Your honest thoughts...

[Sleep]

What are your honest thoughts and expectations of the team this year? We've had two solid wins, an ordinary loss and a close game we should of won for so many reasons but we didn't.

I'm not getting too ahead of myself. The Eagles aren't playing well at all at the moment and the Tigers are a weak team.

Having said that I still think we should be somewhere in the bottom half of the top eight. We've got a really good, very underrated forward pack and I like some of our backs. Wade Graham is our key man. We need him to develop and to get his hands on the ball more if we're to be a chance. His kicking game is vital. Lewis and Sammut just don't have the kicking game we need.

Aiton and Iosefa compliment each other really well and will only get better as the year goes on. Gordon and Jennings are killer and won't let anyone down. Coote is improving (I was wrong when I said he wasn't as good as he had been last year) and as long as Tighe can pull it together he'll be handy. I'm still not sold on Elford and hope Blair can find some form and get a spot back.

The next two weeks Melbourne/Brisbane are going to be incredibly tough. If we can get a win at either one or at least be competitive and really push them I'll be happy.

 

[Bob]

I honestly think we can finish as high as 4th as long as we make some changes, Jarrod Sammut is not a half back and should be replaced by Luke Walsh, I think we will go up a level with Walsh there, it will also relieve a lot of pressure of Wade Grahams shoulders, he can go to 5/8 and play at second receiver, Shane Elford also has to be replaced as I have noticed he has gotten caught out in defence a couple of times,he has tried a couple of times for the intercept and failed, I think he also puts Jennings under pressure with his bad reads. Elford should be replaced by JTK as they have a long playing history together
Our forward pack is going great at the moment although I would like to perserver with Tim Grant. Grant is only going to get better the more games he plays.The more he comes under Petero's influence the better
Same can be said of Matt Bell

 

[murraymob]

i said from the start we could sneak into the 8.I feel we are at least a season away from being good enough to actually win it.Wade graham will continue to develop and improve.We have good forwards coming through.The future is looking good.
I am especially pleased crowds are starting to increase

 

[mxlegend99]

It's too early to tell. We started off 2007 just as well IMO.

R1 - 18-0 loss to Sharks
R2 - 40-10 win over Bulldogs (Michael Jennings made his debut)
R3 - 29-28 win over Broncos (Peter Wallace 45m field goal)
R4 - 24-22 loss to the Titans (Waterhouse injured... possibly the reason for the season taking a turn for the worse)

So after 4 weeks we had two wins and a positive for and against. Things were looking great for us. But we ended up with the spoon. I'm excited for this season like everyone else. But i don't consider us top 8 certainties after the first few weeks.

 

[Sleep]

I don't think we're top eight certainties by any means. But we've definitely got the potential and talent to be there.

But as I said, we've got a tough run coming up so it'll be a real test to see how we fair.

 

[murraymob]

It's too early to tell. We started off 2007 just as well IMO.

R1 - 18-0 loss to Sharks
R2 - 40-10 win over Bulldogs (Michael Jennings made his debut)
R3 - 29-28 win over Broncos (Peter Wallace 45m field goal)
R4 - 24-22 loss to the Titans (Waterhouse injured... possibly the reason for the season taking a turn for the worse)

So after 4 weeks we had two wins and a positive for and against. Things were looking great for us. But we ended up with the spoon. I'm excited for this season like everyone else. But i don't consider us top 8 certainties after the first few weeks.

the big difference to me is the defence.We have had 2 losses both by 2.And that was with out graham .If he plays i say we win those 2 games.I feelwith out a doubt we are headed in the right direction

 

[mxlegend99]

Well looking at the numbers... there's very few points difference between 2007 and 2009.

2007 Against = 80, For = 91 (F/A = +11). 2 wins. 2 losses.
2009 Against = 78, For = 90 (F/A = +12). 2 wins. 2 losses.

I think we're playing with a lot more spirit this season then we were back then. But we started off 2007 fairly well, and still managed to end up with the spoon. I think we'll finish somewhere between 4th and 12th depending on how we go with injuries. We have too many blokes who are used to winning in the side to end up with the spoon.

 

[Sleep]

I think we're a better team then plenty of others in the comp. Whether we finish on top of them is a different matter though.

Nice to see we've got two Friday night games later on this year. Against the Dragons in Wollongong and the Tigers at Leichardt.

 

[Copperhead]

My thoughts almost exactly mirror Bob's. I'd make the same changes he recommended.
But we would need a lot of things to fall into place to be in the top 4. Mostly, no injuries.

Mob, you keep saying we've lost both matches by 2. The Sharks beat us by 8.

 

[Kilkenny]

I think it's early days and I am not getting carried away.

The next two weeks are likely to be an indication of our top eight credentials and we need to win at least one of the two games.

Despite improvement in some areas I think we are yet to display the sort of form that would make me want to put my hard earned on backing us to make the top four.

It is a very even competition and any side can beat any other side on there day so the final composition of the top four and eight will no doubt not be decided until completion of round 26 which makes for an exciting competition. Hopefully, we are still in the hunt come the business end of the season.

