 year plan that Beetroot head talked about took more like 9-10 years. 9 if you count their first GF and 10 if you count the first premiership.

Clubs have already had 5 years to copy them if fitness is the only factor. I think they dine out on other things more. Commitment, legacy, hunger, motivation, head strength, devotion and all the intangibles. I also think they have different outlooks on all of those. Different motivations, different hungers etc.

If whatever they do was as visible as simply looking at fitness then they wouldn't have won 4 on the trot. What about how they use their fitness? e.g. forwards not getting behind the line till the 3rd or fourth after long opposition kicks into their red zone. Was really evident during the semis. How about the way they "rest" different players during games and reduce their loads e.g. Leota yesterday. He only ran 22 metres and only made about 8 tackles in his first 16 minute stint.

The human body can only do so much physically. The mind however can do far more and push the body.

There's magic in Penrith.

Clearly the club is set up for success right from the beginning of their development paths, but their first grade success does have extreme fitness and outstanding core skills as its foundations. They are the fittest team by a mile, and they very very rarely make basic errors. And those fitness levels and core skill seem to be the things that their development path focus on - I’m guessing there’s plenty of more high skill/flashy players in their development paths that don’t make it, because instead, you’ve got Liam Martin type bloke led who aren’t that skilful/flashy, but is an absolute machine.
Then as you say, they exploit their fitness further by having the back 5 ‘come to them’ in tackles 1-3 rather than the big lads having to lug their way back to their own 20.
What’s annoying is, we seemed to have copied the blueprint on match day style, and were physically draining teams early in the year, then we met Penrith, they gave us a bath, and it was like we decided ‘well that’s not gonna work anymore then’ and sacked it off.

 

[Frenzy.]

Clearly the club is set up for success right from the beginning of their development paths, but their first grade success does have extreme fitness and outstanding core skills as its foundations. They are the fittest team by a mile, and they very very rarely make basic errors. And those fitness levels and core skill seem to be the things that their development path focus on - I’m guessing there’s plenty of more high skill/flashy players in their development paths that don’t make it, because instead, you’ve got Liam Martin type bloke led who aren’t that skilful/flashy, but is an absolute machine.
Then as you say, they exploit their fitness further by having the back 5 ‘come to them’ in tackles 1-3 rather than the big lads having to lug their way back to their own 20.
What’s annoying is, we seemed to have copied the blueprint on match day style, and were physically draining teams early in the year, then we met Penrith, they gave us a bath, and it was like we decided ‘well that’s not gonna work anymore then’ and sacked it off.

Will take years to prefect that style if they persist.

 

[Weaponhead]

In addition to their fitness, they are incredibly mentally tough. They are patient and disciplined to wear teams down. They know their roles and keep going when other teams get bored.

The resilience of the system is shown in the turnover of good players. They have lost plenty yet still get the done year after year. Respect.