Your 2016 Rnd 1 team

[Kilkenny]

Don't usually post sides because for the most part mine is likely to be no resemblance to most other opinions and likely to be way off from what our coach is likely to pick;

After tonight's rather disappointing showing I feel compelled to put my two bob's worth forward,

Against the Raiders IMHO our side should be;

1. Moylan.
2. Dallan Watene Zelezniak.
3. Dean Whare.
4. Waka Blake.
5. Josh Mansour.
6. Te Maire Martin.
7. Jamie Soward.
8. Regan Campbell Gillard.
9. James Segeyaro.
10. Leilani Latu.
11. Bryce Cartwright.
12. Trent Merrin.
13. Isaah Yeo.

Interchange.

14. Tyrone Peachy.
15. James Fisher Harris.
16. Viliame Kikau.
17. Will Smith. (Utility who can cover all back line positions and hooker if necessary)

Yes there are no places for he likes of Latimore, Hiku (unfit), Elijah Taylor

While many of you would pick vastly different sides I just feel this is a side who can get the job done early.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

There is no point dropping Taylor and replacing him with Yeo. They are as limited as each other in attack, but Taylor's defense is better.

 

[umina panther]

We all know I dont rate Smith but putting that aside I still think its completely useless for us to pick a utility on the bench when we have Cartwright, Peach, Hiku and maybe Yeo in the side. Every position is well covered.

 

[chrisD]

When did Segs last play 80mins?

Team I would pick round 1,

DWZ
Mansour
Whare
Blake
Hiku
Soward
Moylan
Merrin
Segs
Matagi
Cartwright
Peach
Taylor

TMM
Latimore
Latu
JFH

 

[Exsilium]

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the early season casualties is Segeyaro. Whilst he can be brilliant his service has been poor, his options with the ball have left a lot to be desired and he isn't showing any patience.

After watching most of the trials I could I honestly feel we are the most underdone with maybe consideration to the Bulldogs who didn't look that great.

I know it's a trial but we are two weeks out from game day and I think the raiders forwards will tear us apart. Parramatta played with a lot of intent and that showed, fair play to them.

Apologies for the gloom but I am anticipating a rough start until we finally get some continuity. My biggest concern is Cartwright will stop being a forward and start pulling off low percentage plays at every opportunity, he may just be the next feleti mateo. Just want him to use his size and skill with the ball in hand and leave the fancy stuff for when we are doing the little things right.

Otherwise here's hoping griffin fires the boys up for round 1!

 

[mxlegend99]

Since Moylan to the halves is no longer an option. My side would be:

1. Moylan
2. Mansour
3. Blake
4. Whare
5. DWZ
6. TMM
7. Soward
8. Matagi
9. Segeyaro
10. RCG
11. Cartwright
12. Taylor
13. Merrin

14. Peachey (utility if needed)
15. JFH (Really impressive last night)
16. Latu
17. Latimore

But we know that Hiku is a certainty. Which means Blake isn't an option in the centres. We know Wallace is a certainty. Which means TMM is at best an option on the bench. Yeo would be ahead of JFH.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Unfortunately Soward & Wallace are pencilled in for rd1.

http://www.nrl.com/griffin-leaning-towards-veteran-pair/tabid/10874/newsid/93046/default.aspx
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin is likely to start veteran pair Jamie Soward and Peter Wallace for their NRL season-opener against Canberra despite showing rusty trial form.

Griffin is instead leaning towards his experienced duo in Soward and Wallace, who seemingly showed enough in Saturday's 22-8 trial defeat to Parramatta to earn first crack against the Raiders.
"I thought in general we were building nicely into the game," Griffin said of the duo's outing against the Eels.

"(Wallace) was good. He got nearly 60 minutes and it was great," Griffin said.

A streamlined Waqa Blake was easily Penrith's best against the Eels, and is in line to take on the Raiders in place of first-choice centre Dean Whare, who's in doubt with a calf strain.
Griffin said the Kiwi representative would have to run this week to prove his fitness.
Long-serving prop Sam McKendry was a surprise starter in NSW Cup after a slow start to the year but responded strongly to his demotion against Wentworthville.
"He's had an interrupted pre-season with calf strains (but) I thought he was really strong in the Cup. And he played a fair bit of time so we'll have a look at him as well," Griffin said.
"I thought the other guys went a bit better than him against the Bulldogs but he responded really well today. He played a lot of time and he had some good quality about him, particularly defensively."

 

[Exsilium]

I love how Griffin tells it how it is, kind of refreshing To hear a coach highlight a players performances and give him the old compliment sandwich. Nothing wrong with lighting small fires under players to get them to perform.

 

[Copperhead]

I love how Griffin tells it how it is, kind of refreshing To hear a coach highlight a players performances and give him the old compliment sandwich. Nothing wrong with lighting small fires under players to get them to perform.

I don't think that's any different to other coaches. Talk about competition for spots, and yet admitting Wallace will start, and McKendry probably will too. Really wish he'd show some guts.

