Haha Penrith sign another STAR

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B-Train

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I honestly think that that is not a bad side. They will cause alot of problems in 2010. I think they could make top 8 without much problem.
They definitely can. It's a serviceable side. Depth up front is their biggest issue. If they work as hard as they did this year and don't have too many injuries they'll probably make it.

But on paper they're behind almost every team. Luckily nothing is ever won on paper and as we all know with the top 8 and restrictive salary cap which prevents depth plus a season that's too long which leads to more injuries/inconsistency etc, that any team can make the 8 each year.
 

Munnuz 1

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They definitely can. It's a serviceable side. Depth up front is their biggest issue. If they work as hard as they did this year and don't have too many injuries they'll probably make it.

But on paper they're almost every team. Luckily nothing is ever won on paper and as we all know with the top 8 and restrictive salary cap which prevents depth plus a season that's too long which leads to more injuries/inconsistency etc, that any team can make the 8 each year.
yeh, true
 

Hansta

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imo the only teams who i think its out of reach is the roosters and sharks. The roosters need a complete rebuild and the sharks lack alot in the backline although the forward pack is pretty handy
 

B-Train

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imo the only teams who i think its out of reach is the roosters and sharks. The roosters need a complete rebuild and the sharks lack alot in the backline although the forward pack is pretty handy
I agree about Cronulla but with the Roosters they have a fair bit of talent, recruited more talent and Smith has a track record of completely turning around teams in a short period of time. I wouldn't be surprised if he did the same at the Roosters in one season.
 

Hansta

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i dunno man, it took him a year to get the knights back on track, i reckon the same will happen with the roosters. Fitzgibbon was their rock. Without him and other experienced forwards, i think they might buckle. But the years worth of experience will hold them in good shape for the following year.
 

B-Train

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i dunno man, it took him a year to get the knights back on track, i reckon the same will happen with the roosters. Fitzgibbon was their rock. Without him and other experienced forwards, i think they might buckle. But the years worth of experience will hold them in good shape for the following year.
Yeah you're right about Fitzy. We'll soon see. I won't be complaining if they get the spoon again that's for sure. Haha.
 

Maltese Bulldog

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I would have Sammut in the Panthers side... He might cost the side a mistake but i think he can spark something out of nothing... He is willing to try something when it needs to be done...
 

w00t

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I would have Sammut in the Panthers side... He might cost the side a mistake but i think he can spark something out of nothing... He is willing to try something when it needs to be done...
Ye like trying to look cool by jumping to take a bomb when it could be caught easier by him just waiting there..

It's pretty funny watching him drop bombs under no pressure because he tries to do something fancy instead of using his head
 

PantherPower83

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I would see the 2010 team looking like this:

1 Lachlan Coote
2 Michael Gordon
3 Michael Jennings
4 Brad Tighe
5 Shane Elford
6 Wade Graham
7 Luke Walsh
8 Frank Puletua
9 Masada Iosefa
10 Petero Civoniceva
11 Trent Waterhouse
12 Frank Pritchard
13 Luke Lewis

14 Kevin Kingston
15 Nathan Smith
16 Daine Laurie
17 Matthew Bell

Tim Grant, Joseph Paulo, Nigel Plum, Gavin Cooper, Joe Romelo, Adrian Purtell, Bob Blair, David Simmons, Jarrod Sammut - fighting for any spots/fill in for the injured
 

Sabre V

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I would see the 2010 team looking like this:

1 Lachlan Coote
2 Michael Gordon
3 Michael Jennings
4 Brad Tighe
5 Shane Elford
6 Wade Graham
7 Luke Walsh
8 Frank Puletua
9 Masada Iosefa
10 Petero Civoniceva
11 Trent Waterhouse
12 Frank Pritchard
13 Luke Lewis

14 Kevin Kingston
15 Nathan Smith
16 Daine Laurie
17 Matthew Bell

Tim Grant, Joseph Paulo, Nigel Plum, Gavin Cooper, Joe Remelo, Adrian Purtell, Bob Blair, David Simmons, Jarrod Sammut - fighting for any spots/fill in for the injured
Not a bad side tbh, certainly top 8 worthy.

Lethal centre pairing with a strong pack, especially your back row.

Just need Graham & Walsh to fire and remain injury free and I can see the Panthers having a much improved season.
 

FaceBreaker

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Well look at the start of this year, everyone was giving them the spoon.

They have a pretty good team list which PantherPower put up and that is definate Top 8 material.

Just need to stay injury free and for the halfs to be more consistent.

I liked what I saw of Luke Walsh, I think with more time he will improve quite a lot.
 

B-Train

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Cooper really has turned into quite a good and dangerous attacking player. I forgot about him. He'd have to be in the team somewhere but the Panthers have so many backrowers. Maybe he'll get a start in the centres?
 