 

[pantherz9103]

Its really tough to call. The bad old Panthers would probably go on to lose the next four games as they are all difficult games. If we win 2 of them I'll be very happy. If we won 3 or 4 I'd be over the moon. The Storm and the Broncos are always tough and the Titans are a team on the rise. The Raiders are always hard to beat in Canberra and don't we know it. If we lost the next 4 it could ruin our confidence and send us into a spoon battle. We don't need that, we need to be making the finals. If we miss out for a 5th time in a row its make it even harder to attract new players here and keep the ones we got.

Based on the attitude displayed over the last few weeks, I'm optimistic about a top 8 finish but I'm worried that Elliot will find a way to dig us into a hole. Now Finch is on the market, I'm worried he might try to sign him.

 

[Kilkenny]

Its really tough to call. The bad old Panthers would probably go on to lose the next four games as they are all difficult games. If we win 2 of them I'll be very happy. If we won 3 or 4 I'd be over the moon. The Storm and the Broncos are always tough and the Titans are a team on the rise. The Raiders are always hard to beat in Canberra and don't we know it. If we lost the next 4 it could ruin our confidence and send us into a spoon battle. We don't need that, we need to be making the finals. If we miss out for a 5th time in a row its make it even harder to attract new players here and keep the ones we got.

Based on the attitude displayed over the last few weeks, I'm optimistic about a top 8 finish but I'm worried that Elliot will find a way to dig us into a hole. Now Finch is on the market, I'm worried he might try to sign him.

Have we ever beaten the Raiders. I have killed a few brain cells over the years supporting the Panthers but off the cuff when was the last time we enjoyed a victory over the Raiders, not just away from home?

 

[panthersballboy]

Yeah Kilkenny the raiders are a definite bogey team for us. The last win I recall was smashing them at Penny Park in the last half of 2004. We may have beaten them since, but that is the last win I remember against them.

 

[choc_soldier]

Round 18, 2006 - Penrith 24 Canberra 12, at Penrith. From memory, Gordon may have scored more than half the points...

As for my honest thoughts about the start to the season, I'm happy with how we are travelling - I honestly didn't think we would be 2-2 going into Round 5. The Sharks match was forgettable, unlucky to lose against the Doggies, Manly was a gritty win and I saw the clock rewind to 2003/04 against the Tigers.

But the next 3 weeks will provide a stern test to our true credentials. After that, it could give us a better indication as to our fortunes in 2009.

 

[Kilkenny]

Round 18, 2006 - Penrith 24 Canberra 12, at Penrith. From memory, Gordon may have scored more than half the points...

As for my honest thoughts about the start to the season, I'm happy with how we are travelling - I honestly didn't think we would be 2-2 going into Round 5. The Sharks match was forgettable, unlucky to lose against the Doggies, Manly was a gritty win and I saw the clock rewind to 2003/04 against the Tigers.

But the next 3 weeks will provide a stern test to our true credentials. After that, it could give us a better indication as to our fortunes in 2009.

0-3 from the next three weeks and we will surely be back to where most everyone has us placed at the start of the season. Wooden spoon favourites and Elliot favourite to be the first coach to be shown the door.

There are elements within the club who have made it known Stephen Kearney will most likely be our coach come June. The results of the next three weeks will likely determine whether this is fact or fiction.

 

[The Mighty Panther]

There are elements within the club who have made it known Stephen Kearney will most likely be our coach come June. The results of the next three weeks will likely determine whether this is fact or fiction.

I don't mind if we don't get him by June - but we need him by Oct '09 for season 2010!!

 

[Kilkenny]

I don't mind if we don't get him by June - but we need him by Oct '09 for season 2010!!

All of us of believed Matt Elliot was an astute acquisition. Now as time has shown few if any have faith in him.

Why would it be different with Stephen Kearney. Change for change sake.

Personally, I don't wan't anybody connected with the Storm being part of our club.

Kearney would surely be a clone of Craig Bellamy and as I despise Craig Bellamy it stands I want nothing to do with his understudy.

 

[Fibroman]

We have a major problem in management.

Why do other teams contract coaches to specialise in halves and kicking, yet we persist with a coach that was a good solid defensive player with no attacking skills?

Is it any wonder that we win games based purely on great line defence, which was clearly Matt Elliott's best asset as a player.

If I was Mick Leary, I would contract someone like Wally Lewis, Kevin Walters, Peter Sterling etc etc.... into the club to coach the halves.

Just an opinion. We are all entitled to them.

 

[panthersballboy]

Well after tonights game you would have to think we are going to win more games than we lose this season. I feel we were the better team and did everything but win just like the doggies game. A few things go our way in those games and we are 4 and 1. We are competitive in every game which is massive for us compared to the last few seasons. With 4 of our next 5 at home it is our chance to entrench ourselves in the top 8 and make something of the season. We just need a bit better execution and a bit of luck. It sucked losing tonight but there is a lot of positives to take out of the game.
What this means for Elliot I'm not sure but he should definitely see out the year.

 

[murraymob]

the problems in the halves will never settle while we change them during a game.For christ sake pick a pairing let them play together for a few games then change if need be not during a game every game