 

[mxlegend99]

As expected, trial form counts for nothing and the backline we all predicted is set in stone barring injury:

Waqa Blake is banging on the door of first grade
Penrith's full-strength back five currently looks something like this: 1. Matt Moylan, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Dean Whare, 4. Peta Hiku, 5. Josh Mansour. Whare missed Saturday's trial with a calf strain though should be fit for Round 1. In his stead 21-year-old Blake was arguably Penrith's best player with one clean break (which he backed up by stepping the fullback before being rounded up) and one try (a scarcely believable grounding with most of his body past the dead ball line following what looked a try-saving tackle from Semi Radradra) the highlights.
"He's going well," coach Anthony Griffin said of the youngster. "We just have to see how Dean Whare is. Hopefully he's going to be OK with that calf strain." It's an indication Blake may just have to bide his time.

http://www.nrl.com/panthers-v-eels-five-key-points/tabid/10874/newsid/93050/default.aspx

Based on the coaches comments already, we are in the exact same position we were in the day we signed Hiku for knowing who is a certainty and who is fighting for a spot. The only change is we can safely say that from our 5 front rowers McKendry is at the bottom of the list. Which removes one of two questions marks I had on the team:


Round 1 side:
1. Moylan
2. Mansour
3. Hiku
4. Whare
5. DWZ
6. Soward
7. Wallace
8. Matagi
9. Segeyaro
10. RCG
11. Taylor
12. Peachey
13. Merrin



14. Latimore
15. Latu
16. Cartwright


I think those 16 players are certainties. Might be in different jerseys, but I think if fit they're all picked. Anthony Griffin has basically shot down any of the spots that looked up for grabs through the trials already. He confirmed our halves. He has said that Blake depends on whether or not Whare is fit.

17. Yeo / TMM / JFH / Smith

Isaah Yeo will probably have that final bench spot. TMM didn't get an opportunity to play for it, Smith surely played himself out of it (if he was ever in consideration) and for mine JFH was the most impressive of those players but I think based on the other team selections Anthony Griffin is going to go with the "safe" option in Isaah Yeo.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I really worry about Griffin. More so than any of our individual players, even Wallace. I just don't see a top coach in him.

 

[mxlegend99]

I really worry about Griffin. More so than any of our individual players, even Wallace. I just don't see a top coach in him.

Me too. The last few weeks I had been getting more hope up that players could actually earn spots in the team and the trials would legitimately decide things for us.

But the things most people wanted never got a chance to happen:

Matt Moylan to the halves
He played 20 mnutes in a trial and the experiment is over. It was his first game in 9 months and all he is willing to do is give him 20 minutes of a trial before seemingly ruling it out? What the f*ck. He has been average at fullback in the trials aswell. Because he missed 9 months of football and needs time to get back into the swing of things. Wayne Bennett flat out decided that Anthony Milford is going to be a half. Then patiently waited for him to deliver. He did.

Te Maire Martin in the halves
After all but ruling Matt Moylan out of the halves. He doesn't give our next best option a decent shot either. He was the star of the match last week. This week he gets thrown in at the end of the game with Will Smith absolutely killing momentum and the whole team making mistakes and not giving him an opportunity to prove he should be ahead of Peter Wallace

Peter Wallace and Jamie Soward
Neither guy was impressive last night. They were both average and the only reason they are certainties for Round 1 after that match is because no one else was given an opportunity to shine. Except for Will Smith who yet again did nothing in the halves except for kill momentum and show he has no right to be in a playmaking position for our team.

For all the talk that we had spots up for grabs, only two players were actually given a chance to be our halves and even though neither fired up in the halves they are still guaranteed their spots.

Jamie Soward deserves the BOTD. Peter Wallace doesn't. He has never been more than a solid partner to a dominant half on fire. Jamie Soward is capable of being that, but Moylan and TMM are capable of offering him so much more. Yet neither has been given a chance to. Now neither is going to be prepared to step in when we have our inevitable injury toll to one or both halves.

Waqa Blake / Peta Hiku
Waqa Blake was by far our best back last night. He looked fit, fast and strong. He tried his best all game and aside from a poor read on a Norman pass to let Jennings through untouched, he was flawless in defence and shut down one of the most lethal centres in the game. In attack he ran hard and looked our most likely to create things even when nothing was on.

Peta Hiku on the other hand looked chubby and out of shape, he showed no urgency at all and was responsible for an even worse defensive read than Blake... and he didn't have Norman and Jennings linking up to fool him.

Despite this, Hiku is a certainty for Round 1 and Waqa Blake is waiting to see how Dean Whare pulls up from his injury.