Moe

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My 2cents :D

I aslo rate Gavin Cooper highly, he can play in the centres and the backrow.

Nathan Smith is a Gary Warburton type player, I dont think he is suited to the bench. Unfortunately I don't think this is a very fit pack so you need 2 props on the bench, no space for Cooper.

Dane Laurie, I dont rate him at all. He is big but has no technique at all. Joseph Paulo showed good signs towards the end of this season, Id reward him with a bench spot.

If Kingston turns out to be good enougth to be an 80min hooker, I'd get rid of Iosefa and put Gavin Cooper on the bench.

The key to this team is Luke Lewis, he a class above the rest of the players. He runs an incredible line and always seems to make breaks and create chances. He needs to touch the ball as much as possibe.

Luke Walsh is also very important to this team, we he plays bad the whole team does. He seems to play his best footy when he's taking on the line, and plays his worst footy when he plays sideways trying to shift the ball.

He needs to keep it direct and play just before the line and I think he will kill it.

This is the team I'd go with. A defensive yet capable backrow with planty of impact off the bench.

A pretty solid backline. Coote and Graham are the un-earthed x-factors, if they can come into their own this will be a very good team.

Gordon is awesome all round, great pace, great defence, great kicker. Elford for his age is going great guns too and surpisingly still has pace. Michael Jennings, nuff said.


  1. Lachlan Coote
  2. Michael Gordon
  3. Michael Jennings*
  4. Brad Tighe (Very good defensively)
  5. Shane Elford
  6. Wade Graham
  7. Luke Walsh
  8. Frank Puletua
  9. Masada Iosefa
  10. Petero Civoniceva*
  11. Trent Waterhouse*
  12. Nathan Smith
  13. Luke Lewis*
    _
  14. Kevin Kingston
  15. Frank Pritchard*
  16. Joseph Paulo
  17. Matthew Bell

  18. Gavin Cooper
  19. Nigel Plum
  20. Jarrod Sammut (I'd give him a run before Purtell. He is eratic but theres a very good player somewhere there)
 

Memberberries

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I don't think the Panthers will get anywhere with Matt Elliot as their coach

this should be his make or break year
 

bulldogs2010

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I don't think the Panthers will get anywhere with Matt Elliot as their coach

this should be his make or break year
See, I completely disagree.


The coach has a responsibility to train his team and help them as much as he can but it's up to the players to perform. His not the one out there but if he sets good structure in place then there's no reason for this team not to fire.

IMO, the key is Pritchard, Jennings and Graham.

Their left side attack is their strength and they simply don't give Jennings enough ball or enough quality ballto do anything.

Pritchard needs to get consistant. He is a big strong thing who is hard to handle but he needs to do it week in week out and needs to learn to be an 80 minute player IMO. This was a bloke who was getting the wraps over Sonny Bill Williams in 2008.
 
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I agree about Cronulla but with the Roosters they have a fair bit of talent, recruited more talent and Smith has a track record of completely turning around teams in a short period of time. I wouldn't be surprised if he did the same at the Roosters in one season.
Brian Smiths Knights only made the 8 for the first time this year? And even then they scraped in
 

PantherPower83

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Nathan Smith is a Gary Warburton type player, I dont think he is suited to the bench. Unfortunately I don't think this is a very fit pack so you need 2 props on the bench, no space for Cooper.

Dane Laurie, I dont rate him at all. He is big but has no technique at all. Joseph Paulo showed good signs towards the end of this season, Id reward him with a bench spot.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, with the exception of Iosefa. He has the potential to be very good. He was good coming through the juniors but hasn't had a consistent enough start in first grade. With Aiton gone, I think Iosefa will find his feet.

Good point about Pritchard and Smith - makes sense to switch them around and have Pritchard coming off the bench.


Cooper really has turned into quite a good and dangerous attacking player. I forgot about him. He'd have to be in the team somewhere but the Panthers have so many backrowers. Maybe he'll get a start in the centres?
I would suspect Cooper will be in and around the team. Not sure if he would get the nod above Jennings and Tighe but I'm sure he'll get some games.
 

Maltese Bulldog

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Ye like trying to look cool by jumping to take a bomb when it could be caught easier by him just waiting there..

It's pretty funny watching him drop bombs under no pressure because he tries to do something fancy instead of using his head


Yeah i know what you mean, he just trys to play the game at a 100% all the time... probably needs to stop and think at times before he goes out and does something crazy.

I'd still have in my team, i just think he could be an x-factor in a side. Maybe bring him off the bench for a little while, se how that role suits him. With his speed and agility he could cause teams trouble at the back end of halfs.
 
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