 

[kinghippo]

Well it is looking like we will start with Soward and Wallace, so disappointing.TMM has done all he can to push for a start.
Half the teams in the comp are starting with new halves this season, now is the time to make changes if we are going to do it.
I bet in round 4 when we have lost games because we can't score points due to our pedestrian halves we will no doubt drop TMM in the deep end and expect instant results.
Then the coach can roll out the we are in a rebuilding phase line and we can start looking forward to next season (I know I am being a little melodramatic but it is a very well tested formula for Panther fans)

My team would be

Merrin, seg, RCG
Cartwright, peachy
Taylor
TMM
Moylan
Blake and Whare in the centres
Hiku and mansour wings
DWZ

Yeo, latimore / latu, matagi, JFH

No matter when we do it it will take time for new halves to play well together, we may as well get straight into it.Dwz needs a bit of work under the high ball but has all the skills. I know the team won't look anything like this come round 1 but this is a my team thread. If you're reading this coach, stir it up a bit, make them earn their spot!

 

[Copperhead]

My team would be

Merrin, seg, RCG
Cartwright, peachy
Taylor
TMM
Moylan
Blake and Whare in the centres
Hiku and mansour wings
DWZ

Yeo, latimore / latu, matagi, JFH

No matter when we do it it will take time for new halves to play well together, we may as well get straight into it.Dwz needs a bit of work under the high ball but has all the skills. I know the team won't look anything like this come round 1 but this is a my team thread. If you're reading this coach, stir it up a bit, make them earn their spot!

Bravo. Wish you'd thrown your hat into the ring when we were looking for a new coach.

Soward is getting a pass by most people, but is nearly as bad as Wallace.
Dead set refuses to test the defence. I'd be happy to suffer the inevitable pain of a new halves combination, if only someone was brave enough to do it.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I think Soward is pretty much done, honestly. We won't win shit with him and Wallace together. Him and someone else good, maaybe.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Me too. The last few weeks I had been getting more hope up that players could actually earn spots in the team and the trials would legitimately decide things for us.

From what I can gather from Broncos fans, Griffin is characterised by:

1) a dour playing style, with little attacking flair
2) a reluctance to give young guys a crack, instead preferring...
3) weird positional selections for established players

God, I hope he's changed.

 

[murraymob]

Well he has appeared to have changed then,He was asked before the game about. The squad chosen for the parra game he said they have the jump on the rest

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I think we knew this anyway.
Martin to bide his time in NSW Cup

ANTHONY Griffin will resist the urge to hand Te Maire Martin the Panthers’ No. 6 jumper, preferring to see the young playmaker serve a decent apprenticeship against older opposition in the NSW Cup.
Martin was being touted as a possible bolter for the Panthers starting line-up for round one, especially on the back of his trial against Canterbury.
But the Penrith coach confirmed experienced duo Peter Wallace and Jamie Soward were set to get the nod in the halves against Canberra on Saturday week.
Griffin added Matt Moylan, who is racing the clock to be fit for the season opener in the nation’s capital because of a back injury, would also focus on the No. 1 jumper for the time being rather than persist with the shift to five-eighth.
Griffin’s comments will finally end any uncertainty about the halves make-up for the start of the club’s latest campaign.
“He’s a really good boy, but we have to be patient with him,’’ Griffin said of Junior Kiwi Martin.
“He’s only ever played twenties, he had a good trial against the Dogs, and the thing for him now is time and playing some NSW Cup.
“What he has done is give us a glimpse of what he’s capable of, and it’s about building a career now for him.’’
Griffin said time in the NSW Cup would serve as a huge benefit, just as it did for Queensland Origin representatives Cherry-Evans and Hunt.



“Those two spent a lot of time in Queensland Cup before they played first grade. Daly Cherry-Evans was the Queensland Cup player of the year for Sunshine Coast. It takes time,’’ Griffin said.
“It’s a massive step up from twenties to first grade, just the physicality of it, the speed of it. They’re ready when they’re ready, not before you want them to be ready.
“Fortunately he’s only 20, he might be ready in six months, he might be ready in 26 months, I don’t know.
“Cherry-Evans and Ben Hunt are both Origin halves now, and they didn’t go straight from twenties to be effective in first grade.’’
Griffin said he had been happy with Soward and Wallace, the thirty-somethings who had spoken among themselves about trying to hold off the younger challengers like Martin and Moylan.
While Griffin wants Moylan to focus on getting fit after such a long lay-off, and focus on his preferred fullback position, he was more than happy with Soward and Wallace.
“I’d say so,’’ when asked if that pair would be named for the trip to Canberra.
“They’ve trained really well and earned the right to be there. They’ve got plenty of experience and done everything asked of them, and they’ve earned their spots.
“Jamie trialled well in PNG, then the All Stars, and had a solid 70 minutes last week. Pete was happy to get through 60 last week. So for me it’s pleasing to see them both getting through a fair bit of footy last weekend.’’
Soward told The Daily Telegraph Martin was the future of Penrith, but it was up to him to deny his younger teammate his NRL debut.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n/news-story/ff1a4ec337285c571519173d28369488

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Too bad. Maybe when we don't have injury-prone old men in the halves, we may actually be competitive.

 

[ACTPanthers]

God I hope I eat my words, but I can't see us winning shit with Griffin